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Sustainability

Bodenverdichtung

How does compacted soil recover?

It takes mere seconds to compact a soil, but years or even decades for it to recover. Biological activities by plant roots and soil organisms (earthworms) as well as physical effects like drying out and rewetting phases, and freezing-thawing cycles are vital for natural regeneration. Exactly how recovery happens is being investigated in a long-term field trial. For this, an observational infrastructure with hundreds of soil probes – the Soil Structure Observatory (SSO) – was set up in 2014 together with ETH Zurich. After the initial compaction event, a fallow, a permanent grassland and a crop rotation with and without tillage were set up. This allows to analyse e.g. the influence of plants and tillage on recovery.

Bodenfruchtbarkeit und Bodenschutz
SoilStructureObservatory
Regeneration verdichteter Böden

Publikation Arbeitshaltung Melken

Ergonomics in the milking parlour

Milkers frequently suffer from musculoskeletal disorders, especially in the area of the shoulders and arms.  Agroscope therefore investigated whether appropriate working heights can reduce workload in the milking parlour. For this, the angle of flexion of various joints during milking was recorded in one experiment, whilst a second experiment recorded muscle contractions at three different heights. The study showed that although a lower working height in the milking parlour has no effect on forearms or upper arms, it significantly reduces strain on the shoulders. 

Publikationen Patricia Fuchs

Fuchs P., Pauler C., Schneider M. K., Umstätter C., Rufener C., Wechsler B., Bruckmaier M. R., Probo M.
Implementation of virtual fencing in heifers for mountain summer grazing.
Journal of Animal Science, 102, (S3), 2024.

Fuchs P., Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Confessore A., Umstätter C., Probo M.
Virtual fencing for managing lactating Holstein Friesian cows and its effect on animal welfare.
In: BOLFA & ICFAE. 28-30 August, Hrsg. University of Bern / EAAP / ASAS, Bern. 2024.

Pauler C., Fuchs P., Schneider M. K., Hervault P., Umstätter C., Bruckmaier R. M., Probo M.
Implementation of virtual fencing in mountain conditions.
In: 3rd Mountain Livestock Farming Systems Meeting. 5-7 June, Hrsg. EAAP / VetAgro Sup / INRAE, Clermont-Ferrand (FR). 2024, 62.

Confessore A., Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Aquilani C., Fuchs P., Pugliese C., Dibari C., Argenti G., Accorsi P.A., Probo M.
A matter of age ?: How age affects the adaptation of lactating dairy cows to virtual fencing.
Journal of Animal Science, 102, (137), 2024.

Probo M., Fuchs P., Schneider M. K., Hervault P., Umstätter P., Bruckmaier R. M., Pauler C.
Are virtual fences applicable in mountain pastures?
Grassland Science in Europe, 29, 2024, 505-507.

Meyer M., Fuchs P., Pauler C., Schneider M. K., Probo M.
Potential und Wirtschaftlichkeit virtueller Zäune.
In: Fachtagung Landtechnik im Alpenraum. 4. April, Feldkirch. 2024, 1-17.

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.

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.

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, Hrsg. American Society of Animal Science, Albuquerque. 2023, 334-335.

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, Hrsg. AgroVet-Strickhof, Lindau. 2023, 1-12.

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, Hrsg. EAAP, Lyon (FR). 2023, 1-11.

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.

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, Hrsg. University of Bern, Bern. 2023.

Fuchs P., Stachowicz J. , Schneider M. K., Probo M., Bruckmaier R., Umstätter C.
Learning behavior and milk cortisol levels of dairy cows managed under a rotational grazing system with virtual fencing.
In: 3rd Agroscope PhD-PostDoc Symposium. 13. Oktober, Hrsg. Agroscope, Changins. 2022.

Fuchs P., Stachowicz J., Schneider M. K., Probo M., Bruckmaier R., Umstätter C.
Learning behavior and welfare of dairy cows using a virtual fencing system in rotational grazing.
In: 73º Annual Meeting of European Federation of Animal Science. 5. - 9. September, Hrsg. EAAP, Porto, Portugal. 2022, 1-13.

Fuchs P., Adrion F., Shafiullah A.Z.M., Bruckmaier R., Umstätter C.
Detecting ultra- and circadian activity rhythms of dairy cows in automatic milking systems using the degree of functional coupling: A pilot study.
Frontiers in Animal Science, 3, 2022, 1-15.

Stachowicz J., Fuchs P., Umstätter C.
Virtuelle Zaunsysteme – Hightech in der Weidewirtschaft.
In: „Smart Barning“ – Digitalisierung in der Nutztierhaltung. Hrsg. Internationale Gesellschaft für Nutztierhaltung (IGN), München. 2021, 74-76.

Fuchs P., Adrion F., Shafiullah A. Z. M., Bruckmaier R., Umstätter C.
Untersuchungen zur Rhythmizität und zur Melatoninkonzentration von Milchkühen auf Betrieben mit Automatischem Melksystem.
In: Gemeinsame Melktechniktagung 2020 - Agroscope und AGRIDEA. September, Hrsg. AGRIDEA, Lindau. 2020, 80-87.

Rinder Fuetterung

Optimised feed reduces environmental impacts

On behalf of Micarna SA, Agroscope analysed the environmental impacts of beef, pork and poultry production. With beef production, feed intensity was crucial. In the case of pork and poultry production, the quantity of feed used per kg of meat had the greatest influence on environmental impacts. The use of European soya with its shorter transport distances had a positive effect. 

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