InnoFarm project kicks off in Solothurn
The new project InnoFarm, a collaboration of three WFSC member groups, started work in the Kanton of Solothurn, recruiting farmers to participate in interviews and field measurements by drones in order to gain new scientific knowledge in the context of "smart-farming.”
The new project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation entitled “Reconciling innovative farming practices and networks to enable sustainable development of smart Swiss systems” (InnoFarm), led by WFSC Vice Chair Prof. Robert Finger, aims to investigate how innovative farming practices, new technologies, and new data streams can contribute to sustainable development of small-scale, diverse Swiss agricultural farming systems.
Prof. Finger recently introduced the project to a farmers’ association in the Kanton of Solothurn, Switzerland (Landwirtschaftlichen Vereins Niederamt), which was featured in the Solothurn Zeitung newspaper (17.3.2018).
During the project, farmers in the Solothurn area will be interviewed and their fields scanned by drones to compile data to allow image-based extraction of traits that are relevant for improved crop management. The researchers then hope that management of nutrients, but also application of plant protectants against weeds and diseases can be based on this more reliable data.
After evaluation of the combined data, Prof. Finger states that “We will give something back,” as the project aims to provide management options in the modernization of the agricultural sector.
The WFSC members groups of Prof. Finger, Prof. Nina Buchmann (Grassland Sciences) and Prof. Achim Walter (Crop Science) collaborate on the project so as to combine natural sciences and social sciences based modelling in a transdisciplinary approach.
Read the full article in about the project presentation in the Solothurn Zeitung external pagehere (in German)
Also, listen to radio reports of the project field research presentation on SFR1 radio (28 April) external pagehere (in German)
Learn more about the InnoFarm project here: http://www.aecp.ethz.ch/research/InnoFarm.html