Develop and strategically expand the "organic sunflower oil" value chain from Switzerland with new impulses

The aim of the project is to significantly expand the scope of organic sunflower cultivation and processing in Switzerland. This will be achieved through the targeted selection of favourable Swiss locations for sunflower cultivation, the testing and implementation of new cultivation methods for weed management in Switzerland, biodiversity enhancement in sunflowers and testing of new varieties, as well as close cooperation with partners in the value chain.

To this end, the following measures are to be implemented:

1. Development of a web-based, interactive map showing the favourable locations for the cultivation of sunflowers in Switzerland (criteria include: risk of late frost in spring, usable field capacity of the field site, heat sum in the vegetation period of the sunflower, precipitation distribution in the vegetation period).
2. Testing and implementation of the novel method of weed regulation in sunflowers with temporary soil cover of the sunflowers on three organic pilot farms, whose sites are located along a gradient in western Switzerland (Aubonne), central Switzerland (Ballmoos) and northwestern Switzerland (Frick).
3. Testing a robot-assisted method for the late sowing of diversity-enhancing undersown and artificial meadow stands in sunflowers.
4. Evaluation of 12 different plant species to be sown as undersown in sunflowers in the space between rows after row closure and to have a biodiversity-increasing effect in the sunflower stands.
5. Testing of six new oil sunflower varieties in each of the three organic pilot farms with regard to development, growth and grain and oil yield performance.
6. Development and expansion of the "organic sunflower oil" value chain from Switzerland with Swiss sunflower processing and marketing partners with the aim of developing a special brand for Migros.

• Migros

• Migros Aid Fund

• Farm of Rolf Bernhard, Ballmoos
• Farm of Christian Streit, Aubonne

• Tröber Florian (Department of Crop Sciences)

Project coordination and implementation of the investigations

• Executive Committee (FiBL Switzerland)