Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk provided by Organic Eprints Version Description Date Approval D4.1 Robotic Prototype v1.0 Specifications of Robotic Prototype for strip-cropping systems January 24 th , 2019 Juan Jesús Roldán D4.1 Robotic Prototype v1.1 Fixing comments after first internal review February 15 th , 2019 Jaime del Cerro Antonio Barrientos D4.1 Robotic Prototype v2.0 Collect revision suggestions of UPM project partners February 21 st , 2019 Antonio Barrientos The system shall work in strip-cropping systems. The system shall operate on selected winter (for example, leeks, beans and cabbage) and summer crops (i.e., tomato, beans and pumpkin). The system shall move along crop rows with widths in the range of 1-1.4 meters, heights between 0.2 and 0.6 meters and lengths between 10 and 100 meters. The system shall operate without damaging the plants. The system shall collect information of the spatial and time heterogeneities in the crops. The system shall recognize crops and weeds. The system shall determine the type, location and health of the plants. The system shall early detect plant problems. The system shall provide information about the health of the crops, such as some symptoms of diseases: e.g., water stress and abnormal colors. The system shall apply liquid treatments to the crops. The treatments will be applied to the ground around the target plant. The system shall consist of a wheeled cart, a manipulator robot and the required components for sensing and actuation tasks. The system shall have a protection of IP54 against solid particles and liquids. The cart shall consist of a structure of bars with four wheels, similar to the gantry systems used in controlled traffic farming or pivot irrigation systems. The cart shall have an axle track in the range of 1.2 to 1.5 meters to move along the rows without damaging the crops. The cart shall have clear height of 1 to 1.4 meters over the ground to hold the robot, sensors and actuators that must work over the plants. The cart shall have a wheelbase of at least 1 meter to be able to collect data of the plants in a circle with a diameter of 1 meter. The cart shall carry a payload of at least 120 kilograms, which includes the estimated weights of the manipulator (25 kg), the components required to power and control it (25 kg), the tank for the liquid treatments (60 kg), the actuators required to apply them (5 kg) and the sensors and cameras (5 kg). The cart does not have to be autonomous nor motorized. The robot shall hang down from the structure of the cart. The robot shall reach the plants to acquire data and apply treatments. The robot shall be able to place its tool within a circle with a diameter of 1 meter at a height of 0.2 meters over the ground. The robot shall have a reach (i.e., a distance between the base and the tool) of at least 600 millimeters. The robot shall have a precision of at least 10 millimeters in the positioning of its tool. The robot shall have a maximum weight of 50 kilograms, including not only the electromechanical components, but also the power and control equipment. The robot shall have a load capacity of 1.5 kilograms in operation positions to carry out sensing and actuation elements. The robot shall be able to reach most of the points inside the workspace defined by previous requirements with different orientations of the tool. The robot shall be protected from dust and water jets. R401: As a proof of concept, the prototype shall focus on only one sensing technology. The prototype shall integrate a camera to take multispectral images. The prototype shall be able to take pictures of the crops in a circle with a diameter of 1 meter and below the cart with enough resolution to distinguish separate plants. The prototype may integrate other complementary sensing technologies, such as RGB cameras, LIDARs, spectroscopes and stereo cameras. As a proof of concept, the prototype shall focus on only one plant treatment. The prototype shall be able to spray a liquid treatment. The prototype shall actuate on the ground around the plants. The operator shall be able to supervise the operations of the system remotely. The operator shall be able to start/stop the complete system at any moment. The operator shall dictate the targets where specific measurements and treatments are required to the robot. The robot shall plan the movements to reach the goals autonomously.

Non-thermal food processing technologies are becoming more important in the organic food sector because, beyond preserving the organic feature, they could offer organic products with additional benefits in terms of enhanced nutritional content and healthiness as well as better sensory properties that could satisfy the more complex demands of organic consumers. Berries have a well-known health benefits and show increasing market shares in European markets while dehydration can increase the food convenience in terms of extended shelf-life. This study investigates for the first time organic consumers' stated preferences, attitudes and individual differences for a non-thermal organic processing technology. Specifically, we investigated consumers' preferences for organic dried strawberries varying in drying technology used, such as the most conventional (i.e. thermal) air drying and the most innovative (i.e. non-thermal) microwave drying, origin, price levels, and nutrient contents in three European countries: Norway, Romania and Turkey. Data from a total of 614 consumers were collected through an online choice experiment. Results show that on average consumers prefer organic dried strawberries produced with air drying technology that have national origin, with natural nutrient content and at low price, but country and individual differences are identified. Consumers who showed least rejection for microwave dried products are young, mostly from Norway and have higher positive attitudes towards new food technologies. Consumers who showed most rejection for microwave dried products are older, mostly from Turkey and have higher positive attitudes for organic, natural and ecological products. Organic producers who adopt microwave drying might better inform consumers about the characteristics, the process and highlight the nutritional benefits of such technology. Finally, this research informs policy makers about the need to define and regulate more clearly microwave drying as an organic technology, as well as to regulate labelling to ensure that consumers are not misled and correctly informed about the new technology.

The aim of the examinations made in Hevesi-sík Sensitive Nature Area is the biotic monitoring of the applied methods used in a project. Monitoring activities include several scientific projects, one of them is monitoring the change in biomass of the invertebrates in the sampling and controll areas.

OMKi takes part in WP3 „Novel agroecosystem management strategies and tools” of the SolACE project, in which we examine the effects of rotation and inoculation treatments on organic potato under a combination of stress conditions. The same experiment is also performed by Agroscope in Switzerland, in a conventional farming system.

1 Bjergfyrvej 11, 8250 Egå. mail: sussiepagh@gmail.com, 2 Institut for Bioscience, Aarhus Universitet, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, 3Danmarks Jægerforbund, Molsvej 34, 8410 Rønde, 4 Wilhelm Meyers Allé 210, 8000 Aarhus C, 5 DTU-Veterinærinstituttet, Sektion for Diagnostik og Beredskab, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Bülowsvej 27, 1870 Frederiksberg C. Habitat related diet of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in rural areas of Denmark The food of breeding foxes in rural areas of Denmark was studied in two areas (3,5 x 3,5 km) on Djursland, Denmark. The study was based on 149 scats collected around breeding 11 dens. The landscape parameters (area of crop fields, meadow, grassland, forest and natural biotopes) of the two study areas were digitized from orthophotos (2010). The diet of the foxes in the two areas differed significantly regarding to the amount of small rodents, and roe deer and insects. The main diet (calculated biomass) of the foxes in “study area I”, a comparatively inte...

Dans le cadre du projet européen BIOBIO, nous avons comparé entre pays les richesses en habitats et richesses spécifiques cumulées de quatre groupes taxonomiques (plantes, abeilles sauvages, araignées, vers de terre), de 169 exploitations biologiques ou conventionnelles appartenant à 10 pays. Pour le cas d'étude français, Vallées et Coteaux de Gascogne, les corrélations entre indicateurs directs (richesses spécifiques des taxons et habitats) et indirects (pratiques agricoles) de biodiversité, relevés dans 8 exploitations conventionnelles et 8 biologiques, ont été recherchées. Les résultats montrent que le nombre d'habitats cultivés et surtout semi-naturels par exploitation est le principal facteur déterminant le niveau de biodiversité à cette échelle, pour le cas d'étude français comme pour les autres cas d'étude. Ce facteur explique en partie le plus haut niveau de biodiversité observé pour le cas d'étude français. Néanmoins, les pratiques, spécifiques ou non des modes de production biologique et conventionnelle, gouvernent généralement les paramètres de biodiversité à l'échelle de l'habitat. In fine, le projet propose la méthode BIOBIO de suivi de la biodiversité dans les exploitations agricoles.

Farming practices are the key to maintaining and restoring farmland biodiversity. Selected farm management indicators, regarded as scientifically sound, practicable and attractive to stakeholders, were tested against species indicators in various farm types in 12 case studies across Europe. A set of eight farm management indicators is recommended, reflecting the pressure on biodiversity by farm management via energy and nutrient input, mechanical operations, pesticide use and livestock. Landwirtschaftliche Intensivierung gilt als einer der hauptsächlichen Verursacher des Artenrückgangs. Landwirtschaftlich genutzte Flächen beherbergen spezifische Habitate und Arten, die in ihrem Fortbestand auf eine angemessene landwirtschaftliche Bewirtschaftung angewiesen sind (Kleijn und Sutherland 2003). Auf landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben werden die wesentlichen Entscheidungen getroffen, welche die Biodiversität in Agrar-Ökosystemen maßgeblich beeinflussen. Betriebliche Bewirtschaftungsmaßnahmen sind daher der Schlüssel zur Erhaltung und zur Wiederherstellung der Artenvielfalt. Indirekte Biodiversitätsindikatoren, die auf der Ebene des betrieblichen Managements ansetzen und die auf Einzelbetrieben eingesetzt werden können, fehlen aber weitgehend. Deshalb wurde im EU FP7-Projekt "BIOBIO" ein Set von Bewirtschaftungsindikatoren für Biodiversität auf der Ebene landwirtschaftlicher Betriebe im Ökologischen Landbau und in extensiven Anbausystemen entwickelt und erprobt (www.biobio-indicator.org).

Genetic variability is the fundament of life. Large genetic variability within species is the basis for adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Farmers and breeders have developed a multitude of crop cultivars and animal breeds to stabilize and increase quality and productivity. This study evaluated genetic diversity within different organic and non-organic farming systems using crop-cultivar and livestock-breed information as simple indicators. Data was collected using on-farm surveys in 15 case study regions in Europe and beyond. Selected indicators revealed strong differences of cultivar diversity between different countries and farming systems across Europe. No or only small differences were detectable between organic and non-organic farming systems. Landraces, as on-farm genetic resources, were under-represented in European case study regions.

One of the aims of organic farming is the protection of biodiversity. In the EU FP7 project BioBio, we studied the effect of organic farming on species numbers at farm level on 169 randomly selected organic and non-organic farms with mostly low to medium intensity in ten European regions. Using a preferential sampling scheme based on habitat mapping, numbers of plants, earthworms, spiders and bees were assessed at farm level. A global analysis across the ten regions shows that organic farms have significantly higher numbers of plant and bee species than non-organic farms. The effect of organic farming on earthworm and spider species numbers are also positive but insignificant. The effects in absolute terms are small and much smaller than the variation between individual farms. Currently ongoing analyses aim at identifying the important driving factors for farmland biodiversity.

Die Bedeutung der organischen Substanz fur das Wasserspeichervermogen und das Angebot an Pflanzennahrstoffen ist fur sandige Boden besonders gros. Gleichzeitig sind leichte Boden in fruhsommerlichen Trockenperioden besonders stark von Winderosion und damit vom Verlust organischer Substanz betroffen. Eine Temperaturerhohung wirkt sich aufgrund der guten Durchluftung besonders in Sandboden verstarkend auf Mineralisierungsprozesse aus. Ebenso uben prognostizierte Veranderungen im Niederschlagsgang und eine verlangerte Vegetationsperiode eine Humus zehrende Wirkung aus. Im Rahmen des Verbundprojektes KLIMZUG-NORD (www.klimzug-nord.de) werden die Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf Veranderungen der Humusgehalte von Ackerboden in Nordost-Niedersachsen untersucht. Dazu werden die Humusgehalte aus dem Jahr 1978 mit jenen des Jahres 2010 verglichen. Anhand der zwischenzeitlichen Bewirtschaftung wird mittels Computersimulationen (CANDY, Franko et al. 1995) der Anteil der bereits erfolgten Klim...

Landscape management and Agriculture are compared in their opposing and their common featuresin the perceptions of those involved. Their common benefits are discussed in the framework of a worldwide transition from segregation toward integration: including that of the citizen / consumer and the farmers that produce their food as well as their rural landscape. The needs to reconsider the use of fossil energy and fresh waterboth under threat of global depletionis discussed.

View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk provided by Organic Eprints El suelo como reactor de los procesos de regulación funcional de los agroecosistemas 2018 Editores Jorge ULLÉ & Beatriz M.DIAZ © 2018, Ediciones INTA Libro de edición argentina Todos los derechos reservados. No se permite la reproducción total o parcial, la distribución o la transformación de este libro, en ninguna forma o medio. Ni el ejercicio de otras facultades reservadas sin el permiso previo y escrito del editor. Su infracción está penada por las leyes vigentes. El suelo como reactor de los procesos de regulación funcional de los agroecosistemas Editores: Jorge ULLÉ & Beatriz M.DIAZ

Los hongos formadores de micorrizas estan ampliamente distribuidos tanto en ambientes naturales como antropicos. Son un conjunto de especies que establecen simbiosis con la mayoria de los cultivos de importancia economica y se mantienen vivos en el suelo solo si hay una cubierta vegetal en activo crecimiento. A cambio de fotoasimilados, las micorrizas proveen innumerables beneficios para la planta y para el funcionamiento del ecosistema. Esta demostrado que contribuyen en la nutricion, sanidad y balance hidrico vegetal, y que generan una red de micelio en el suelo a traves del cual las raices se comunican entre si y comparten informacion, agua y nutrientes. Esta red es una valiosa forma de conservar el carbono y nutrientes del suelo. Ademas, las micorrizas estan implicadas en la produccion de una sustancia aglutinante de las particulas del suelo que favorece la formacion de agregados y disminuye el riesgo de erosion. Sin embargo, de modo desapercibido, el hombre puede atentar contra...

N-balances over 35 years from the DOK trial are presented and combined with Nstock changes in DOK treatments on different fertilisation levels. Results strongly indicate an N efficiency-sustainability dilemma: DOK treatments with a high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) lose more soil stock N than those with a lower NUE but higher N losses from the system. The biodynamic system showed little advantage in terms of soil N stocks sustainability while the solely mineral fertilised conventional treatment had highest NUE across all inputs including soil N change.

ReMIX is a H2020 multi-actor project that will allow to redesign cropping systems based on the agroecological principle of crop diversification for the benefit of farmers and the whole EU agricultural community. ReMIX exploits the benefits of species mixtures to design more diversified and resilient agroecological arable cropping systems. Based on a multi-actor approach, ReMIX produces new knowledge that is both scientifically credible and socially valuable in conventional and organic agriculture. The project tackles practical questions and co-design ready-to-use practical solutions. The project spans from the specification of end-user needs and the co-design of in-field and on-farm experiments to demonstrations with evaluation of new varieties and practices. ReMIX contributes to the adoption of productive and resilient agricultural systems.

White lupin (Lupinus albus) could contribute to the recent increase of organic grain legume production in Switzerland. However, its production is impaired by anthracnose (Colletotrichum lupini), against which FiBL is running a resistance pre-breeding project. In 2019, 196 new genetic resources and 60 F4 breeding lines were compared on-farm to the progeny of 288 accessions selected from 2015 to 2018. Relative disease scores compared to reference cultivar Amiga (mean score 6.9 on a scale from 1 (no symptoms) to 9 (plants completely dead) were calculated and ranged from -2.25 to +2. Mean relative scores of selected genotypes and breeding lines were -0.7 and -0.5, respectively, compared to -0.33 in the new accessions. The frequency of more resistant genotypes was about twice as high in the selected accessions and breeding lines than in the new accessions. These are valuable data for breeding as well as for development and validation of genetic markers for resistance screening.

Maize is one of the most important crops in the world for feed and food, which makes its contribution to organic farming crucial. The adaptation to organic agriculture can depend on the interaction between the microbiota present in the rhizosphere, allowing a more efficient extraction of nutrients from the soil for growth and development. The aim of our study was to understand how different production systems (conventional, organic) and different openpollinated maize populations ('SinPre' and 'Pigarro') can influence the rhizosphere microbiota. The data collected from the maize trial comprehends phenological data plus the structural diversity of the bacterial and fungal communities from the maize rhizosphere. Three replicates of three plants by two maize populations were collected for each cultivation system, at a depth of approximately 15 cm, forming a total of 15 composite samples. The bacterial microbiota was determined from DNA extracted from maize rhizosphere samples based on the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA and from ITS2 region of the fungal ITS gene using Illumina's MiSeq sequencing. From our results, we can conclude that the farming system has an impact on fungal diversity since a higher diversity was found in organic farming systems when compared with the conventional. In addition, the fungal microbiota was more diverse in 'Pigarro' rhizosphere in comparison with 'SinPre'. Comparing the diversity between 'Pigarro and 'SinPre' bacterial populations, the first presented always the highest number of genera despite the farming system. Contrarily to what we observed for the fungal diversity, the number of shared bacteria was similar in both farming systems. The main conclusion was that the farming systems have significant impact in maize rhizosphere microbiota. In addition, the maize rhizosphere microbiota is population specific.

Befall der Sämlinge mit samen-(Stinkbrand, Colletotrichum, Fusarium) und bodenbürtigen Krankheiten (Zwergbrand, Fusarien, Septoria,..) und Schädlingen (Nematoden, Maiswurzelbohrer) → resistente Sorten, gesundes Saatgut mit hoher Keimkraft Krähenfrass → Tiefere Aussaat, höheres TKG Verzicht auf Herbizide

As environmental and agronomic conditions are heterogeneous between and within locations, diversity within varieties or crop populations should increase adaptability to the changing and variable range of growing environments. The additional pressure of plant genetic diversity loss, has driven novel breeding approaches such as Composite Cross Populations (CCPs) and other genotype mixtures, thereby increasing both intra- and inter-varietal diversity and ensuring a “wider adaptation” capacity for crop varieties (Doring et al., 2011). A winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) CCP was created by intercrossing 20 varieties in 2001, through collaboration with the Elm Farm Research Centre and the John Innes Institute. In 2005, a seed batch of the F4 was equally divided and distributed to Hungary and Germany. In 2007, it was decided to submit one of the CCPs to changes in environments every year. A pattern was developed between eight partners whereby these “cycling” populations would be grown in...

Resistance against cotton bollworm is one of the main arguments for the use of genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton around the globe. The use of GM is prohibited in organic systems and thus the remunerative value of organic cotton cultivation depends on effective bollworm control. In this study, we investigated the extent of bollworm and sucking pest damage in 68 different hybrid and varietal lines of Gossypium hirsutum and varietal lines of G. arboreum at two different locations with contrasting soil fertility and water dynamics. The damage potential of bollworms was assessed from open capsules at two time points. Sucking pests were assessed at three time points using a scoring method. G. arboreum varietal lines and G. hirsutum hybrids were on average significantly more tolerant than G. hirsutum varietal lines to bollworm under fertile and irrigated situations. For sucking pests, the G. arboreum varietal lines were clearly more tolerant than G. hirsutum hybrids and varietal lines. Since, recently, pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) became resistant against Bt cotton and pressure of sucking pests severely increased, screening of genetic resources and systems-based cotton breeding for bollworm and sucking pest tolerance will improve sustainability of organic and conventional cotton production.

Organic viticulture is an important part of the European Union organic farming sector, and, according to the most recent surveys, 1.5% of European Union wine originates from organic farms, with an upward trend. Th is paper describes an environmental impact of an organic viticulture indicator (EIOVI) that can be reliably used in the management of organic vineyards. Th e EIOVI can be used as a decision support system for farmers and other property managers by evaluating the potential ecological impact of their choices, thus optimizing management options. Th e tool allows the simulation of vineyard management based on six agricultural and ecological modules. Th e EIOVI is a fuzzy expert system that calculates the relationship between the modules on the basis of a set of 64 decision rules. Initial testing (validation) has been performed using 20 simulations for six Swiss wine-growing estates. Th e results of these tests were promising; the EIOVI motivates managers to consider the wine-growing estate as a whole by subsummarizing all aspects of management. Th e visualization of results is very tangible and clearly shows that the use of this indicator could improve the management of the vineyard. With some improvements, the EIOVI will be a helpful assessment tool for vine growers, consultants, environmental agencies, and scientists.

Höhengradienten entlang von Berghängen bieten Möglichkeiten, Schlüsselfaktoren zu untersuchen, welche die Verbreitung von Arten bestimmen. Es wird angenommen, dass verschiedene Artengruppen unterschiedlich auf die gleichen Faktoren reagieren. Wir untersuchten den Einfluss der Höhenlage sowie der Lebensraumeigenschaften (Exposition,
Hangneigung, Vegetations- und Substrattyp) und Bodeneigenschaften auf die Artenvielfalt von sechs Gruppen bodenlebender Arthropoden (Spinnen,
Tausendfüsser, Hundertfüsser, Ameisen, Laufkäfer und Kurzflügelkäfer) im Schweizerischen Nationalpark. Arthropoden wurden entlang von vier Transekten mit standardisierten Methoden (visuelle Suche, Karton- und Becherfallen) an 65 Sammelstellen in den Jahren 2018/19 gefangen. Insgesamt wurden 14 782 Individuen gefunden, die 248 verschiedenen
Arten angehörten. Die artenreichste Gruppe waren die Spinnen (86 Arten), gefolgt von den Kurzflügelkäfern (74 Arten), Laufkäfern (34 Arten), Tausendfüs sern (21 Arten), Hundertfüssern (19 Arten) und den Ameisen (14 Arten). Bei fünf der sechs Tiergruppen war die Artenvielfalt hauptsächlich von der Höhe der Sammelstelle beeinflusst. Dabei wurden
drei Muster von höhenabhängiger Artenvielfalt gefunden, bei denen die Artenvielfalt ab einer Höhe von 2200 m ü. M. abnahm. Erstaunlicherweise hatten Lebensraum- und Bodeneigenschaften einen geringen Einfluss auf die Artenvielfalt der verschiedenen Tiergruppen. Die Höhenverteilungen der verschiedenen Arten dienen als Basis für weitere Studien über Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf die Verbreitung der Arthropoden. So zeigt ein Vergleich mit an den gleichen Stellen erhobenen Daten aus
den Jahren 1917–19, dass zehn von elf untersuchten Tausendfüsser-Arten in den vergangenen 100 Jahren ihre Verbreitung um durchschnittlich 161 Höhenmeter bergwärts verschoben haben. Tausendfüsser reagieren so auf klimabedingte Veränderungen im Boden und in der Vegetation.

National park Mavrovo is located in the north-west part of the Republic of Macedonia. The protected area, differ the other protected areas in the country by the huge number of residential areas, 38 villages in total, with 8494 inhabitants. The planned socio-economic development in the protected area, as indirect instigator on the nature modification, undoubtedly will initiate changes in the landscape diversity. Those changes may create a new values or may become a serious threat to the landscape types present in the protected area. Rural landscapes are most exposed to change, as the interaction between the man and the nature is greatest. The diversity of the landscapes that we have in the protected areas today speaks out the way that man treated the nature in the past, as it will speaks out in the future about the way we treat the nature today. This paper elaborates landscape types in the National Park Mavrovo, their role in the spatial planning approach and propose measures for landscape diversity protection in the upcoming period. The proposed measures don't tend to restrict the future development in the protected area, nor to bring back the activities which were present in the past. They tend to permit sustainable development in the protected area, by allowing activities, that will preserve origin values of the landscape and create a new forms of landscape values in the area. This approach, enables control on the activities that may have a negative influence on the landscape diversity in future.

Die trans- und interdisziplinare Studie BetterGardens wird vom Forschungsinstitut fur biologischen Landbau FiBL (Projektleitung) und von der Eidgenossischen Forschungsanstalt fur Wald, Schnee und Landschaft WSL durchgefuhrt. Sie findet in den drei Stadten Bern, Lausanne und Zurich statt. Das Projekt wird von stadtischen Behorden und dem Schweizerischen Familiengartnerverband unterstutzt und vom Nationalfonds (Sinergia) finanziert. BetterGardens untersucht die sozialen und okologischen Eigenschaften von Garten in der Stadt sowie deren Wechselwirkungen. Die Studie zielt darauf hin, wissenschaftliche Grundlagen fur Gartenformen zu schaffen, welche Biodiversitat fordern und Okosystemleistungen in der Stadt erbringen. Sie soll ausserdem den Wert urbaner Grunflachen aufzeigen, welche durch bauliche Verdichtung zunehmend unter Druck geraten. In diesem Beitrag werden das Projekt und erste Resultate vorgestellt.

In many crops, the intensive use of pesticides causes major problems both for the environment and for natural ecosystem services. Apple is Europe's most frequently produced orchard fruit, requiring high pesticide input to combat the most important apple insect pests, Dysaphis plantaginea (Passerini) and Cydia pomonella (L.). Here we sought to control these pests by promoting natural enemies using sown perennial flower strips. We trialled these in the alleyways of organic apple orchards in seven European countries. Visual assessments over two years revealed a higher number of natural enemies on plant parts, and specifically in D. plantaginea colonies on trees, in flower strip plots than on trees in control plots with standard orchard vegetation. Trees in the flower strip plots recorded a slower D. plantaginea population increase as compared with control plots, resulting in reduced fruit damage after the second fruit drop. Likewise, from 2016-2017, the number of preadult codling moths decreased more in the flower strip plots as compared to the control plots resulting in reduced fruit damage. Our study shows on a wide continental scale that the implementation of perennial flower strips in the alleyways between apple tree rows boosts natural enemies and reduces key apple pests and the associated fruit damage. This supports the role of functional agrobiodiversity as a way to potentially reduce insecticide use in orchards and thus further promote conservation of agrobiodiversity. We also provide suggested plant composition for flower strips adapted to different European countries and recommendations for implementation and management in practice.

Le projet VERtiCAL s'est intéressé de 2013 à 2018 à la diversification spatiale et temporelle des systèmes arboricoles comme un levier pertinent de réduction de l'usage des pesticides. Il a abouti à la création de deux systèmes agroforestiers fruitiers (SAF) uniques, « TAB » et « Durette », conduits en Agriculture Biologique et aux caractéristiques technico-économiques complémentaires. Le projet a été le lieu d'innovations en termes de co-conception et a contribué à la mise au point d'un nouvel outil d'évaluation ex-ante des SAF « DEXi-AF ». Les premiers résultats d'expérimentation indiquent une réduction de 52% de pesticides dans le système TAB par rapport à un système conventionnel de référence avec des objectifs de rendements atteints, et un usage très faible dans le système Durette. La richesse spécifique des oiseaux est passée en 6 ans de 12 à 24 espèces sur la Durette et de 24 à 35 espèces sur le site TAB. L'aménagement spatial satisfait l'organisation du travail mais ne permet pas de maîtriser intégralement les bio-agresseurs. Les résultats, impactés par deux années de grêle, seront consolidés dans le projet EMPUSA (projet DEPHY EXPE, 2019-2024). Les deux sites sont aujourd'hui supports de formation pour les agriculteurs et les conseillers agricoles souhaitant mettre en place un SAF.

Al fine di definire le caratteristiche agronomiche e l'attitudine a determinate trasformazioni per uso alimentare, verificare i livelli produttivi e la possibilità di coltivazione in agricoltura biologica, sono stati allestiti campi di confronto delle varietà piemontesi in diversi siti a vocazione maidicola. Inoltre sono state eseguite analisi qualitative delle produzioni ottenute, prove di trasformazione e verifica del livello di gradimento da parte dei consumatori.

A list is given of hoverflies collected by means of Malaise and white sticky traps in two organic apple orchards in north-western Italy. The total number of collected species was 17 and it was compared with literature, in order to discuss differences due to sampling methods. The predominant species collected were Sphaerophoria scripta (L.) (73% of the total sample) and Eupeodes corollae (F.) (14%). The trend of adult captures of this species is drawn and discussed. Data on wild plant species in the orchards are also given.

Derzeit kann der Bedarf an regional und okologisch erzeugten Sonnenblumen in Deutschland nicht gedeckt werden, wahrend sie gleichzeitig eine gute Option zur Diversifizierung von Fruchtfolgen im okologischen Landbau darstellt (Hahn 2007). Als epigaisch keimende Pflanze besteht fur die Unkrautregulation in Sonnenblumen nur eine geringe Moglichkeit des Blindstriegelns, wahrend Hackmasnahmen im Nachauflauf Unkrauter im Reihenzwischenraum effizient regulieren konnen. Gegen Samenunkrauter in der Reihe verbleibt aktuell nur die Option des Anhaufelns der Sonnenblumenpflanzen. Die Reaktion der Pflanzen hinsichtlich Uberleben der Pflanze, Streckungswachstum, Lageranfalligkeit, Korn- und Olertragsleistung und auch des Befalls mit Sclerotinia sclerotiorum auf ein fruhzeitiges Anhaufeln wurden allerdings bisher noch nicht gepruft.

The German Federal programme on organic farming and other forms of sustainable agriculture developed practical cultivation strategies with the aim of improving soil fertility and plant nutrition. During the five-year project, some new practical knowledge was gained. These findings are listed in the booklet. Reading this guideline should encourage farmers to intensify the cultivation of grain legumes.

In einem mehrjahrigen Forschungs- und Entwicklungsvorhaben wurden verschiedene, im okologischen Landbau zugelassene Verfahren der Schwefeldungung zu Ackerbohne, Schmalblattrige Lupine, Erbse sowie Erbse/Gerste-Gemenge auf die Ertragsbildung, die N- und S-Aufnahme der Kornerleguminosenbestande und der Folgefrucht Winterweizen gepruft. Feldversuche wurden auf mehreren, langjahrig okologisch bewirtschafteten Ackerstandorten in Deutschland in den Jahren 2012 bis 2014 durchgefuhrt. Neben dem Smin-Vorrat im Boden zur Saat und dem S-Gehalt in den jungsten entfalteten Blattern der Kornerleguminosen zur Blute wurde zusatzlich auch der Einfluss der Schwefeldungung auf die Aminosaurenzusammensetzung im Korn der Kornerleguminosen und die Nmin-Menge im Boden nach Ernte der Kornerleguminosen erfasst. Die Kornerleguminosen nahmen nur zwischen 2,5 und 19 kg S/ha im Spross auf. Ertragsleistung, die Qualitat des Erntegutes und die Stickstoffakkumulation im Spross der Kornerleguminosen und des nachfol...

In stockless organic farms it is difficult to produce winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with high protein content. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of intercropping of (i) winter wheat with either winter field bean (Vicia faba L.) or winter pea (Pisum sativum L.), (ii) the spatial arrangement (mixed, row or row-strip intercrop) and (iii) the seeding rate of the wheat (100 or 20 %) on yield formation and grain protein content. Monocropped wheat planted at a seeding rate of 20 % significantly out-yielded monocropped wheat at 100 % seeding rate because of a more efficient use of the mineral nitrogen (N) in soil. A gradient in the spatial and temporal use of mineral soil N by the wheat was found. N was available in particular from deeper soil layers during the grain filling phase in row strip intercrop trials, resulting in a higher grain protein content of the wheat. Monocropped wheat achieved mean protein content levels of 9,9 and 9,4 % at two different sites a...

Verfahren reduzierter Bodenbearbeitung bis hin zur Direktsaat gewinnen im Okologischen Landbau zunehmend an Bedeutung. Grunde hierfur sind die damit verbundenen positiven Effekte auf das Bodengefuge (Erosionsschutz) und auf den Treibstoff- und Arbeitsaufwand. Im Rahmen des Projektes wurden von drei Konsortialpartnern Feldversuche zur reduzierten Bodenbearbeitung von Kornerleguminosen (Ackerbohne, Kornererbse, Sojabohne, Schmalblattrige Lupine) auf Versuchs- und Praxisstandorten des Okologischen Landbaus in NRW, NS und SN durchgefuhrt. Schwerpunkte der Untersuchungen waren die Nahrstoffversorgung und die Unkrautregulierung. Geringe Nmin Gehalte im Boden zur Aussaat und nachfolgend geringe Mineralisation fuhrten zu hohen NdfA-Werten (80%) von Ackerbohnen. Zwischenfruchtanbau vor Korner-leguminosen fuhrte zu einer temporaren N-Immobilisierung, nicht jedoch zu hoheren NdfA-Werten. Reduzierte Bodenbearbeitung fuhrte im Vergleich zu Pflugbearbeitung wider Erwarten nicht zu hoheren NdfA-We...

Im okologischen Gemusebau werden hohe Nahrstoffmengen benotigt, um qualitativ hochwertiges Gemuse zu produzieren. Der Nahrstoffbedarf kann bisher nicht ausreichend durch okologisch erzeugte Dungemittel gedeckt werden. Zum Einsatz kommen uberwiegend organische Reststoffe aus der konventionellen Landwirtschaft. An dieser Stelle setzte das Forschungsvorhaben mit dem Ziel an, ein stickstoffreiches Dungemittel aus Futterleguminosenschnittgut fur den okologischen Gemusebau zu entwickeln und in Spinat und Rote Rube zu erproben. Es sollte junges Schnittgut mit einem C/N-Verhaltnis von ≤ 10 geerntet werden, welches nach Einarbeitung in den Boden schnell mineralisiert. Die Untersuchungen gliederten sich in vier Teile. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wurden in Feldversuchen im Jahr 2013 auf dem Versuchsfeld der Hochschule fur Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden am Standort Pillnitz zehn Futterleguminosen Arten hinsichtlich der TM-Ertrage, N-Ertrage sowie das C/N-Verhaltnis im Schnittgut bei hoher Schnitt...

Das interdisziplinäre Bodenfruchtbarkeitsprojekt beschäftigte sich in vier Versuchs- und fünf Projektjahren mit den Zusammenhängen zwischen dem Anbau von Körnerleguminosen und Bodenfruchtbarkeit, insbesondere auf viehschwachen bzw. viehlosen Biobetrieben. In Erhebungen auf 32 Praxisbetrieben konnten bislang allenfalls vermutete Zusammenhänge wie z. B. die Zunahme des Unkrautdeckungsgrades mit zunehmendem Humusgehalt bestätigt werden. Die Ergebnisse deuten auch darauf hin, dass z. B. die Anbauabstände im Erbsenanbau im Vergleich zu praxisüblichen Empfehlungen vergrößert werden müssen, daneben ergaben sich auch interessante neue Anknüpfungspunkte. Hinsichtlich der Leguminosengesundheit ermöglicht die neu entwickelte Differenzialdiagnose, die Ursache für ggf. auftretende „Leguminosenmüdigkeit“ einzugrenzen bzw. Praxisschläge vor dem Anbau auf Krankheitsrisiken zu testen. Im Projekt konnte außerdem gezeigt werden, dass Grüngutkomposte die Wurzelgesundheit von Erbsen deutlich verbessern ...

Syntomus pallipes (Dejean, 1825) was recorded for the first time in Belarus from Gomel city (SE Belarus). Syntomus pallipes (Dejean, 1825) -nowy gatunek dla fauny Białorusi z rodziny biegaczowatych (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Słowa kluczowe Coleoptera, Carabidae, Syntomus pallipes (Dejean, 1825), pierwsza rejestracja, południowo--wschodnia Białoruś Streszczenie Syntomus pallipes (Dejean, 1825) został odnotowany po raz pierwszy na Białorusi w Homlu (Białoruś południowo-wschodnia).

Bruk av plantevernmidler -Sprøyteteknikk i veksthus / Bioforsk FOKUS 4 (5) Boka "Håndtering og bruk av plantevernmidler -Grunnbok" (Tun Forlag 2006) gir basiskunnskaper om riktig bruk og håndtering av plantevernmidler. Den legger vekt på integrert plantevern, riktig bruk av plantevernmidler, konsekvenser ved bruk av plantevernmidler for bruker, forbruker og miljø, samt stell og bruk av sprøyteteknisk utstyr. Grunnboka gir grundig omtale av åkersprøyta, men går ikke detaljert inn på omtale av annet sprøyteutstyr. "Bruk av plantervernmidler -Sprøyteteknikk i veksthus" er et tilleggshefte til grunnboka, og omhandler sprøyteutstyr som brukes i veksthuskulturer. Dette tilleggsheftet er en revisjon av tidligere hefte om sprøyteteknikk i veksthus (Bjugstad N. 2005). Vi har denne gangen fokusert på å gjøre teksten mer oversiktlig og brukerrettet. Det er tilføyd informasjon om hvilke situasjoner det er aktuelt å bruke plantevernmidler, og hvilke typer utstyr og behandlingsmetoder som er aktuelle å bruke i de ulike situasjonene. I tillegg til tradisjonelle veksthuskulturer som potteplanter, snittblomster, veksthusbaer og veksthusgrønnsaker dekker tilleggsheftet også bruk av plantevernmidler i veksthus i planteskoler. Det finnes mange ulike typer sprøyteutstyr og -metoder for bruk i veksthuskulturer. For brukeren er det viktig å studere ekstra grundig det sprøyteutstyret som er aktuelt for hans/hennes formål. Manuskriptet er utarbeidet i samarbeid med kollegaer ved Institutt for matematiske realfag og teknologi ved Universitetet for miljø-og biovitenskap og kollegaer ved Bioforsk Plantehelse. Inger Sundheim Fløistad ved Bioforsk har gitt innspill om ugrasbekjempelse. Vi har også fått innspill fra Marit Skuterud ved Mattilsynet og Møyfrid Sørestad Hem ved Gjennestad gartnerskole. Bildene i tilleggsheftet er levert av ulike forhandlere av sprøyteutstyr, samt av UMB og Bioforsk. Illustrasjonene er utarbeidet av Nils Bjugstad, Erling Fløistad og Bjørn Norheim. Tilleggsheftet er godkjent og finansiert av Mattilsynet. Gjennom dette tilleggsheftet og autorisasjonskurs for bruk av plantevernmidler i veksthuskulturer håper vi å kunne bidra til at bruken av plantevernmidler utføres på en mer presis og sikker måte. Dette er til fordel både for de som utfører sprøytearbeidet, de som jobber i veksthus og forbrukerne.

Dieses Kurzinfo gibt Konsumentinnen und Konsumenten einen praktischen Überblick über Massnahmen zur Gewährleistung von Authentizität und Glaubwürdigkeit bei sieben biologisch erzeugten Produkten entlang der gesamten Produktionskette. Es zeigt auf, wo Verbesserungen möglich sind und was die Konsumentenschaft tun kann, um diese Bemühungen zu unterstützen. Weiterhin liegen in dieser Reihe Informationen für Konsumenten über «Geschmack, Frische und Nährstoffe» sowie «Sicherheit und Kontamination» vor. Zusätzliche Kurzinfos sprechen den Handel und die Produzenten an. Herausgegeben vom in Zusammenarbeit mit Gefördert durch die Kommission der Europäischen Gemeinschaft über die Leitaktion 5 des fünften Rahmenprogramms der Europäischen Gemeinschaft im Bereich Forschung, technologischen Entwicklung und Demonstration Hinweise der Herausgeber Die Herausgeber und Autoren bedanken sich bei der Europäischen Union (5. Rahmenprogramm) und beim Staatssekretariat für Bildung und Forschung (SBF, CH) für die finanzielle Unterstützung des Projektes «Recommendations for improved procedures for securing consumer oriented food safety and quality of certified organic products from plough to plate» (Organic HACCP; QLK1-CT-2002-02245). Der Inhalt dieses Kurzinfos gibt die Meinung der Autoren wieder und nicht die Haltung der EU oder deren zukünftige strategische Ausrichtung in diesem Bereich. Der Inhalt liegt in der Verantwortung der Autorinnen und Autoren. Die vorgelegten Informationen stammen aus Quellen, welche von den Autoren als vertrauenswürdig eingestuft wurden. Diese Quellen garantieren jedoch keine Vollständigkeit. Die Informationen werden ohne Gewähr zur Verfügung gestellt, mit der stillschweigenden Vereinbarung, dass jede Person, die sich danach richtet oder ihre Einstellung ändert, dies ausschliesslich auf eigene Verantwortung tut.

Organic agriculture is more and more perceived as a promising approach to increase food security in developing countries. However, only few attempts have been made so far to assess agronomic and economic performance of organic agriculture in these regions in a systematic way. This article reports the first year's results of two long-term farming systems comparison field trials in Kenya and India. In sub-humid Central Kenya, on a high potential site in Meru South District (Chuka), there were no differences between yields of conventional and organic systems for the first maize and brassica crops. In contrast, organic yields were 14 to 60% lower than conventional yields on a trial site in a medium potential zone in Maragua District (Thika). It is assumed that the organic crops in Chuka could benefit from N and P mobilisation from the soil. In Thika, where N and P were less available, the crop depended on the easily soluble nutrients applied in the conventional treatments. In the semi-arid cotton belt of Central India, biodynamic, organic, conventional and genetically modified (GM) cotton are compared. Soya and wheat are also part of the crop rotation under study. Biodynamic and organic cotton and wheat yields were 30% lower than conventional and GM yields. Soya yields did not differ between the treatments. It is suggested that yield in organic farming systems in conversion depends on initial inherent soil fertility and crop.

In a discipline where interoperability is crucial, funding is limited and reinventing the wheel is frowned upon (and rightfully so), the development of data management tools and biodiversity data portals is generally approached in an industrial way: the same application -whose specifications are often written by a committee -is developed as a complex "one size fits all" tool to be used by various groups in different contexts. While this approach generally makes sense, for the last 15 years the Belgian Biodiversity Platform has sometimes tried a complementary approach where an artisan-minded software developer is assigned to a specific "customer" and is given a direct communication channel and tons of freedom to develop a simple, made-to-measure application. This empirical experience has shown some unexpected advantages but also, as always, some new challenges. It takes inspiration in things as diverse as the Agile software manifesto and the apprenticeship model of medieval Europe. This talk will present this unusual approach and reflect on this ongoing experience, hopefully extracting pieces of wisdom that is useful to the broader community. For example, the following questions will be discussed: How does this method help mobilize biodiversity data? Can it "convert" scientists to Open Data? • Has it some effects on the team stability and developer retention? ‡