Blooming Riverbanks - Biodiversity on the banks
Riparian and forest edge strips are often neglected in cultivated landscapes. They are frequently overgrown with invasive plants or mowed down. The absence or irregularity of these riparian buffer strips results in inadequate...
Iris meadows are showing themselves in their full splendor
Iris meadows, with Siberian iris and star daffodil as key species, were once defining elements of the cultural landscape in the central Styrian Enns Valley. These colorful, herb-rich meadows colonized moderately moist to...
Assessment of soil quality
The suitability of a grassland area for a particular type of management and intensity of use depends crucially on the soil. Individual grassland soils differ in terms of yield potential, yield stability, etc.
News about the Sparkling Science project “Game of Clones”
Originally native to Asia, Japanese knotweed has spread rapidly throughout North America and Europe. Once introduced as a privacy hedge or ornamental plant, it can be easily spread via tools or soil...
The cowpat under the magnifying glass
Healthy, fertile, and productive animals are every farmer's dream. To achieve this, many aspects of the farm must be aligned or optimized. Comfortable, well-ventilated barns,...
New developments in biological dock control
Especially for organic farms, achieving a long-term reduction in dock populations without the use of herbicides is difficult. The control methods established so far are similar in that they are either time-consuming,...
Drones boost grassland research
Using a new drone, the HBLFA will in future create high-resolution images of grassland in the visible and near-infrared range. These observations will allow for the determination of important yield and quality parameters, as well as...
New Head of the Department for Vegetation Management in the Alpine Region
Dr. Wilhelm Graiss has been appointed head of the department and will take over the responsibilities of Dr. Bernhard Krautzer. The existing focus of the Vegetation Management department in the Alpine region, with its current emphasis on ecological...
Millet silage – an alternative to corn silage in cattle feeding?
In recent years, the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein has investigated the nutritional value and fermentation properties of whole-crop millet silage (WCS). The study explored how the nutritional value of millet silage can be optimized and how it compares to...
How dry will it get in Styria?
Agricultural production is directly dependent on climatic conditions, and therefore the emerging climate change poses an enormous challenge, especially for this sector. Many of the weather- and...