Agroscope determines the influence of the use of agricultural land and animal husbandry on the exchange of both climate-impacting gases – i.e. carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) – and reactive trace gases. The effects of climate change and possible adaptation strategies are investigated.
- As a contribution to the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, Agroscope calculates the Swiss agricultural sector’s emissions of methane and nitrous oxide, as well as the changes in soil carbon content in the land-use sector.
- Agroscope quantifies the long-term carbon sink and source potential of agricultural soils as a function of land management and site characteristics. In this context, the influence of land management and climate on the quantity and turnover of organic matter is studied with the aid of experiments and models. The aim is to identify options for a more-climate-friendly management approach.
- With the help of models, Agroscope gauges the influence of climate variability and climate change on the productivity and harvest quality of permanent grassland and arable crops as a function of location and use. From this, Agroscope derives measures for dealing with future weather-related risks. In addition, adaptive measures such as irrigation are investigated.
