Projects

Integrated project 'Together against fire blight'

Agroscope, OFEAG and the sector jointly coordinate the project ("multi-actor approach"). With a long sought goal of a management strategy of fire blight without antibiotics, it aims to develop practical knowledge for direct and indirect solutions and to support their implementations.

Objective
Study and develop further, collaboratively with all stakeholders, direct and indirect methods for a successful fire blight management.

Current research projects "Together against fire blight"

Studying Fruit Diseases and Pathogens and Developing Sustainable Control Measures

In the ‘Fruit Diseases and Pathogens’ project, alternative plant protection strategies are developed to control the fire-blight pathogen and bacterial canker. This involves the testing and optimal application of lower-risk plant protection products and the researching of microbial antagonists. In addition, modern sequencing technology helps us to determine the diversity of, and accurately identify, quarantine pathogens.

Apple Breeding and Fruit Genetic Resources

The aim of apple breeding is high-quality, high-yielding and disease-resistant apple varieties that are in line with market requirements. Breeding researchers use the latest selection methods, and are nationally and internationally networked. Increasingly useful impetuses for breeding work come from the description of fruit genetic resources. Varieties are developed for the Swiss and international market, as well as for specific needs, such as the organic fruit-production sector. In addition, new varieties with appropriate tree and fruit traits are tested for use as standard fruit trees.

Practical Solutions for Fruit Production Systems

Practice and research work hand in hand. The ‘Fruit-Production Extension’ Research Group is the practitioners’ gateway to all matters relating to fruit growing. The aim is to create new, practical measures for promoting quality; thereby focusing on cultivation systems, fruit thinning, weed control, mechanical mowing, fertiliser application, replant diseases, measures for combating physiological problems, and cross-system plant-protection issues.

Plant Protection Service and Enforcement Diagnostics

The global trade in plant material can be responsible for the introduction of particularly dangerous harmful organisms – so-called quarantine organisms – as well as new, as- yet unknown harmful organisms. An ordinance implements the process for preventing these organisms from becoming established in Switzerland. Agroscope expertise and infrastructure coupled with the necessary laboratory capacity provide the basis for the enforcement tasks of the Federal Office for Agriculture.

BEVOG III - Part of the project:
Fire blight screening of fruit genetic resources
Leader: Romano Andreoli (Agroscope)
Third-party funds: NAP-PGREL/Fructus

HERAKLES Plus - Sustainable fire blight and Marssonina management in cider fruit production
Leader: Sarah Perren (Agroscope)
Third-party funds: CAVO-Foundation, IP-Suisse, Cantonal fruit offices AG, BE, LU, SG, TG, ZH

Completed Research Projects

	Completed Research Projects
Aramis 14-13-1-1	Development of basic research for integrated control strategies of pathogens in fruits and vegetables Leader: Eduard Holliger (Agroscope) Partner: EPFZ, Cantonal fruit offices, FiBL, Industry
Aramis 14-13-3-1	Breeding high quality disease resistant fruit varieties and descriptionand use of fruit genetic resources Leader: Markus Kellerhals (Agroscope) Partner: VariCom, FOAG, FiBL, Fructus
Aramis 14-13-4-2	Further development of environmentally friendly growing systems and plant protection strategies in top fruit Leader: Andreas Naef (Agroscope) Partner: Cantonal fruit offices, fruit growers, FiBL, Industry
Aramis 14-12-4-1	Agroscope plant protection service and principles of certification of fruit trees (APP) Leitung: Markus Bünter (Agroscope) Partner: Federal Plant Protection Service (FPPS), Cantonal plant protection services (CPPS)
	HERAKLES - Sustainable fire blight management - Alternatives to Streptomycine Leader: Andreas Naef (Agroscope) Third-party funds: CAVO-Foundation, Cantonal fruit offices AG, LU, SG, TG, ZH und SGF/IRMA-foundation
	BEVOG II - Fire blight robustness in old fruit varieties Genetic resources in fruit Leader: Kaspar Hunziker (Agroscope) Third-party funds: NAP/Fructus
Aramis 01.16.02.41	Fire blight (Agroscope work program 2012 - 2013) Leader: Eduard Holliger Partners: ETHZ, Technology center Augustenberg (Stuttgart, Germany), Oregon State Univ. (USA)
Aramis 01.16.02.40	Strategies for fighting bacterial diseases in fruit-growing (Agroscope work program 2012 - 2013) Leader: Brion Duffy Partners: ETHZ, COST 873 Partner, EPPO Bacteriology Panel Partner
Aramis 01.16.06.47	Fruit-growing extension (Agroscope work program 2012 - 2013) Leader: Simon Egger Partners: BBZ Arenenberg, cantonal fruit offices (IODS/CIRTA), forum pome fruit, SOV, Agridea, FiBL, foreign research institutes
Aramis 11.15_2	ZUEFOS II - Breeding of fire-blight tolerant types of fruit (FOAG-Projects 2012 - 2013, Motion NC W. Müller) Leader: Markus Kellerhals (ACW) Partners: ETHZ, Lubera, Fruture, Varicom
Aramis 01.16.05.46	Fruit breeding and genetic resources (Agroscope work program 2012 - 2013) Leader: Markus Kellerhals Partners: VariCom, ETHZ, SKEK, IPGRI Rom (ECPGR), Fructus, a wide range of partners in Europe
Aramis 11.15_1	ACHILLES - Pathogen and antagonists (FOAG-Projects 2012 - 2013, Motion NC W. Müller) Leader: Brion Duffy (ACW) Partners: Canton AG, ETHZ, INRA
Aramis 11.15_3	SOUL-BIO (FOAF-Projects 2012 - 2013, Motion NC W. Müller) Leader: Franco Weibel (FiBL) Partners: ACW, Fruture
	SOFEM - Selection of fruit types for an integrated fire-blight strategy in Swiss cider-apple cultivation Leader: Simon Egger (ACW) Third-party funds: Innovation Promotion Agency (CTI), CAVO Foundation, cantonal fruit and crop protection offices BE, LU, SG, TG and ZH
	Quick fire-blight diagnosis (AgriStrip) Leader: Brion Duffy (ACW) Third-party funds: Innovation Promotion Agency (CTI)
	Genetic diversity of the fire blight pathogen Leader: Brion Duffy (ACW) Third-party funds: COST
	Biological treatment and biosafety Leader: Brion Duffy (ACW) Third-party funds: COST and the Federal Office for the Environment
	Fire-blight strategies Leader: Eduard Holliger (ACW) Third-party funds: Interreg IV
	Statutory and emerging plant pests, diseases and invasive species Leitung: Brion Duffy (ACW) Fremdmittel: EUPHRESCO