Practical Ways to Assess Sustainability

Agroscope has developed the foundation of a methodology for assessing the sustainability of Swiss farms. From summer 2016, a set of indicators will be tested on around ten farms. Sustainably managed farms form an important basis for healthy, fit-for-the-future food production.

The assessment of a farm’s sustainability is a vital step in its optimisation. Here, equal consideration must be given to the criteria concerning the three dimensions of environment, economy and society. Agroscope has developed appropriate indicators, and published these in May 2016 in the ‘Agroscope Science’ publication series.

These indicators are the foundation for enabling farmers, consumers and associations as well as interested actors and stakeholders from production, processing and trade to develop a comprehensive farm sustainability assessment. Particular attention is devoted by Agroscope to the social dimension. This field still lacks sufficient resilient and practical indicators that are tailor-made for Swiss farms.

Well-being concept for human well-being

Four project teams developed indicators for assessing social sustainability, with a focus on the three areas of human well-being, animal welfare, and landscape aesthetics. Here, it was shown that the Well-being Concept of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) represents a good basis for depicting the various aspects of human well-being. To this end, key questions allowing the relevant topics to be described simply and concisely were developed for each sub-aspect such as e.g. work/life balance, social relationships and subjective well-being.

Owing to the relevance of the topic for agriculture, a project team devoted itself to the calculation of temporal workload. On the basis of the ‘ART Work Budget’ software developed by Agroscope to calculate the expected working time, we derived an indicator by comparing the theoretically derived working-time input and the workforce available on the farm.

Point system for animal welfare

A further project team noted that using a simple indicator to assess animal welfare cannot cover all of the requirements. The researchers therefore propose a point system that manages without observations or measurements on the animal itself. In this system, points are awarded to measures with an anticipated positive impact on one of the twelve animal welfare aspects taken into account in the existing Welfare®-Quality Protocol measuring instrument, e.g. freedom of movement or the absence of pain. In order for points to be awarded, the anticipated animal welfare must go beyond the minimum stipulated in the Swiss Animal Protection Law. Follow-up projects will now aim to determine whether a correlation does in fact exist between the number of points awarded and the level of animal welfare.

Indicators for the economy and environment

Agroscope has also developed indicators for the economic and environmental dimensions; detailed information on these can be found in the relevant Agroscope publication of May 2016. The economic sustainability of a farm can be illustrated by two key figures in each of the following areas: profitability (earned income per family labour unit and total return on capital); liquidity (cashflow-turnover rate and dynamic gearing ratio), and stability (investment intensity and investment coverage). The environmental dimension of sustainability encompasses the components of resource efficiency, effects on climate, nutrients, and ecotoxicity, as well as biodiversity and soil quality.

Practicability, utility, acceptance

Practical testing of the indicator set is carried out in close cooperation with the involved farmers. The test determines the practicability, utility and acceptance of a sustainability assessment at farm level. In addition to the refinement of the indicator set, a scientific analysis of the results is planned. The project will be concluded with an in-depth report at the end of 2019. The results obtained are meant to contribute to the implementation of a practical solution for assessing sustainability on a large number of farms. The project is financially supported by the Migros Cooperative Association (MGB). IP-Suisse is actively involved in data acquisition.

Further information:

Project number: 22.01.17.06.02

Agroecological Grassland Management for Site-Adapted Production Systems

Durch standortangepasste Bewirtschaftung können Ökosystemdienstleistungen des Graslandes nachhaltig erhalten und gefördert werden. Das Projekt unterstützt die Landwirte und Landwirtinnen, Produktion- und Umweltziele für die kontrastreichen Graslandstandorte der Schweiz zu erreichen.

Das Projekt zielt darauf ab, die Ressourceneffizienz der Graslandnutzung zu verbessern und gleichzeitig die Ökosystemdienstleistungen des Graslands zu fördern. Die multifunktionalen Leistungen des Graslands sollen besser eingeschätzt und unter unterschiedlichen Bewirtschaftungs- und Standortbedingungen optimal ausgestaltet werden. Im Zentrum des Projektes stehen Naturwiesen vom Tal- bis ins Alpgebiet: wie können sie standortangepasst, bodenschonend und vorbeugend gegen Unkräuter unter den sich veränderten Bedingungen bewirtschaftet werden? Überprüft wird auch, wie die Alpnutzungsplanung unter Einbezug neu verfügbarer Technologien weitenentwickelt werden kann. Für die Fruchtfolge werden Futterpflanzen-Mischungen unterschiedlicher Zusammensetzung als Stickstofflieferanten getestet.

Project ID: 3792 Sending by e-mail

Head of Project

Huguenin-Elie Olivier

Deputy

Schneider Manuel K.

Last Name, First Name	Location
Bérard Joël	Posieux
Dubois Sébastien	Posieux
Gago Rafael	Reckenholz
Huguenin-Elie Olivier	Reckenholz
Jan Pierrick	Tänikon
Klötzli Julie	Reckenholz
Lüscher Andreas	Reckenholz
Pauler Caren	Reckenholz
Schaub Sergei	Tänikon
Schneider Manuel K.	Reckenholz
Stutz Cornel Johannes	Reckenholz
Suter Matthias	Reckenholz

Klaus V., Schaub S., Séchaud R., Fabian Y., Jeanneret P., Lüscher A., Huguenin-Elie O.
Upscaling of ecosystem service and biodiversity indicators from field to farm to inform agri-environmental decision- and policy-making.
Ecological Indicators, 163, 2024, 1-9.

Eichinger J., Reiche A.-M., Dohme-Meier F., Fuchsmann P.
Optimization of volatile organic compounds sampling from dairy cow exhaled breath using polymer-based solid-phase extraction cartridges for gas chromatographic analysis.
Journal of Breath Research, 18, (3), 2024, 1-18.

Eichinger J., Reiche A.-M., Münger A., Fuchsmann P., Pimentel G., Huber K., Dohme-Meier F.
Investigation of the suitability of exhaled volatile organic compounds to discriminate different diets in lactating dairy cows.
In: GfE Tagung. 5-7 March, Publ. GfE, Göttingen. 2024.

Eichinger J., Reiche A.-M., Münger A., Fuchsmann P., Huber K., Dohme-Meier F.
Correlations between volatile organic compounds of exhaled breath and blood metabolites of lactating dairy cows.
In: GfE Tagung. 5-7 March, Publ. GfE, Göttingen. 2024.

Eichinger J., Reiche A.-M., Münger A., Fuchsmann P., Huber K., Dohme-Meier F.
Correlations between volatile organic compounds of exhaled breath and blood metabolites of lactating dairy cows.
In: GfE Tagung. 7. March, Göttingen. 2024.

Neyret M., Provost G., Boesing A. L., Schneider F. D., Baulechner D., Bergmann J., de Vries F. T., Fiore-Donno A. M., Geisen S., Goldmann K., Merges A., Saifutdinov R. A., Simons N. K., Tobias J. A., Zaitsev A. S. and others
A slow-fast trait continuum at the whole community level in relation to land-use intensification.
Nature Communications, 15, (1251), 2024, 1-23.

Oriani F., Mariethoz G., Chevalier M.
EUPollMap: The European atlas of contemporary pollen distribution maps derived from an integrated Kriging interpolation approach.
Earth System Science Data, 16, (1), 2024, 731-742.

Fuchs P., Stachowicz J., Schneider M. K., Probo M., Bruckmaier R. M., Umstätter C.
Stress indicators in dairy cows adapting to virtual fencing.
Journal of Animal Science, 102, 2024, 1-17.

Pichon N. A., Cappelli S. L., Soliveres S., Mannall T., Nwe T. Z., Hölzel N., Klaus V., Kleinebecker T., Vincent H., Allan E.
Nitrogen availability and plant functional composition modify biodiversity-multifunctionality relationships.
Ecology Letters, In Press, 2024, 1-13.

Klötzli J., Suter M., Beaumont D., Kolmanič A., Leskovšek R., Schaffner U., Storkey J., Lüscher A.
Key management practices to reduce the risk of the occurrence of Rumex obtusifolius in productive grasslands.
Weed Research, 64, (1), 2024, 76-88.

Nyfeler D., Huguenin-Elie O., Frossard E., Lüscher A.
Effects of legumes and fertiliser on nitrogen balance and nitrate leaching from intact leys and after tilling for subsequent crop.
Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 360, 2024, 1-11.

Pauler C., Mettler D., Alföldi T., Willems H., Werder C., Schneider M. K.
Communicating knowledge on grassland management using videos and online fact sheets.
In: AgroVet-Strickhof Tagung: Vernetzung von Forschung und Praxis - mit smarter Tierhaltung in die Zukunft. 07 November, Lindau. 2023.

Confessore A., Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Aquilani C., Fuchs P., Pugliese C., Dibari C., Argenti G., Probo M.
Does age affect learning capacity and grazing activities of dairy cows managed with a virtual fencing system?
In: AgroVet-Strickhof Tagung: Vernetzung von Forschung und Praxis - mit smarter Tierhaltung in die Zukunft. 07 November, Lindau. 2023.

Kahmen A., Schärer M.-L., Lüscher A.
Why temperate grasslands grow better after a drought?: Disentangling the role of plant physiological drought legacies from Birch effects in the soil for productivity in grasslands recovering from drought.
In: AGU23. 13 December, Publ. American Geophysical Union, San Francisco (US). 2023.

Schärer M.-L., Lüscher A., Kahmen A.
Post-drought compensatory growth in perennial grasslands is determined by legacy effects of the soil and not by plants.
New Phytologist, 240, (6), 2023, 2265-2275.

Schneider M. K., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D., Pauler C.
Alpenkreuzkraut (Senecio alpinus).
Publ. Patura Alpina, 2023, 7 pp.
other Languages: french | italian

Oriani F.
EUPollMap: The European atlas of contemporary pollen distribution maps.

Oriani F.
Eodal sentinel-2 query example for pixel analysis.

Klaus V., Jehle A., Richter F., Buchmann N., Knop E., Lüscher G.
Additive effects of two agri-environmental schemes on plant diversity but not on productivity indicators in permanent grasslands in Switzerland.
Journal of Environmental Management, 348, 2023, 1-11.

Schaub S., Ghazoul. J., Huber R., Zhang W., Sander A., Rees C., Banerjee S., Robert Finger.
The role of behavioural factors and opportunity costs in farmers' participation in voluntary agri‐environmental schemes: A systematic review.
American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 74, (3), 2023, 617-660.

Fuchs P., Stachowicz J., Schneider M. K., Probo M., Bruckmaier R. M., Umstätter C.
Conditioning dairy cows to a virtual fencing system is compatible with animal welfare.
In: ASAS-CSAS-WSASAS Annual Meeting. 16 July, Publ. American Society of Animal Science, Albuquerque. 2023, 334-335.

Klötzli J., Suter M., Schaffner U., Müller‑Schärer H., Lüscher A.
Synergistic effects of grass competition and insect herbivory on the weed Rumex obtusifolius in an inundative biocontrol approach.
Scientific Reports, 13, (18508), 2023, 1-14.

Fuchs P., Stachowicz J., Schneider M. K., Probo M., Bruckmaier R., Umstätter C.
What are the effects of adapting dairy cows to a virtual fencing system on animal welfare and pasture management?
In: AgroVet-Strickhof Conference: Current and Future Research Projects. 7 November, Publ. AgroVet-Strickhof, Lindau. 2023, 12.

Fuchs P., Stachowicz J., Schneider M. K., Probo M., Bruckmaier R., Umstätter C.
Welche Auswirkungen hat die Anpassung von Milchkühen an ein virtuelles Zaunsystem auf das Tierwohl und das Weidemanagement?
In: AgroVet-Strickhof Tagung: Vernetzung von Forschung und Praxis - mit smarter Tierhaltung in die Zukunft. 7. November, Publ. AgroVet-Strickhof, Lindau. 2023, 1-12.

Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D.
Zwergsträucher.
Publ. Patura Alpina, 2023
other Languages: french | italian

Pauler C., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D., Schneider M. K.
Ontano verde (Alnus viridis).
Publ. Patura Alpina, 2023

Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D.
Weisser Germer (Veratrum album).
Publ. Patura Alpina, 2023
other Languages: french | italian

Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D.
Adlerfarn (Pteridium aquilinum) und Wurmfarn (Dryopteris filix mas).
Publ. Patura Alpina, 2023
other Languages: french | italian

Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D.
Alpenblacke (Rumex alpinus).
Publ. Patura Alpina, 2023
other Languages:

Willems H., Brülhart J., Mettler D., Werder C., Pauler C., Schneider M. K.
Chardons.
Publ. Patura Alpina, 2023

Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D.
Binsen (Juncus-Arten).
Publ. Patura Alpina, 2023
other Languages: french | italian

Andreatta D., Bachofen C., Dalponte M., Klaus V., Buchmann N.
Extracting flowering phenology from grassland species mixtures using time-lapse cameras.
Remote Sensing of Environment, online, 2023, 1-12.

Pauler C., Schneider M. K., Alföldi T., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D.
Wissen für die Alp: www.patura alpina.ch.
In: Waldhoftagung. 26. August, Langenthal. 2023, 1.

Freitag M., Hölzel N., Neuenkamp L., van der Plas F., Manning P., Abrahão A., Bergmann J., Boeddinghaus R., Bolliger R., Hamer U., Kandeler E., Kleinebecker T., Klaus V.
Increasing plant species richness by seeding has marginal effects on ecosystem functioning in agricultural grasslands.
Journal of Ecology, 111, (9), 2023, 1968-1984.

Fuchs P., Stachowicz J., Schneider M. K., Probo M., Bruckmaier R., Umstätter C.
Behavioral and welfare responses of dairy cows learning a virtual fencing system.
In: Book of Abstracts of the 74th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science. 26 August – 1 September, Publ. EAAP, Lyon (FR). 2023, 1-11.

Huguenin-Elie O., Hofer D., Husse S., Suter M., Lüscher A.
Zichorie: Ein Plus für unsere Mischungen ?
In: AGFF-Tagung. 25. August, Waldhof. 2023, 1.

Confessore A., Aquilani C., Fuchs P., Probo M., Pauler C., Schneider M. K., Argenti G., Pugliese C.
Does age affect learning capacity and grazing activities of Holstein cows managed with virtual fencing collars?
Italian Journal of Animal Science, 22, (1), 2023, 162.

Pauler C.
Massnahmen zur Regulierung von Problempflanzen im Alpgebiet: Ergebnisse einer Expertenumfrage.
Agroscope Transfer, 487, 2023, 1-19.
other Languages: french | italian

O'Malley J., Finn J. A., Malisch C. S., Adler P. R., Bezemer M., Black A., Ergon A., Eriksen J., Filley S., Fiorini A., Golinski P., Grange G., Hakl J., He Y., Hockstra N. and others
LegacyNet: introducing an international multi-site experiment investigating potential benefits of increasing the species diversity of grassland leys within crop rotations.
Grassland Science in Europe, 28, 2023, 249-251.

Boller B., Schneider M. K., Zhao C., Bartos J., Majka J., Kopecky D.
Festuca apennina x F. pratensis triploid hybrids exceed their parents in adaptation to broad-environmental conditions.
Alpine Botany, 133, 2023, 43-55.

Klötzli J., Suter M., Lüscher A., Müller-Schärer H., Schaffner U.
Competitive interactions affect larval survival of two root‑boring weed biological control candidates of Rumex spp.
BioControl, 68, 2023, 207-220.

Huguenin-Elie O., Lüscher A., Suter M.
Crop yield following barley, ryegrass ley, or a ryegrass-clover mixture in crop rotations.
Grassland Science in Europe, 28, 2023, 222-224.

Klötzli J., Suter M., Schaffner U., Müller-Schärer H., Lüscher A.
Die kombinierte Wirkung von spezialisierten wurzelbohrenden Insekten und Pflanzenkonkurrenz reduziert das Wachstum von Rumex obtusifolius.
In: 16. Wissenschaftstagung Ökologischer Landbau "One Step Ahead". 10. März, Publ. Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau FiBL, Frick. 2023, 1-4.

Huguenin-Elie O., Plantureux S., Baumont R.
Les prairies au coeur de systèmes de production alimentaire circulaires et durables : Quelques éléments de synthèse.
Fourrages, 253, 2023, 101-109.

Malisch C. S., Eriksen J., Loges R., Finn J. A., Brophy C., Huguenin-Elie O.
The importance of multi-species grassland leys to enhance ecosystem services in crop rotations.
Grassland Science in Europe, 28, 2023, 192-206.

Gago R., Stutz C. J.
Mäuse wirksam regulieren mit dem Schermaus-ABC.
2023, 1 p.

Fuchs P., Stachowicz J., Schneider M. K., Probo M., Bruckmaier R. M., Umstätter C.
Conditioning dairy cows to a virtual fencing system is compatible with animal welfare.
In: ASAS-CSAS-WSASAS Annual Meeting. 16 July, Publ. American Society of Animal Science, Albuquerque. 2023.

Fuchs P., Stachowicz J., Schneider M. K., Probo M., Bruckmaier R., Umstätter C.
Does the use of a virtual fencing system affect dairy cow welfare?
In: Annual GCB Symposium 2023. 29. June, Publ. University of Bern, Bern. 2023.

Lüscher A., Barkaoui K., Finn J. A., Suter D., Suter M., Volaire F.
Utilisation de la diversité végétale pour réduire la vulnérabilité et accroître la résilience à la sécheresse des prairies productives permanentes et semées.
Fourrages, 253, 2023, 61-74.

Suter M., Klötzli J., Beaumont D., Kolmanič A., Leskovsek R., Schaffner U., Storkey J., Lüscher A.
Can the soil seed bank of Rumex obtusifolius in productive grasslands be explained by management and soil properties?
PLOS ONE, 18, (6), 2023, 1-15.

Oriani F., Aasen H., Schneider M. K.
Monitoring pasture vegetation using satellite remote sensing: which images and workflow?
In: Pastoralp Final Conference. 15. März, Bard (Italy). 2023.

Oriani F.
Python Interactive Plots.

Oriani F.
Python-dem-shadows example.

Eichinger J., Reiche A.-M., Münger A., Pimentel G., Fuchsmann P., Huber K., Dohme-Meier F.
Verwendbarkeit volatiler organischer Verbindungen in der Ausatemluft im Vergleich zu anderen biologischen Matrizen zur Identifikation ernährungsspezifischer metabolischer Profile von Milchkühen.
In: Schweizerische Vereinigung für Tierwissenschaften Tagung. 19. April, Zollikofen. 2023.

Eichinger J., Reiche A.-M., Huber K., Dohme-Meier F.
Description of the metabolic status of dairy cows using exhaled air.
In: PhD Symposium Agroscope. 13 October, Changins. 2023, 1.

Richter F., Lüscher A., Jan P., El Benni N., Suter M., Buchmann N., Klaus V.
Der Einfluss biologischer Bewirtschaftung auf Ökosystemleistungen von Wiesen und Weiden.
In: 16. Wissenschaftstagung Ökologischer Landbau. 09. März, Publ. FIBL, Frick. 2023, 1-4.

Eichinger J., Reiche A.-M., Eggerschwiler L., Münger A., Huber K., Dohme-Meier F.
Effect of a blend of essential oils on ruminal fermentation characteristics, methane emission and milk yield in dairy cows fed a hay or a silage based diet.
In: Proceedings of the Society of Nutrition Physiology. 8 March, Göttingen. 2023, 1.

Klaus V., Richter F., Buchmann N., El Benni N., Jan P., Lüscher A.
Produktivität biologisch bewirtschafteter Weiden und Wiesen im Kanton Solothurn.
In: 16. Wissenschaftstagung Ökologischer Landbau. 9. März, Publ. FiBL, Frick. 2023, 1-4.

Eichinger J., Reiche A.-M., Münger A., Pimentel G., Huber K., Dohme-Meier F.
Usability of semi-volatile organic compounds from different biological matrices for identification of diet specific metabolic profiles in dairy cows.
In: Proceedings of the Society of Nutrition Physiology. 7.-9. March, Publ. Gesellschaft für Ernährungsphysiologie, Göttingen (DE). 2023.

Klaus V.
Pitfalls in global grassland restoration challenge restoration programs and the science-policy dialogue.
Ecological Indicators, 149, 2023, 1-5.

Neyert M., Peter S., Le Provost G., Boch S., Boesing A. L., Bullock J. M., Hölzel N., Klaus V. H., Kleinebecker T., Krauss J., Müller J., Müller S., Ammer C., Buscot F., Ehbrecht M. and others
Landscape management strategies for multifunctionality and social equity.
Nature Sustainability, 2023, 1-25.

Elmiger N., Finger R., Ghazoul J., Schaub S.
Biodiversity indicators for result-based agri-environmental schemes: Current state and future prospects.
Agricultural Systems, 204, 2023, 1-17.

Dumont B., Franca A., López-i-Gelats F., Mosnier C., Pauler C.
Diversification increases the resilience of European grassland-based systems but is not a one-size-fits-all strategy.
Grass and Forage Science, 77, (4), 2022, 247-256.
other Languages: french

Pauler C., Schneider M. K.
Extensivrinder – eine unterschätzte Chance für die Artenvielfalt.
Bio aktuell, Online, 2022.

Francksen R. M., Turnbull S., Rhymer C. M., Hiron M., Bufe C., Klaus V., Newell-Price P., Stewart G., Whittingham M. J.
The effects of nitrogen fertilisation on plant species richness in european permanent grasslands: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Agronomy, 12, (12), 2022, 1-19.

Rothacher M.
Eine Leguminose trotzt der Klimaerwärmung.
BauernZeitung, Online, (14. Oktober), 2022, 31.
other Languages: french

Pauler C.
Hardy grazing livestock: Protectors of the mountain landscape.
Magazine «agroscope», 6, 2022, 22-24.
other Languages: german | french

Pauler C., Lüscher A., Kreuzer M., Bérard J., Schneider M. K.
Robust cattle, sheep and goats in green alder shrubs – or how to preserve mountain pastures.
Grassland Science in Europe, 27, 2022, 247-249.

Huguenin-Elie O., Paul D.
Einfluss der Schnitthöhe und -häufigkeit.
In: AGFF Linthebene Tagung. 25. August, Benken - AGFF & Landw. Zentrum SG. 2022.

Huguenin-Elie O., Paul D.
Erträge von intensiven Wiesen in der Region.
In: AGFF Linthebene Tagung. 25. August, Benken - AGFF & Landw. Zentrum SG. 2022.

Huguenin-Elie O., Nyfeler D.
Nutzung im Laufe des Jahres.
In: AGFF-Strickhof-Tag "Weiden - das Potenzial nutzen". 05. April, Bertschikon - Strickhof & AGFF. 2022.

Huguenin-Elie O.
Düngung im Nassreisanbau.
In: GV IG Nassreis. 25. März, Reckenholz - Agroscope. 2022.

Huguenin-Elie O.
Einfluss der Düngung auf die Pflanzenvielfalt und die Grasarten.
In: BBL Veranstaltung Düngung von Extensiven Wiesen. 09. Juni, Online - Agridea (BBL). 2022.

Lüscher A., Widmer F., Fox A., Barreiro A., Dimitrova Martensson L.M.
Effect of N fertilization on the biomass of soil fungal groups in production grasslands.
Grassland Science in Europe, 27, 2022, 343-345.

Fox A., Schultz S., Brennan F., Widmer F., Huguenin-Elie O., Schloter M., Lüscher A.
Long-term mineral fertilizer application strongly influences soil microbial community structure but not diversity.
Grassland Science in Europe, 27, 2022, 382-384.

Fox A., Widmer F., Lüscher A.
Differences in soil fungal community structure driven by grassland management not sampling period.
Grassland Science in Europe, 27, 2022, 385-387.

Pan Y., Jackson R., Hollinger D.Y., Phillips O., Nowak R., Norby R.J., Oren R., Reich P., Lüscher A., Mueller K., Owensby C., Birdsey R., Hom J., Luo Y.
Contrasting responses of woody and grassland ecosystems to increased CO2 as water supply varies.
Nature Ecology & Evolution, (6), 2022, 315-323.

Barreiro A., Fox A., Jongen M., Melo J., Musyoki M., Viera A., Zimmermann J., Carlsson G., Cruz C., Lüscher A., Rasche F., Silva L., Widmer F., Dimitrova Martensson L.M.
Soil bacteria respond to regional edapho-climatic conditions while soil fungi respond to management intensity in grasslands along a European transect.
Applied Soil Ecology, (170), 2022, 1-12.

Fox A., Widmer F., Lüscher A.
Soil microbial community structures are shaped by agricultural systems revealing little temporal variation.
Environmental Research, 214, (3), 2022, 1-12.

Huguenin-Elie O., Schmid H., Odermatt M., Stutz C. J., Gago R., Lüscher A.
Strengthening the resilience of grasslands against the unpalatable C4 grass Setaria pumila.
Grassland Science in Europe, 27, 2022, 409-411.

Dumont B., Rossignol N., Huguenin-Elie O., Jeanneret P., Jerrentrup J.S., Lüscher G., Taugourdeau S., Villerd J., Plantureux S.
Simple assessment of temperate grassland suitability as habitat for three insect taxa.
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, (6), 2022, 1-13.

Maschler J., Bialic-Murphy L., Wan J., Andresen L. C., Zohner C. M., Reich P. B., Lüscher A., Schneider M. K., Müller C., Moser G., Dukes J. S., Kappel Schmidt I., Bilton M. C., Zhu K., Crowther T. W.
Links across ecological scales: Plant biomass responses to elevated CO2.
Global Change Biology, 28, (21), 2022, 6115-6134.

Schneider M. K., Homburger H., Pauler C., Scherer-Lorenz M., Lüscher A.
The role of pasture use intensity for ecosystem services in alpine pastures.
In: 73rd Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science. 5 - 8 September, Porto (PT). 2022, 141.

Morgan-Davies, C., Zanon T., Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Holand Ø., Bernués A., Dovc P., Gauly M., Cozzi G.
Trends in mountain sheep farming in Europe over the past 40 years: Challenges and opportunities.
In: 73rd Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science. 5 - 8 September, Porto (PT). 2022, 476.

Lüscher A., Barkaoui K., Finn J. A., Suter D., Suter M., Volaire F.
Using plant diversity to reduce vulnerability and increase drought resilience of permanent and sown productive grasslands.
Grass and Forage Science, 77, (4), 2022, 235-246.

Stutz C. J., Huguenin-Elie O., Suter D., Frick R.
Überführung von Kunstwiesen in Dauerwiesen oder -weiden: Was gilt es zu beachten?
Publ. AGFF (Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Förderung des Futterbaues), Zürich. 10. August, 2022, 4 pp.

Pauler C., Lüscher A., Kreuzer M., Bérard J., Schneider M. K.
Robust livestock in green alder shrubs – or how to preserve mountain pastures.
In: 29th general meeting. 26. Juni, Publ. European Grassland Federation EGF, Caen, France. 2022, 1.

Pauler C., Mettler D.
Mit Ziegen und Engadinerschafen die Grünerle eindämmen.
forum, 6/7, 2022, 12-13.
other Languages: french | italian

Klötzli J., Schaffner U., Suter M., Lüscher A.
Experimental trials in Europe: managed by Agroscope and AGFF.
Publ. Veneto Agricoltura - Agenzia veneta per l’innovazione nel settore primario, Veneto. 20. Juni, 2022, 8 pp.

Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Alföldi T., WIllems H., Werder C., Mettler D.
Communicating knowledge on grassland management using videos and the internet.
Grassland Science in Europe, 27, 2022, 844-846.

Pauler C., Schneider M. K.
Robust cattle valorise ecosystem services of marginal grassland.
Grassland Science in Europe, 27, 2022, 244-246.

Richter F., Lüscher A., El Benni N., Jan P., Buchmann N., Klaus V.
Provisioning ecosystem services of fertilized meadows and pastures differ in their response to organic management.
Grassland Science in Europe, 27, 2022, 262-264.

Klötzli J., Suter M., Schaffner U., Müller-Schärer H., Lüscher A.
Joint effects of biocontrol herbivory and plant competition greatly reduce the growth of Rumex obtusifolius.
Grassland Science in Europe, 27, 2022, 415-417.

Lüscher A., Barkaoui K., Finn J.A., Suter D., Suter M., Volaire F.
Using plant diversity to reduce vulnerability and increase drought resilience of permanent and sown productive grasslands.
Grassland Science in Europe, 27, 2022, 309-322.

Klaus V., Richter F, Reichmuth C, Jan P., El Benni N., Buchmann N, Lüscher A.
How professional stakeholders perceive the current and future relevance of grassland ecosystem services in Switzerland.
In: Grassland Science in Europe. Vol. 27, Publ. European Grassland Federation (EGF), Caen. 2022, 198-200.

Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Bérard J.
Animal-carried sensors in mountain livestock science: opportunities and challenges.
In: 1st Joint Meeting of EAAP Mountain Livestock Farming & FAO-CIHEAM Mountain Pastures. 7-9 June, Publ. EAAP, virtual. 2021, 38.

Manzocchi E., Martin B., Bord C., Verdier-Metz I., Bouchon M., De Marchi M., Constant I., Giller K., Kreuzer M., Bérard J., Musci M., Coppa M.
Feeding cows with hay, silage, or fresh herbage on pasture or indoors affects sensory properties and chemical composition of milk and cheese.
Journal of Dairy Science, 104, (5), 2021, 5285-5302.

Video Nachhaltigkeitstagung 2016 (youtube)