In their commercial vineyard in Frick, Switzerland, FiBL carried out 16 treatments of new plant protection products against mildew in organic viticulture. Three of the tested products used copper, the remaining 13 were replaced by pilot products, one of them based on larch extract. To evaluate their effectiveness, FiBL interviewed managing vintner Andreas Tuchschmid who
RELACS project partners Soil Association and Scotland Rural University College developed practical guidelines for farmers and farm advisors on using faecal egg counts to improve worm control in organic sheep farming. The latest project practice abstract describes how faecal egg counts can be a powerful tool determining the levels of worm infections on farm and
The RELACS project’s third annual meeting took place digitally 10-12 November. It demonstrated that research in all work packages is advancing despite Covid-19. Thanks to the motivation and dedication of all project partners, RELACS already published more than five scientific publications and a policy briefing on the organic approach to inputs. The development of practice
Copper is currently used as a plant protection product (PPP) and/or leaf fertilizer in organic and conventional farming in several European countries. However, its use is controversial, which is why the European research project RELACS (Replacement of Contentious Inputs in Organic Farming Systems) is looking for alternatives. To understand the significance of copper usage and
The RELACS project partners issued practical guidelines informing farmers about assessing the main nutrient flows in and out of their farm with a dedicated Excel tool. The tool reveals whether farms have a nutrient surplus or deficit. Based on the results, farmers are enabled to adjust their nutrient flows to achieve a balanced nutrient budget.
Anthelmintic resistance is spreading globally, impacting the environment and animal welfare. This is why the organic sector is seeking non-chemical complements or alternatives. The RELACS partner Scotland Rural University College (SRUC) investigated the anthelmintic efficacy of heather extracts by performing a comparative analysis of extracts obtained from two heather species. Read the news story “Can
Do you want to learn more about how much natural inputs are needed in the organic sector? Participate in IFOAM EU‘s session on “How much natural inputs does the organic sector need?” at Biofach 2020 on February 12 from 11.00-10.45 in Room Riga and meet Isabella Lang, Policy Coordinator at IFOAM EU.
We just published our third news story, focusing on the experience of Valeria Fattoruso, researcher at RELACS’ partner University of Trento. Her research aims at finding environmentally sound solutions to control the population of one of the most harmful insect pests, namely the greenhouse whitefly, to replace the common use of paraffin oils. Her outstanding
Do you want to learn more about the organic approach to inputs? Join our session on the recently published RELACS policy brief on the organic approach to inputs held by IFOAM EU’s Policy Coordinator Isabella Lang at the 4th European Conference on Copper in Plant Protection. The event will take place on on 14 and
On 3 and 4 December, the 5th edition of TP Organics‘ Organic Innovation Days will take place in Brussels. Stakeholders of the organic sector will gather to celebrate innovations and discuss future research needs. Do you want to join companies, researchers, farmers, farmer organisations and policy-makers from across Europe? Then have a look at the
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