REDUCING THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS AND PESTICIDES

The use of pesticides in agriculture is a subject of frequent public debate. In the vast majority of cases, farmers are aware of their impact on the environment and are trying to reduce their reliance on these substances. In this context, the adoption of precision agriculture is gaining ground. Instead of spraying crops with large quantities of chemicals, it is more sensible – from an economic point of view too – to distribute these products in a targeted way only where they are needed, in the right quantity and with the right frequency.

Drones and multicopters have a crucial role to play here, and increasing numbers of companies are offering product application services that make use of these airborne devices. This treatment method is more precise and less harmful than spraying by helicopter or from tractor-mounted blowers, methods that also have an impact on air and noise pollution and soil compaction (see pages 26 and 32 ).

Switzerland is at the forefront internationally of developing drone applications in viticulture, especially on steeply sloping ground. In 2019, it was the first country in Europe to authorise spraying drones. For this to happen, it is important to have a clear legal framework and effective coordination between different public bodies to facilitate the authorisation process. This technology is set to gain ground in other areas such as market gardening, but also in carefully targeted preventive operations in large-scale crop growing. Drones can be used to locate newborn deer calves in fields, for example.

Recently established companies such as Aero41 (Canton of Vaud, see page 90). Remote Vision (Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden), Agrostar (Canton of Aargau), and Agri.Aero, Altidrone and AgroFly (all based in the Canton of Valais) are already in business and growing fast. As we have already mentioned (see page 21), ecoRobotix offers a tractor-towed or self-propelled solution for precise spraying that drastically reduces the use of pesticides. Although drones are not widely used in Swiss agriculture at present, this technology has tremendous potential for the future of the industry. Start-ups like SenseFly, Gamaya (see page 21) and Wingtra continue to develop new applications based on this technology. Overall, Switzerland is doing well in its use of sensors, control and tracking systems (Involi) and data processing. The SmartFarming project developed by the Grangeneuve Agricultural Institute near Fribourg, in partnership with Agroscope and industrial partners including Swisscom, Icube and ecoRobotix, is working on a new approach to farming that makes use of multimodal data. The data is collected from various sensors with a view to controlling and automating the use of resources such as water and pesticides. The results of this project are due in 2023.

Switzerland is also not lagging behind when it comes to livestock farming. Since 1999, it has banned the use of antibiotics administered preventively or to boost performance in the food industry. As a result of various awareness programmes and campaigns, the total quantity of antibiotics used on farms has been falling steadily since 2008. In the Canton of Fribourg, in 2016 the Cantonal Office for Agriculture launched a pilot project called ReLait. This project proactively provides farmers with strategies for reducing their use of antibiotics, creating a forum for the exchange of experience between producers. And it is working: the resulting fall in antibiotics use is impressive. The farms using the most antibiotics have made the most significant reductions in treatments, without sacrificing quality or production volume. The Fribourg programme began as a cantonal initiative but is now receiving financial support from the Confederation. The second phase, involving 150 additional farms, is set to run until 2024, in collaboration with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bern.

The company TwentyGreen (Canton of Lucerne) has formulated a probiotic feed supplement that promotes animal growth while limiting the use of antibiotics. Lastly, Greenas-tic (Canton of Vaud) has developed GreenApp, which draws on botanical and scientific information and interactions ob-served in permaculture. This application helps users design a pesticide-free garden by recreating natural associations between plants and vegetables.