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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 Joël Bérard

Bérard J.
Environmental sustainability and use of natural resources in feed production.
Dans: FAO global forum for animal feed and feed regulators. 14 November, Rome. 2023.

Bérard J.
Environmental sustainability and use of natural resources in feed production.
Dans: FAO Global forum for animal feed and feed regulators. 14 November, Rome. 2023, 1-13.

Foggi G., Turini L., Dohme-Meier F., Muenger A., Eggerschwiler L., Bérard J., Conte G., Buccioni A., Mele M.
In vivo evaluation of tannins and essential oils mixtures as additives for dairy cows.
Dans: Book of Abstracts of the 74th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science. 26 August – 1 September, Ed. EAAP, 2023, 567.

Bérard J.
EAAP and the drivers of change in the livestock sector.
Dans: FAO Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation. 25 September, Rome. 2023, 1-13.

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.

Niero G., Visentin G., Censi S., Righi F., Manuelian C. L., Formigoni A., Milan C., Bérard J., Cassandro M., Penasa M., Moore S., Costa A., De Marchi M.
Invited review: Iodine level in dairy products: A feed-to-fork overview.
Journal of Dairy Science, 106, (4), 2023, 2213-2229.

Kapp-Bitter A. N., Bérard J., Amelchanka S. L., Baki C., Kunz C., Steiner A. K., Kreuzer M., Leiber F.
Effects of dietary Sanguisorba minor, Plantago lanceolata, and Lotus corniculatus on urinary N excretion of dairy cows.
Animal Production Science, In Press, 2023, 1-11.

Gobbo Oiveira Erünlü N., Rieder S., Kuntzer T., Bérard J., Wellnitz O.
Effects of sensor ear tags with twin pin fixing system on health and well-being of cattle.
Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde, 165, (7/8), 2023, 512-523.

Ueda K., Heikkilä U., Kuntzer T., Gobbo Oliveira Erünlü N., Bérard J., Wellnitz O., Beglinger C., Rieder S.
Fernkontrolle von Rindern in der Schweiz mittels einer Sensorohrmarke.
Agrarforschung Schweiz, Agrarforschung Schweiz, (14), 2023, 104-115.

Manzocchi E., Ferlay A., Farizon Y., Enjalbert F., Bouchon M., Giller K., Kreuzer M., Bérard J., Martin B., Coppa M.
Herbage utilization method affects rumen fluid and milk fatty acid profile in Holstein and Montbéliarde cows.
Animal, 16, (12), 2022, 1-12.

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.

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

Manzocchi E., Martin B., Bord C., Bouchon M., Bérard J., Coppa M., Delbès C., Verdier-Metz I.
Bacterial and botanical diversity of the pasture influence the raw milk cheese sensory properties.
Grassland Science in Europe, 27, 2022, 659-661.

Pauler C., Zehnder T., Staudinger M., Lüscher A., Kreuzer M., Bérard J., Schneider M. K.
Thinning the thickets: Foraging of hardy cattle, sheep and goats in green alder shrubs.
Journal of Applied Ecology, 59, (5), 2022, 1394-1405.

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

Pauler C., Isselstein J., Bérard J., Braunbeck T., Schneider M. K.
Choosy grazers and plant communities – Interactions between cattle breeds and vegetation in semi-natural pastures.
Dans: International Grassland Congress Proceedings. 25 October, Ed. Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Nairobi. 2021, 1-4.

Schneider M. K., Zehnder T., Bérard J., Pauler C., Staudinger M., Kreuzer M., Lüscher A.
Counteracting green alder shrub expansion by low-input grazing.
Dans: International Grassland Congress Proceedings. 25.9., Ed. Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Nairobi. 2021, 1-4.

Schlegel P., Walther B., Haldimann Max, Bérard J.
Le lait, source d'iode : Actions envisageables dans l'exploitation laitière pour atteindre une teneur ciblée en iode dans le lait.
Agroscope Transfer, 390, 2021, 1-8.
autres langues: allemand

Koczura M., Martin B., Musci M., Di Massimo M., Bouchon M., Turille G., Kreuzer M., Bérard J., Coppa M.
Little difference in milk fatty acid and terpene composition among three contrasting dairy breeds when grazing a biodiverse mountain pasture.
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7, 2020, 1-11.

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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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