19 - Agroecological production systems for plant production

Programme manager:

Programme director:

Objective

Agroscope works with various stakeholders to develop production systems for resource-efficient and site-adapted crop production spanning the entire crop rotation or farm, defines the elements of agroecology and verifies their practical feasibility. These production systems should contribute to achieving the objectives of food security, the 2050 climate and food strategy, the reduction paths and the environment by exploiting the potential of crop production for direct human consumption.

• Specific objectives

  • Evaluate cropping strategies and extended crop rotations in field crop and vegetable production, ensuring that the objectives of food security, the 2050 climate and food strategy, and agriculture-related environmental objectives are met.
  • Evaluate and further develop innovative cropping strategies such as strip farming or mixed cropping (mixtures of species and varieties) and their impact on resilience to biotic and abiotic stress factors (incl. production costs).
  • Incorporate elements that support biodiversity into production areas (e.g. adapted flower strips and mixed cropping) and evaluate the functional effects on crops, biodiversity and the environment.
  • Incorporate soil-friendly farming practices that support soil organic matter and the soil microbiome to improve plant nutrient availability, soil fertility and resilience to drought and heavy rainfall.
  • Integrate solutions for optimised fertilisation and reduced chemical plant protection (reduction path) through the crop rotation, especially in the field of herbology, n-fixing species and soil-borne pests.
  • Optimise the integration of livestock and crop production systems, especially in conjunction with allocating a larger share of arable land for direct human consumption.

Expected outcomes

The expansion of multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary systems research and knowledge integration (research and practice) enables courses of action for resilient and sustainable crop production to be identified, thereby increasing its acceptance and uptake.

The courses of action contribute to the following objectives: exploiting the potential of crop production for direct human consumption; resource-efficient, site-adapted crop production; contributions to the nutrient and plant protection reduction paths; increased resilience to abiotic and biotic stress factors and the promotion of biodiversity.

The ecological and economic competitiveness of crop production in Switzerland is strengthened and the security of supply of plant-based foods in increased.

Projects

Read more