Effects of mycorrhiza and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria inoculants on rice crops in Northern India

Mutualistic root microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can ameliorate plant nutrition through an extended extra-radical hyphal network and by nutrient mobilisation. Running under the Indo-Swiss Collaboration in Biotechnology (ISCB), our project focuses on the integration of AMF and PGPR as biofertilisers in wheat-rice and wheat-black gram systems

Kraut- und Knollenfäule im Kartoffelanbau - ist im ökologischen Anbau eine wirksame Bekämpfung ohne Kupfer möglich?

In laboratory, growth chamber, micro-plot and small-plot field trials, 53 copper-free preparations (CFPs) were examined for their potential to control potato late blight (PLB) caused by Phytophthora infestans (PI). In-vitro, 43% of the CFP inhibited the germination of sporangia or the mycelial growth of the pathogen completely. In growth chamber trials, 21% of them reduced PI foliar blight of tomato seedlings by at least 80%. In contrast, in small-plot field trials with potatoes under practice like applications, none of the CFPs sufficiently controlled the disease. Even in micro-plot field trials with applications twice a week the efficacies did not exceed 60%. With in-vitro tests we showed that the reason for the insufficient performance of the CFPs was due to their lack of persistence and rainfastness. However, applications of copper fungicides with low rates according to the decision support system Bio-PhytoPRE resulted in a good control of late blight. We recommend using this strategy until CFPs are developed for practise application

Bodenfruchtbarkeit und biologische Vielfalt im ökologischen Landbau

Um die Effektivität landwirtschaftlicher Anbausysteme zu beurteilen, bedarf es eines Verständnisses der Agrarökosysteme. Eine 21-jährige Studie ergab 20 Prozent geringere Erträge bei ökologischen Anbausystemen gegenüber konventionellen, obgleich der Einsatz von Düngemitteln und Energie um 34 bis 53 Prozent und der von Pestiziden um 97 Prozent geringer war. Wahrscheinlich führen die erhöhte Bodenfruchtbarkeit und die größere biologische Vielfalt in den ökologischen Versuchsparzellen dazu, dass diese Systeme weniger auf Zufuhr von außen angewiesen sind

Country Report on Organic Farming Research in Switzerland

The report presents the current (2005) status of organic farming resarch in Switzerland. Switzerland has a long history of organic farming research, which in its beginnings has been carried out by organic farming pioneers and by private institutions like the Goetheanum, Möschberg Centre and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). It was in the 1990s, when Swiss Federal Agricultural Research Stations (Agroscope) became also involved in organic research topics. It can be estimated that currently approximately € 7.5 million per annum are allocated very specifically to organic farming research from public budgets. The National Research Programme is organised according to a four-year research concept of the Swiss Federal Office of Agriculture (FOAG). Within this concept, organic farming is considered as an important issue of Swiss agricultural research, and research for organic farming is carried out as a continuous process. The Research Institute of Organic Farming (FiBL) is doing research exclusively for organic farming, whereas at the Federal Agricultural Research Stations research for integrated and organic farming is carried out in parallel. Together with the activities of FiBL, all relevant agricultural topics such as plant production, animal health and husbandry, food quality and socioeconomics are covered and carried out in the context of organic farming. Research is organised as a) A mandate of € 3.5 Mio annually to FiBL (the so-called “Leistungsauftrag” by the Swiss Federal Office of Agriculture (FOAG) and the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office (SFVO) and b) As a priority setting within the three Federal Agroscope Centres

10. Wissenschaftstagung Ökologischer Landbau

Die 10. Wissenschaftstagung zum ökologischen Landbau findet 2009 in der Schweiz statt. Ausgerichtet wird sie von der Forschungsanstalt Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon ART, dem Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau (FiBL), dem Departement Agrar- und Lebensmittelwissenschaften der Eidgenössischen Technischen Hochschule (ETH) sowie der Stiftung Ökologie & Landbau (SÖL). Unter dem Motto «Werte – Wege – Wirkungen» präsentieren und diskutieren die Teilnehmenden aktuelle ethische Aspekte, produktionstechnische Fortschritte und gesellschaftspolitisch relevante Auswirkungen des biologischen Landbaus. Zusätzlich ist geplant, mit ausgewählten Veranstaltungen speziell auch Bioberaterinnen und Praktiker anzusprechen. Einzelne Veranstaltungen der Konferenz wenden sich gezielt an den akademischen Nachwuchs

Influence of light, humidity and chlorine on asexual reproduction of Peronospora trifoliorum

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industrie

How economic is organic? Results of a long-term trial at Burgrain/Lucerne, Switzerland

Long-term trials are necessary not only to judge agronomic and ecological indicators when studying organic farming, but also to analyze and describe economic parameters. From 1997-2002, an organic arable farming system (Bio) was compared with two Integrated farming systems (IP intensive and IP extensive) on 6 plots in a 6-year crop rotation at Burgrain near Lucerne, Switzerland. The 6 plots were subdivided into 3 subplots of 0.65 ha each. In the organic system, the input of fertilizer and pesticides was substantially reduced, which resulted in a yield reduction of 19% over all 4 arable crops and of 14% if the temporary lays are included. Nevertheless, the organic system showed an excellent net profit, mainly due to the higher prices paid to the farmers for the organic products. The influence of the direct governmental payments was less pronounced

Estimates of genetic parameters for production, behaviour, and health traits in two Swiss honey bee populations

Successful honey bee breeding programmes require traits that can be genetically improved by selection. Heritabilities for production, behaviour, and health traits, as well as their phenotypic correlations, were estimated in two distinct Swiss Apis mellifera mellifera and Apis mellifera carnica populations based on 9 years of performance records and more than two decades of pedigree information. Breeding values were estimated by a best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) approach, taking either queen or worker effects into account. In A. m. mellifera, the highest heritabilities were obtained for defensive behaviour, calmness during inspection, and hygienic behaviour, while in A. m. carnica, honey yield and hygienic behaviour were the most heritable traits. In contrast, estimates for infestation rates by Varroa destructor suggest that the phenotypic variation cannot be attributed to an additive genetic origin in either population. The highest phenotypic correlations were determined between defensive behaviour and calmness during inspection. The implications of these findings for testing methods and the management of the breeding programme are discussed.</p