Calculations carried out by the Swiss Soil Monitoring Network (NABO) over more than 30 years reveal that fertiliser applications and plant-protection products can lead to excess heavy metals in agricultural soils.
Certain crops in Switzerland can benefit from more-species-and-individual-rich wild-bee communities. An Agroscope report shows how this could be achieved.
What are the possible routes of entry of plant-protection products into surface waters? Agroscope shows the potential input risks in terms of tile drainage, runoff and agricultural point sources for over 20'000 catchment areas.
Agroscope experts are conducting long-term trials to learn how high the natural regeneration potential of the soil is, how quickly a soil recovers after compaction, and what processes are particularly important here.
Easy-to-use and informative metrics are essential to allow farmers to measure and optimise the environmental impacts of their farming activity for themselves. The recently launched Agroscope research programme ‘Indicate’ aims to develop these metrics.
Agroscope conducts an annual analysis of the risks to food supply on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for Economic Supply FONES. In 2021, a power shortage, seed imports and climate change were addressed as particular risks.
A survey of 18 experts from the whole of Switzerland shows what effects a complete or partial avoidance of plant-protection products would have on in-kind yields in arable production.
IP-SUISSE and Agroscope have developed a point system whose aim is to show what climate protection measures farmers can implement effectively on their farms.
An Agroscope study commissioned by the Federal Office for Agriculture shows that the use of biochar clearly has potential, yielding benefits for the climate and ecosystems.
Billions of soil microorganisms have been eating away at the buried underpants. A video will document their state of decomposition once they are dug up.
Bacteria break down contaminants in the soil, make nutrients available to plants and protect plants from pathogens. Agroscope has analysed soil bacterial diversity throughout Switzerland for the first time.
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) pathogens can be transmitted to humans by the consumption of raw milk and raw-milk products from infected goats. The risk is judged to be low, and is most likely to come from on-farm consumption of the (unpasteurised) products.
Manuel Boss takes over the reins of the ‘Plants and Plant Products’ Competence Division on 1 June 2021. He brings his extensive network and his experience in science and agricultural policy with him to Agroscope.
Working together with three other partners from the private sector, Agroscope coordinates the Horizon 2020 project OptiSignFood, which aims to provide the basics for more efficient, more environmentally friendly food production.
The older the respondents, the better they know and follow the emergency supply recommendations. Experience from the first lockdown can help ensure more stocking-up in future.
Agroscope’s monitoring programme ‘ALL-EMA’ records species and habitat diversity in the Swiss agricultural landscape. This is the basis for understanding the state of habitats.
Agroscope, plant-protection agencies and affected farmers launch 2021 campaign for controlling cockchafers in the mountain region with naturally occurring fungi.
Agroscope has comprehensively characterised the cheese variety Raclette du Valais PDO (Protected Designation of Origin). With the reference values obtained, cheese-dairy advisory services will be able to identify cheese defects more easily in future.
