The tomato brown rugose fruit virus poses a new threat to Swiss agriculture – especially to tomatoes and peppers. Agroscope is playing a key role in controlling this quarantine organism in Switzerland.
Previous criteria used to measure social sustainability have their limits in the case of family farms. We propose focusing on workload. Initial results show that this is an easy-to-use and meaningful indicator.
To reduce plant-protection product use, we need to know what behavioural patterns farmers follow when using plant-protection products in their crops. This was the subject of a study conducted by Agroscope in Switzerland.
Why do Swiss farmers complain about the administrative burden associated with the direct payments system? Studies conducted by Agroscope show that the issue is not the time required: other factors are more important.
How can we improve the way we rate farmyard manures as nitrogen suppliers? International experts will gather at Agroscope from 4-6 May to discuss the determination of farmyard-manure nitrogen utilisation as a basis for revising the Suisse-Bilanz nutrient balance calculation tool.
Divico, Agroscope’s new disease-resistant grape variety, is noted for the quality of its wines. Blending trials with the Pinot Noir variety have shown that Divico is also highly suitable for correcting colour intensity in the latter.
Crimson clover is essentially used as a catch crop in association with ryegrass. The comparative trial conducted in 2019-21 has led to the addition of two new acquisitions to the List of Recommended Varieties of Forage Plants.
Agroscope is partnering with ornithologists to study the behaviour of corvids. The study aims to reduce the damage caused by these birds to sunflower and maize seedlings.
Biodiverse mountain pastures are being overgrown by green alder shrubs. A study conducted by Agroscope and ETHZ shows that hardy sheep and goats can stop shrub encroachment. In particular, the traditional Engadine sheep has a taste for green alder.
Digital technologies for vegetable production are available, but are seldom used at present. What factors inhibit or promote their use? A survey of experts conducted by Agroscope provides answers.
Digitalisation is playing an increasingly important role in agriculture. What knowledge is imparted in the Farm Manager course? An online survey shows where there is a need for expansion.
The annual conference of the SGA on the topic of ‘Evidence-based agriculture and food policy – the role of research in policy development’ will take place at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL in Frick on 28 and 29 April 2022.
The Agroscope Rice Project is supported by the SNSF. Project Head Yvonne Fabian will be providing an insight into her research at a Treffpunkt Science City talk on 20 March 2022.
How can we feed ourselves in the most climate- and environmentally friendly way possible? The Swiss TV channel SRF’s ‘Einstein’ show explores this issue in two programmes, on 10 and 17 February 2022 – with the participation of experts from Agroscope.
The microflame and hot water offer new ways of controlling weeds without herbicides, and are an alternative to laborious manual weeding, e.g. on organic plots. Agroscope and BFH-HAFL are developing and testing the new methods.
On alpine pastures, measures for controlling problematic plants are limited. Nevertheless, grazing offers many options, with goats e.g. able to reverse the advance of green alder.
