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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. 

Publications Manuel K. Schneider

Kramer K., Oriani F., Schneider M. K., Aasen H., Calanca P.
Integrating Sentinel-2 information into a growth model for assessing Alpine grassland dynamics under climate change.
Dans: European Geoscience Union Annual Meeting 2024. 15 April, Vienna. 2024, 1-37.

Meyer M., Fuchs P., Pauler C., Schneider M. K., Probo M.
Potential und Wirtschaftlichkeit virtueller Zäune.
Dans: 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.

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

Schneider M. K., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D., Pauler C.
Séneçon des Alpes (Senecio alpinus).
Ed. Patura Alpina, 2023, 8 pp.
autres langues: allemand | italien

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.
Dans: ASAS-CSAS-WSASAS Annual Meeting. 16 July, Ed. American Society of Animal Science, Albuquerque. 2023, 334-335.

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?
Dans: AgroVet-Strickhof Conference: Current and Future Research Projects. 7 November, Ed. 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?
Dans: AgroVet-Strickhof Tagung: Vernetzung von Forschung und Praxis - mit smarter Tierhaltung in die Zukunft. 7. November, Ed. AgroVet-Strickhof, Lindau. 2023, 1-12.

Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D.
Arbustes nains.
Ed. Patura Alpina, 2023
autres langues: allemand | italien

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

Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D.
Vératre blanc (Veratrum album).
Ed. Patura Alpina, 2023
autres langues: allemand | italien

Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D.
Fougère aigle (Pteridium aquilinum) et fougère mâle (Dryopteris filix mas).
Ed. Patura Alpina, 2023
autres langues: allemand | italien

Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D.
Rumex des Alpes (Rumex alpinus).
Ed. Patura Alpina, 2023
autres langues: allemand

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

Schneider M. K., Pauler C., Willems H., Werder C., Mettler D.
Joncs (espèces Juncus).
Ed. Patura Alpina, 2023
autres langues: allemand | italien

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

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.
Dans: Book of Abstracts of the 74th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science. 26 August – 1 September, Ed. EAAP, Lyon (FR). 2023, 1-11.

Hiltebrand C., Roig-Pons M., Baumgartner M., Cockburn M., Doetterl S., Bachmann I., Keller T., Briefer S., Würbel H., Gmel A., Pauler C., Schneider M. K., Nasser R.
Site expérimental de Saint-Aubin : Projets de recherche en cours.
Dans: Jeudi au Haras. 20 juillet, Avenches. 2023, 1.
autres langues: allemand

Zehnder T., Schneider M. K., Lüscher A., Giller K., Silacci P., Messadène-Chelali J., Bérard J., Kreuzer M.
The effects of Alnus viridis encroachment in mountain pastures on the growth performance, carcass and meat quality of Dexter cattle and Engadine sheep.
Animal Production Science, 63, (12), 2023, 1248-1260.

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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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