Soixante manifestants antispécistes ont manifesté à Fribourg pour protester contre un projet de ferme aquacole à Grandvillard, qui prévoit d'élever 600 tonnes de saumons par an. Selon les militants, il bafoue le besoin de liberté des poissons.

Many plant species produce toxic secondary metabolites that limit attacks by herbivorous insects, and may thereby constrain insect expansion to new hosts. Walnut is a host for the codling moth Cydia pomonella, which efficiently detoxifies the main walnut defensive compound juglone (5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone). The oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta, which also belongs to the tribe Grapholitini, does not feed on walnut. We tested the performance of G. molesta, a highly invasive species, on artificial diets containing juglone at levels mimicking those found in walnut over the growing season. Juglone-fed G. molesta survived relatively well to adulthood, but larval and adult body weights were reduced, and larval developmental time was prolonged in a dose-dependent fashion. Chemical analysis of frass from larvae that had been fed a juglone-containing diet suggests that G. molesta reduces juglone to non-toxic 1,4,5-trihydroxynaphthalene in its gut. This unexpected tolerance of G. molesta to high levels of juglone may facilitate expansion of the host range beyond the current rosacean fruit trees used by this invasive pest.

The global demand for biological resources to use as natural ingredients in diverse products is rising rapidly. This creates investment opportunities for nature-based products, creating pressure on and threats to biodiversity and its associated traditional knowledge (TK). Myanmar’s great biodiversity is attractive for scientific investigations searching for natural substances for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and other uses. Myanmar is amid profound political and economic changes, exposing the country to risks and opportunities. The recent opening to world trade put its rich biodiversity and TK under severe threat. One of the local natural biodiversity products is Thanakha, which is traditionally used for skincare. This study investigates the current and planned regulations and practices managing Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) in Myanmar, focusing on one of the potential BioTrade products: Thanakha. A qualitative and quantitative survey was conducted through in-depth interviews with 37 key informants and 35 Thanakha farmers. The results show that while the current research and development activities at the Thanakha manufacturing level could trigger ABS obligations, the low awareness about ABS requirements and the lack of traceability raise uncertainties for its potential implementation. The implementation of BioTrade principles and ethical sourcing to promote the sustainable trade of Thanakha, as well as the implementation of ABS, would lead to the protection of biodiversity and TK, and the improvement of local livelihoods.

A controlled ammonia (NH3) release experiment was performed at a grassland site. The aim was to quantify the effect of dry deposition between the source and the receptors (NH3 measurement locations) on emission rate estimates by means of inverse dispersion modelling. NH3 was released for three hours at a constant rate of Q = 6.29 mg s−1 from a grid of 36 orifices spread over an area of 250 m2. The increase in line-integrated NH3 concentration was measured with open-path optical miniDOAS devices at different locations downwind of the artificial source. Using a backward Lagrangian stochastic (bLS) dispersion model (bLSmodelR), the fraction of the modelled release rate to the emitted NH3 (Q bLS /Q ) was calculated from the measurements of the individual instruments. Q bLS /Q was found to be systematically lower than 1, on average between 0.69 and 0.91, depending on the location of the receptor. We hypothesized that NH3 dry deposition to grass and soil surfaces was the main factor responsible for the observed depletion of NH3 between source and receptor. A dry deposition algorithm based on a deposition velocity approach was included in the bLS modelling. Model deposition velocities were evaluated from a ‘big-leaf’ canopy resistance analogy. Canopy resistances (generally termed R c ) that provided Q bLS /Q = 1 ranged from 75 to 290 s m−1, showing that surface removal of NH3 by dry deposition can plausibly explain the original underestimation of Q bLS /Q . The inclusion of a dry deposition process in dispersion modelling is crucial for emission estimates, which are based on concentration measurements of depositing tracers downwind of homogeneous area sources or heterogeneously-distributed hot spots, such as, e.g., urine patches on pastures in the case of NH3.

Aims Biological nitrogen fixation by legumes is expected to play a greater role in future cropping systems. Our study evaluated 19 legume species grown as cover crops in Swiss agroecosystems. Methods Two field experiments were set up to monitor the biomass production and nitrogen content of 19 legumes and two non-legumes. The proportion of nitrogen derived from atmospheric N2 (%Ndfa) was assessed using the 15N natural abundance method. In parallel, a pot experiment was set up to determine the species-specific B values necessary to apply this method. Results Some species produced an important amount of biomass in 3 months, up to 6.86 t/ha for Vicia faba. Five species, Lathyrus sativus, Pisum sativum, Vicia sativa, Vicia villosa, and V. faba, acquired more than 100 kg/ha of N through biological fixation. Important amounts of nitrogen were also derived from the soil. %Ndfa values showed high variability between and within species, ranging from 0 % to almost 100 %. Conclusions Some legumes showed high N accumulation even in a short growing period, and could play an important role in fixing renewable nitrogen in crop rotation.

Accurate measurements of soil stress are needed to evaluate the impact of traffic on soil properties and prevent soil compaction. Four types of transducer commonly used to measure vertical stress were calibrated in realistic traffic conditions in the field. The four transducer types differed in shape and dimensions, which are important factors influencing stress. Deviation of measured stress from true stress ranged from 15% underestimation to 18% overestimation, with transducer thickness to width ratio being the most important shape factor influencing the stress recorded. Changes in physical conditions in the soil above the transducers due to their installation did not influence the accuracy of vertical stress measurements. The results of this calibration are valid for correcting stress measurements in topsoil, but should be used with caution for vertical stress measurements in subsoil. All stress transducers should be calibrated in field conditions before use. More research is needed to characterise the stress distribution in the measuring face of transducers and better predict interactions between transducer and soil during loading.

Changes in gene expression in carps’ brains over time following acute stressors has not been studied in detail so far. Consequently, a stress trial with juvenile common carp was conducted to investigate transcriptomic differences in four brain parts in response to acute negative stressors and feed reward, focusing on appetite-related genes, serotonergic and dopaminergic pathways, and other involved systems, at 30, 60, and 90 min after treatments. The treatments showed pronounced effects on the gene expression patterns across brain parts compared to control fish. Notably, npy expression increased in the telencephalon following negative stressors and feed reward, suggesting a stress-coping mechanism by promoting food intake. Unlike zebrafish, cart expression in carp showed varying responses, indicating species-specific regulation of appetite and stress. Serotonergic and dopaminergic pathways were also affected, with alterations in the respective receptors’ expression, confirming their roles in stress and reward processing. Additionally, this study highlights the involvement of the opioid- and gamma-aminobutyric acid systems in stress and feeding regulation across brain parts. Furthermore, principal component analyses revealed that neurotransmitter levels in the different brain parts contribute to the explained variance. These findings deepen our understanding of how different fish species react to acute stress and rewards.

Much literature has been devoted to understanding farmers' adaptation decisions in annual cropping systems, but comparatively little is known on adaptation in perennial systems. This paper presents empirical findings on Ghanaian cocoa farmers' experiences of climate change, the coping strategies they have used and the factors that influenced their adaptation decisions. Primary data were collected through a structured survey of 313 households in 20 communities in Dormaa West and Bia East districts of Ghana. The econometric analysis of the data shows that more than 90% of cocoa farmers have been exposed to negative impacts of climate change. This resulted in severe and very severe effects on their cocoa production and livelihood. Yet a fourth of the respondents have not implemented any adaptation strategy. We argue that this is due to the economic superiority of cocoa as a perennial crop vis-à-vis other agricultural (annual) crops. We conclude that there is need for the development of adaptation technologies for current cocoa farmers but also need for more transformational adaptation policies that generate jobs and income generating activities outside cocoa cultivation.

Flux measurements with the aerodynamic gradient method (AGM) performed with a single analyzer measuring non-simultaneously at two heights have routinely been conducted. This study investigates the effect of this practice with calculations of single analyzer derived fluxes compared to fluxes derived from simultaneous concentration measurements at two heights for NH3. The results show a mean relative difference of less than 7% for the half-hour averaging intervals, whereas the relative difference in the cumulative loss of total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) is less than 4%. Scatter plots and linear regression show linear behavior with slope and intercept close to one and zero, respectively. The regression coefficients were between 0.913 and 0.966 for the simulations, but with large deviations for the single half-hour measurement interval. Changes in the starting height and averaging duration at each height for the single analyzer calculations yield small differences, but the effect is minimal compared to the general uncertainty of flux determination with AGM.

Die Hochschule für Agrar-, Forst- und Lebensmittelwissenschaften (HAFL) macht anlässlich ihres 50-Jahr-Jubiläums einen Rückblick auf Entwicklungen in der Agrarwirtschaft im letzten halben Jahrhundert und einen Ausblick auf die nächsten 25 Jahre.

Within the framework of the Gothenburg Protocol of the UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP), Switzerland is committed to report the current emissions. The EMEP/EEA air pollutant emission inventory Guidebook 2016 provides a basis for the calculation. For the section 3.B (Manure Management), we conducted a literature study on emissions of particulate matter (PM) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC). Based on the results, we present an overview on recently published PM emission factors (EFs) for dairy cattle and a procedure for deriving EFs for total suspended particles (TSP), PM10 and PM2.5 which includes gap filling where the data basis is incomplete. The suggested EFs for the PM fractions are up to eleven times smaller than the values listed in the Guidebook. Furthermore, we discuss questions arising with currently used EFs for PM and NMVOC.

We modelled the air quality in Switzerland for summer and winter periods in 2006 using the CAMx model with the focus on aerosols. The contributions of various source regions to aerosol concentrations at receptor sites were investigated using the Particulate Matter Source Apportionment Technology (PSAT) tool of CAMx. The source regions were defined as Switzerland, surrounding countries and other countries in Europe. Organic aerosols (OA) and particulate nitrate (PNO3) are the main components of winter aerosols in the modeled domain. In summer, organic aerosols dominate the aerosol composition and they are mainly secondary. In general more than 50% of PM2.5 was predicted to come from Swiss sources except for a few sites at the border regions. Primary particles originate mostly from local sources in both seasons, except at Basel where significant contribution from France and Germany was predicted. In the south, Italy is the main contributor to aerosols. On the other hand, about half of the secondary aerosols originate from Germany and France for receptors in the north and from Italy for receptors in the south.

Seit der vor 2 Jahren erfolgten Umstellung der Abstammungskontrolle auf SNP-Daten werden routinemässig Zusatztests für züchterisch interessante Merkmale durchgeführt und im CapraNet ausgewiesen. Dieser Artikel liefert eine aktuelle Übersicht zur Verbreitung der bislang bekannten Allele mit Einfluss auf den Eiweiss- und Fettgehalt in der Milch und zeigt auf, wie unterschiedlich die Situation in den verschiedenen Schweizer Herdebuchrassen ist.