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What Breeding Goal Should Organic Dairy Farmers Pursue? Results from a Willingness-To-Pay Study Among Consumers in Denmark, Germany, and Sweden
No full textThere is a growing public focus on negative consequences of dairy production, including carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, and limited welfare for production animals. Many of these concerns can be significantly mitigated through innovation, such as enhancing traits in breeding goals. However, enhancing traits to address one issue may compromise the ability to effectively tackle other problems. For example, there may be a negative correlation between traits that help to limit carbon emission per kg milk and those that improve animal welfare. The organic dairy sector, in particular, is at a strategic crossroads, needing to identify the most important potential breeding goals to implement. This study aims to determine what organic consumers in three European countries—Denmark, Germany, and Sweden—are willing to pay (WTP) for four specific breeding goals
Tool to help you add value to apples - Sharing data on the quality and ripeness of apples
No full textThe results presented here are the fruit of a synthesis of a very large number of sample analysis data from different years, different sites and different laboratories. As a result, these tables have been designed to present an overall view of the results, enabling varieties to be classified/grouped on the basis of their median and, above all, relative technological properties
Marker assisted breeding of organic heterogeneous wheat in Denmark
Get PDFSummarises strategies for marker assisted selection in organic cereal breeding at Agrologica
Organic Climate Farming: an overview - PowerPoint Presentation
No full textThis PowerPoint presentation provides an adaptable, user-friendly introduction to the concept of organic climate farming, tailored for training and awareness-raising purposes. It covers the science behind climate change, the role of agriculture in the climate crisis, and how organic farming can serve as both a mitigation and adaptation tool. It includes data-driven insights, scientific comparisons, and practical examples of climate-friendly farming methods used in each of the countries. The resource is designed to be flexible and can be customized to the context and needs of different audiences, such as farmers, advisors, or educators
Präventive Anbautechnik zur Erhöhung der biotischen Stresstoleranz bei Ackerbohnen und Erbsen
Get PDFIm Projekt wurde untersucht, wie sich ackerbauliche Stellgrößen – insbesondere Saatzeitpunkt und Saattiefe – auf die Befallsdynamik des Linierten Blattrandkäfers (Sitona lineatus) auswirken. Im Fokus standen die Auswirkungen auf die Gesundheit der Wurzelknöllchen, die N-Fixierung sowie Ertragsparameter bei Erbsen und Ackerbohnen, ebenso wie auf die Folgekulturen Winterweizen und Wickroggen. In Exaktversuchen wurde bei Erbsen der Saatzeitpunkt variiert, bei Ackerbohnen zusätzlich die Saattiefe (4 cm vs. 10 cm). Alle Varianten wurden sowohl unter natürlichem Befallsdruck als auch in Netzkäfigen ohne Käferexposition geprüft. Ergänzend wurden Zeitreihenversuche zur dynamischen Erfassung der Knöllchenentwicklung und N-Fixierung sowie Praxistests auf ökologisch und integriert wirtschaftenden Betrieben durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass der Zusammenhang zwischen Buchtenfraß und tatsächlichen Ertragsverlusten schwach ist, was die Aussagekraft visueller Schadensbewertungen für Behandlungsempfehlungen einschränkt. Ebenso führte S. lineatus Exposition bei beiden getesteten Körnerleguminosen je nach Jahr und Variante zu unterschiedlich stark ausgeprägten Ertragsminderungen der Körnerleguminosen und ebenso innerhalb der Fruchtfolge Leguminose – Weizen – Wickroggen, da die Folgekulturen Ertragseinbußen in gewissem Maße kompensieren konnten. Vermutlich bewirkte die kontinuierliche, kompensative Knöllchenneubildung bei Knöllchenverlust eine Anreicherung von pflanzlichen Residuen im Bodenkompartiment, die bis in die zweite Folgekultur hinein der Nachfrucht zur Verfügung stand und diese N-Nachlieferung die Korn- bzw. N-Erträge der Folgekulturen verbesserte. Diese pflanzeneigene Kompensationsfähigkeit von Knöllchenverlusten variierte je nach Variante und Witterung deutlich. Die Kombination aus früher Saat und flacher Ablage bei Ackerbohnen erzielte die stabilsten Ergebnisse über die gesamte Fruchtfolge hinweg: Sie zeigte die geringsten N-Verluste und die höchsten Gesamterträge. Späte Saat in Kombination mit flacher Ablagetiefe führte hingegen zu höheren N-Verlusten und Ertragseinbußen – vermutlich durch unzureichende Knöllchenbildung und eingeschränkter Wurzelentwicklung. Insgesamt lassen sich die Vorteile einer tiefen Aussaat bei Ackerbohnen nicht abschließend bewerten: Zwar zeigte sich tendenziell eine höhere Anzahl gesunder Knöllchen, doch blieben die Effekte auf den Ertrag sowie auf die Folgekulturen uneinheitlich und variierten stark zwischen den Jahren. Bei Erbsen zeigten späte Saatvarianten das größere Kompensationspotenzial, insbesondere durch höhere Weizenerträge in der Nachfrucht. Dies könnte auf eine geringere Fähigkeit zur späten N-Fixierung und -umverlagerung zurückzuführen sein, wodurch mehr verfügbarer Stickstoff im System verblieb und den Folgefrüchten zugutekam. Insgesamt hatte der Faktor Witterung einen erheblichen Einfluss: In einem Jahr mit warmem Frühjahr blieben Ertragseinbußen gering, während ein kaltes, nasses Frühjahr erhebliche Einbußen über die gesamte Fruchtfolge verursachte. Ein Anbauvergleich von Ackerbohnen auf einem ökologisch und einem integriert wirtschaftenden Betrieb zeigte, dass im integrierten System trotz geringerer Knöllchenzahlen und einer niedrigeren relativen N-Fixierleistung höhere Erträge erzielt wurden. Auf gut N-versorgten Böden sind Pflanzen offenbar weniger auf symbiontische N-Fixierung angewiesen. Zusammen mit dem nachgewiesenen Ausgleichspotenzial der Folgefrüchte im Hauptversuch legt dies nahe, dass S. lineatus-Schäden – zumindest bei Ackerbohnen auf stickstoffreichen Standorten weniger ertragswirksam sind. Der auf den Buchtenfraß bezogene integrierte Bekämpfungsrichtwert für Insektizidbehandlungen bedarf also weiterer Untersuchung und sollte überarbeitet werden
No effect of seed treatment on the rhizosphere microbial diversity
No full textPesticides are widely used in agriculture as crop protective agents. However, the harmful impacts of pesticides on the ecosystem – including impacts on insects, human health, and water and air pollution- are increasingly reported. Soil microbial diversity is a key indicator of soil health, making it essential to understand how pesticides and alternative treatments influence these communities.
We report findings from the first two years of a seven-year project comparing synthetic seed-treatments to alternative methods. This research, conducted in collaboration with a network of 20 farmers who are committed to the reduction of pesticides (both organic and conventional), aims to assess the impact of different seed treatments on rhizosphere microbial biodiversity. Farmers included Thermoseed-treated (vapor-treated) seed and untreated seeds as controls. Rhizosphere and bulk soil were sampled a few weeks after germination, followed by DNA extraction and sequencing of ITS region and 16S rRNA gene to analyze fungal and bacterial communities.
Results from the first two years indicate no significant effect of seed treatments on the alpha diversity of the rhizosphere microbial communities. While seed treatment had not detectable effect on community composition, beta diversity was primarily influenced by soil properties.
This study is unique in its large-scale comparison of seed treatments across multiple fields. As this long-term study progresses, continued monitoring will be essential to better understand the complex interactions between seed treatments, soil microbial communities, and environmental factors
Usage of outdoor run and health aspects of fattening pigs fed whole plant vetch silage or strw as roughage
No full textAdvantages of feeding protein-rich whole plant silages in pig fattening, such as clover-grass silage, have been investigated in the past. However, vetch whole plant silage has not yet been under investigation. Vetch has many advantages from a crop production perspective and is a potential fibre- and protein-rich feedstuff for pigs. This study aimed to investigate if a) vetch silage compared to straw as roughage has positive effects on the outdoor run usage and the occurrence of foraging behaviour in the outdoor run, b) the duration of roughage intake and the amount of roughage consumed depends on the vetch species, and c) health aspects (skin lesions and lameness) are affected by the vetch silage compared to straw. A total of 120 mixed-sex fattening pigs [(Landrace × Large White) × Pietrain] were studied over two trials conducted throughout 11 months. In each trial, three dietary treatments were tested: silage made from Vicia sativa, silage made from Vicia pannonica, and straw as a control roughage. Each treatment included two groups of ten pigs per trial, resulting in 40 pigs per treatment. The roughage was offered to the animals in all groups from a rack in the outdoor run. The observation based on interval photos from video recordings of the outdoor runs. The usage of the outdoor runs and the display of different behaviours were determined on pen-basis by instantaneous scan sampling. Additionally, the time period until the silage was totally consumed was evaluated and twice a week silage leftovers were collected to estimate amounts of silage intake. The skin lesions of each pig were scored every week during the trial period according to the Welfare Quality® Assessment protocol.
In December, the outdoor runs were used significantly more often in experimental groups, which were provided silage, than in the control groups, which were provided straw (p < 0.05). In May, the animals of the groups that received Vicia pannonica showed more frequent foraging behaviour than the animals of the control groups (p < 0.05). Neither the duration of silage intake nor the amount of consumed silage differed between the two experimental groups. Feeding vetch silage to fattening pigs had no effect on body lesions or the occurrence of lameness. The positive effect of vetch whole plant silage on outdoor run usage and foraging behaviour indicate that pigs are interested in this feedstuff, which can thus be an enrichment
Carl Vett (1871-1956): Denmark’s Pioneer of Biodynamic Farming and Organic Agriculture
Get PDFThe Danish businessman Carl Christian Vett (1871-1956) spent much of his life on a personal spiritual quest. He visited Dr Rudolf Steiner in Switzerland, Mahatma Gandhi in India, he spent time in a Sufi Monastery in Turkey, and he organised five International Congresses of Psychical Research. This spiritual quest led him to Anthroposophy, the Goetheanum (in Dornach, Switzerland), and to Rudolf Steiner’s Biodynamic agriculture. Steiner called for a differentiated agriculture reliant on biological processes rather than chemistry, and the ‘Experimental Circle of Anthroposophical Farmers and Gardeners’ was founded (at Koberwitz in 1924) and tasked with testing and propagating his ideas. Carl Vett was the first Nordic to join the ‘Experimental Circle’ (in 1926). Vett advocated for Biodynamics (BD) encouraging Danish estate owners to adopt BD practices and promoting BD as a sound economic choice. He initiated scientific testing of BD at the Danish State Plant Culture Research Institute (1931-1934). He established a BD demonstration farm (Rødbjerggaard near Hornbæk in 1934). Vett published the first Danish Biodynamics pamphlet, a 30 page booklet: ‘The Biological-Dynamic Farming Methods’, in Danish in 1936, in some apparent disregard of the Non Disclosure Agreement signed by Experimental Circle members. Vett founded the Danish Biodynamic Association (in 1936), which published the newsletter ‘Notifications from the Association for the Promotion of Biological-dynamic Methods’ (from 1936, and marked ‘Confidential’). Ehrenfried Pfeiffer (1899-1961) took BD public with the publication of his book ‘Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening’ (in 1938). Vett promptly translated Pfeiffer’s milestone BD book into Danish (published 1939). WWII interrupted this BD momentum. Carl Vett was the original BD advocate in Denmark and laid the foundations for Biodynamic farming, and thereby for organic agriculture, in the country. BD and Organics now account for 4,500 hectares and 303,093 hectares, respectively, in Denmark
Millora de la salut i el benestar en porcí. Manual per la producció de porcí ecològic
No full textEl manual reflecteix la riquesa de l'experiència de la pràctica, la ciència i la literatura sobre com mantenir sans els porcs. Les recomanacions són un suport valuós per a porcicultors i assessors en el desenvolupament d'una cria òptima de porcs ecològics. Utilitzant senzilles llistes de comprovació, el manual identifica les possibles causes i trastorns de comportament segons les àrees problemàtiques, fa suggeriments per eliminar-los en la cria, alimentació i maneig i proporciona informació sobre possibles tractaments
Slovakia - Organic sector factsheet
Get PDFThis factsheet provides an overview of the organic agriculture sector in Slovakia, including farmland area, market trends, and key figures on organic production. It also outlines CAP policy support, detailing financial allocations, eco-schemes, and strategic goals for organic farming. Additionally, it highlights national action plans and support measures for organic aquaculture and market development