news 2020

A factsheet from the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) shows: Too much nitrogen and phosphorus is released into the Swiss environment. There they damage biodiversity, forests and water bodies, exacerbate climate change and affect human health. Actually the causes are known. With the help of Eawag researchers, the Swiss Academy of Sciences have collected facts on the problem of excessive nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in the environment.

Many countries could be using less nitrogen fertiliser in their agriculture without compromising their crop yields, as an international research team headed up by ETH scientists David Wüpper and Robert Finger are demonstrating. The world is awash with nitrogen. In agriculture, nitrogen is used as a fertiliser to increase output, but this causes one of the biggest environmental problems of our time.

Seed treatments aim to protect germinating crops from diseases. In collaboration with the agricultural cooperative fenaco, Agroscope examined thermal methods using steam and warm water, among others, for the treatment of cereal seed. The results demonstrate the great potential of these methods. In autumn 2017, the Swiss Confederation initiated a national action plan for reducing the risk of plant protection products (see below).

Harnessing the forces of nature and agricultural practice in all its variety - that is diversification. Diversification brings benefits - positive impacts on yields and environmental protection. This is the conclusion of an international study in which Agroscope researchers took part, and which was recently published Advances.

Bronze Age pastoralists in what is now southern Russia apparently covered shorter distances than previously thought. It is believed that the Indo-European languages may have originated from this region, and these findings raise new questions about how technical and agricultural innovations spread to Europe.

The Swiss Flora is one of the richest and most diverse in Europe. However, more than 700 plant species are considered to be threatened. In a nationwide project over 400 volunteer botanists revisited known populations of all threatened and rare plant species in Switzerland and recorded their presence or absence.

What stresses wild bees? Is it certain plant-protection products, the absence of nutrient-rich foods - or a combination of both factors? Together with research partners throughout Europe, Agroscope is investigating these issues. Of the total proceeds from agriculture in Switzerland, around CHF 350 million a year are only generated due to the pollination performance of honeybees and wild bees.