Newsroom 2026
Experience Agroscope Research on 24 June
Join us in a deep dive into selected topics from Agroscope’s research at our ‘Soup & Science’ public event on 24 June. The event kicks off at 5.15pm at Agroscope’s Zurich-Reckenholz site. Registration by 10 June please.
Field Trial with Cisgenic Potatoes: Sustainable Disease Resistance Sought
Agroscope is testing the use of new breeding technologies by cultivating a late blight-resistant potato cultivar in the field. Authorised by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the field study serves as a basis for researching potato varieties containing no foreign DNA. These so called ‘cisgenic’ varieties reduce the need for plant-protection products and can better withstand extreme weather conditions.
‘Connect EnovArk’ Event: Agroscope Presents the Agriphotovoltaics Project at its Conthey Site
Agroscope will be opening its Conthey site on 21 May 2026 to present its research on agriphotovoltaics. The event will shed light on the role of science in combining agricultural production, renewable energy and sustainability.
Insights from the field Christian Moser
Further information is available in the following languages:German, French.
Equus Helveticus: Avenches to Be the National Focal Point of the World of Horses
From 17-20 September 2026, Equus Helveticus will be offering a wide range of top-class sporting performances, breeding contests and presentations at the Swiss National Stud and on the IENA campus. Among the highlights will be the Young Horse Finals.
2026 Spring Conference of the ADCF
On 13 May 2026 The Swiss Grassland Society (ADCF) will be holding a spring conference in Riffenmatt, Canton of Bern, focusing on forage strategies tailored to the conditions of the terrain. The presentations and demonstration will be given in German and French.
The Soil Festival will take place from 2–5 June at the Gurten leisure park in Bern
This international event on soil fertility will bring together stakeholders from agriculture, extension and research to exchange knowledge and ideas. Agroscope will be presenting its findings on soil research and conservation agriculture. Register now!
Discover Agroscope research at the BEA!
At this year’s BEA exhibition, Agroscope presents a treasure in the Bacteria Vault. The special show, ‘Milk’, gives a lighthearted insight into what makes Swiss cheese unique.
Decision-making tool for growing crops on wet arable land
Farmers interested in growing alternative crops on wet arable land can now find all the information they need in a decision-making table and fact sheet.
Insights from the field Daniel Humbert
Further information is available in the following languages:German, French.
Swiss List of Recommended Winter Oilseed Rape Varieties 2027
Further information is available in the following languages: German, French, Italian
Key Methodology for Determining Protein Digestibility
Together with European partners, Agroscope researchers have developed a method for determining protein digestibility in vitro. The method quantifies the amino acids in foods released by digestion and allows for the evaluation of protein quality without animal testing.
Magazine “agroscope” March 2026
In the spring issue of the Magazine, Agroscope presents its new 2026-2029 Work Programme. Among others, the topics covered are adaptation to climate change, crop protection, profitability and plant breeding.
Resilience along the Entire Agricultural and Food Chain
Innovative strategies, institutional framework conditions and practical approaches for enhancing resilience will be discussed on 7-8 May in Zollikofen at the annual conference of the Swiss Society for Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Sociology (SGA).
Work Budget: Latest Edition
A work budget is used to quantify time-related workload and to plan and organise work processes. For this, Agroscope makes detailed calculation bases available in a series of publications for practitioners and researchers.
Phytosanitary Recommendations for Fruit Growing Published
Further information is available in the following languages: German, French
Making Self-watering Fruit Trees a Reality
The start of the growing season raises the issue of optimal irrigation in fruit production. Thanks to digital measurements, trees on pilot farms are only being irrigated when necessary, thus saving water. An Agroscope video shows how this works.
Fertilisation Recommendations for New Vegetable Types and Processing Vegetables
Further information is available in the following languages:German, French, Italian
Innovation CATALYSEs Food Safety – Bridging Science and Practice
Agroscope will host as partner of the EU project CATALYSE on June 8–9, 2026, the World Food Safety Day event. Register here and find the call of the keynote speaker Awilo Ochieng Pernet.
‘Counting’ Wild Bee Nests with Camera Drones
Most wild bees nest in the ground and are important crop pollinators. Agroscope has shown that it is possible to detect their nests using camera drones – marking a major step forward in the effective monitoring of wild bee populations.
Unique Experimental Station for Improving the Quality of Agricultural Soils
Further information is available in the following languages: German, French, Italian.
Agroscope Tests the Potential of Sweet Sorghum for Distillation
Further information is available in the following languages:German, French, Italian
Understanding the Population Dynamics of Potato Blight
Potatoes require very high fungicide inputs. New strains of late blight are hampering control measures. A monitoring aims to comprehensively record the population dynamics of the pathogen in Switzerland and provide recommendations for potato production.
Supporting Ground-Nesting Wild Bees for the Benefit of Crop Pollination
A new Agroscope factsheet offers tips on how to support ground-nesting wild bees on one’s own farm with relatively little effort. This will help boost the populations of the primary insect pollinators of agricultural crops.
Looking Back on Decades of Commitment to Cheese Research
Further information is available in the following languages: German, French, Italian.
Lists of Plant Protection Products for Commercial Fruit Growing and Viticulture in 2026
Further information is available in the following languages: German, French, Italian
Agroscope Presents Seven New Resistant Grape Varieties
Further information is available in the following languages:German, French, Italian
Agroscope benefits from European collaboration on nitrogen in plant production
Being part of an extensive network creates opportunities to make significant advances in research. The aim is to develop solutions to better quantify and manage nitrogen fluxes in agricultural soils.
Herbicide-Free Control of Yellow Nutsedge
Further information is available in the following languages: German, French, Italian.
Research with a Focus on Impact and Practical Benefits
Agroscope’s New Work Programme 2026-2029 Places a Greater Focus on Impact and Practical Benefits. Areas such as plant protection, plant breeding, climate-change adaptation and economic efficiency will also be strengthened.
Groundbreaking Ceremony for the New Production Building for Cheese Cultures in Grangeneuve
Further information is available in the following languages:German, French, Italian.
Lists of Recommended Maize Varieties 2026 Now Online
Further information is available in the following languages: German, French, Italian.
Franches-Montagnes Horses Breeding: Optimise the Breeding Goal, Preserve Diversity
Preservation measures are necessary for the genetic diversity of the Franches-Montagnes horse, Switzerland’s last remaining native horse breed. Newly published recommendations from Agroscope indicate how the assessment of morphological traits and the breeding goal can be further refined and lists measures against the rising inbreeding rate.
Cultivar Mixtures Stabilise Wheat Baking Quality
An Agroscope study shows that breeding cultivar mixtures is an effective strategy for mitigating the effects of changing abiotic conditions and maintaining stable wheat quality.
2026 List of Plant-Protection Products for Berry Production Published
Further information is available in the following languages: German, French, Italian.
Competence Network for Fruit and Berries: Webinar on ‘Climate Change: Threat or Opportunity’
Further information is available in the following languages: German, French.
Consensus and Dissension with Respect to Agricultural Policy Goals
A study conducted by Agroscope and ETH Zurich surveyed the opinions of both farmers and the rest of the population with respect to agricultural policy goals, revealing both shared and divergent views.
