Contact
Paul Mäder
(Dr. phil, Dipl. Ing. Agr. ETH)
Soil Sciences
Head of group
FiBL
Ackerstrasse
CH-5070 Frick
Phone +41 62 865-7232
Fax +41 62 865-7273
paul.maeder(at)fibl.org
Soil Sciences: Research areas
Efficiency of cropping systems
The natural resources available for producing food, such as fertile soil, biological diversity, water and fertilizer nutrients are becoming increasingly scarce. At the same time agriculture needs to become more independent of non-renewable fossil energy, which is used in the form of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and fuels. By comparing different cropping systems for their resource use efficiency, we can make a crucial contribution to the further development of agriculture. Thanks to three long-term field trials and targeted studies on individual farms, FiBL is uniquely placed to carry out this type of research. Of special interest to us is the diversity of microorganism communities in the soil and their function in building up and mineralizing organic matter (humus). This is highly topical in view of climate change, because soils are capable of removing carbon from the atmosphere.
Contact
Strategies to optimize yields
The major challenge of the future is to produce more highquality foods, applying methods which place much less pressure on the environment and use natural resources with care. Organic farming provides an ideal starting point for this, as it is already sustainable and the quality is high; only its productivity needs slight improvement. Our research concentrates on adaptive reduced tillage, the application of beneficial soil bacteria and root symbiotic fungi (mycorrhiza), crop rotation, the improvement of animal-soil-plant nutrient cycles, along with various preparations that have a catalytic impact on soil processes. The emphasis is on arable farming and horticulture.
Contact
Seed and environment
Of increasing importance in the sustainability debate is the question of whether plant breeding for low-input and sustainable systems should set different priorities in terms of objectives. The many small breeders engaged in this area are not capable of solving these research questions on their own. As cereals are a key crop in organic farming, we are clarifying the essential elements of the interaction between genetics (plants) and environment (site factors such as soil and climate, as well as cropping intensity). How the plant root and soil interact under reduced tillage conditions is of special interest to us.
