Goethe was three times in Switzerland. Twice he visited the cat rütihof. There, in Rümlang, there lived a peasant, the all called only Kleinjogg. The German Poet was thrilled by the Zurich farmers. Because of the resourceful head had many ideas to improve the agriculture. Instead of having his country again and again to lie fallow, to he built clover, which the cows feed with a lid. As a result, more crap fell, with the Kleinjogg his fields fertilized and the yields increased. In addition, he relied on a little-known plants as the potato.
Kleinjoggs ideas made the cat rütihof a pattern of operation. The Prince and the Curious visited him, and soon other farmers followed his example. It is no exaggeration when I say that Kleinjogg has one of the Foundation stones laid for our present prosperity.
The cat rütihof of today, Swiss Future means, for example, Farm or ETH research station for plant Sciences. In this research, tinkering Kleinjoggs heirs farms the agriculture to continue to advance. And this is urgently needed, because the Swiss farmers face big challenges. They should produce little country as much as possible – and please without the excessive use of toxic pesticides. This is only possible with good ideas!
researchers from Agroscope, ETH or EPFL monitor their fields with drones. These are equipped with state of the art cameras that capture exactly how the plants and whether they are infested by pests or fungi. If Yes, can engage the farmers. Not by spraying the whole field, but quite precise where it is needed. In the West of Switzerland, in turn, researchers have developed researchers have Sensors that measure in individual plants, whether they are healthy or stressed. So the farmer knows when the Plant needs more fertilizer. And also the Weeds could soon be a thing of the past. Well possible that in the near future, Autonomous robots will take on this unpopular job.
I know: high tech and agriculture don’t go together for many of us. But what is the farmer milks his cows by Hand? And the machine analysed the milk, and checks what happens to the animals. The technology-supported future of agriculture has long since begun. And as farmers and innovation country Switzerland is right up there.
At the Swiss universities of agricultural research excellence is operated, and how to Kleinjoggs times the Curious come from all over the country and abroad, to learn what’s going on with us. So the Swiss Know-how helps today, farmers in countries such as India, Brazil or the Ukraine. Everywhere it comes, to making agriculture more efficient and sustainable.
I am convinced that With your strong farmers, and the innovative institutions of higher education, Switzerland has exactly what it takes to be in the agro-technology front. Goethe would certainly have had to our farmers and researchers to its bright joy.
