Living Lab 2
Organic Farming
Goal: Develop regenerative agriculture approaches to support organic farming systems.
Where: Austria and Switzerland
Climate: Warm-summer oceanic climate, Warm-summer humid continental climate
Crops: Cereals, legumes, pulses, oilseeds, root and tuber crops, field vegetables, cucurbits
Soil health challenges: Loss of soil organic matter; soil pollution; soil erosion; soil compaction; biodiversity loss.
No. of experimental sites: 20.
No. of potential Lighthouses: 3 sites to be identified.
Total area covered: 500 ha
Who are we working with? Academia, industry, government, and civil society
Which EU Mission Soil objectives are addressed?
2: Increase soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks.
4: Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration.
5: Prevent erosion.
6: Improve soil structure for soil biota and crops.
Living Lab 2 Coordinators
Leader: Sina Blösch, Bern University of Applied Sciences
Co-leader: Christian Hofstätter, BodenLeben
Living Lab 2 innovations
We are testing the performance of these innovations to support regenerative agriculture approaches towards organic farming systems.
Soil management
- Sown cover crops/groundcovers
- Mulching (woody or herbaceous residues)
- Organic amendments
- Planting green
- Minimal soil disturbance/permanent soil cover
- Mechanical control of cover crops/groundcovers
Agronomy management
- Intercropping, mixed cropping
- Enhance diversity of crop rotations
- Adapted plant nutrient strategies (NPK,
micro nutrients, pH)
Weed control
- Alternative weed control techniques
- Adapted plant protection measures
Green infrastructure
- Biodiversity structures
- Multifunctional field margins/buffer zones
IT solutions
- Precision farming (Auto-guidance, VRA)
- Modelling (digital twins, remote sensing)
Are you based in Switzerland or Austria and interested in getting involved in our Living Lab?
Get in touch to find out more about how to collaborate with us.
Contact your local Living Lab:
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