With its holistic approach and application-oriented focus in the "KUHNECT" project, the consortium, which includes HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein, has succeeded in impressing the national decision-making body of the European Innovation Partnership...
In site-adapted grazing of alpine pastures with small livestock, each site is selectively grazed or protected according to its potential and ecological stability. Areas are grazed only for a certain period, after which...
Shade is becoming an increasingly important factor for animal welfare in pastures. Rising temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events necessitate the development of new solutions that protect sheep and goats even under challenging conditions...
Targeted promotion of insect diversity: Flowering strips have become an integral part of the Austrian agricultural landscape. They provide food and habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects, increase biodiversity, and ensure important...
In January 2026, the three-year cooperation project "Practical Implementation of Tiered Grassland Use in Favorable Locations" was launched. The project aims to explore the potential of tiered grassland use for high-performing...
Manure additives have been used in agricultural practice for many years with various objectives. Among other things, they are intended to reduce odors, improve the flowability of the manure, reduce flies in the barn, etc.
The Tihalo IV project updates and improves the data basis for calculating agricultural air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions in Austria. The focus is on gaseous emissions from livestock farming and...
The Young Citizen Science project "PolliDiversity" at HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein demonstrates how effective school education can be for sustainable development when good ideas are put into practice. A key aspect...
On organic pig farms, sows predominantly farrow in individual farrowing pens, where the sow and her piglets remain for several weeks. At the latest after weaning, at a minimum age of 40 days, piglets from several litters are separated...
Project workshops in the Bucklige Welt and Lilienfeld regions presented practical solutions and the new consulting tool "FarmConsult". On March 18th and 19th, the Bucklige Welt and Lilienfeld regions were entirely focused on...
Small ruminants are of great importance for grazing alpine areas when used selectively and with good management. In alpine regions, they mostly graze on higher elevations and marginal sites, which...
High-fiber horse hay with more than 14% moisture content often leads to microbial spoilage in the hayloft and mold contamination, which can cause health problems in horses. Studies show that haylage (fermented hay)...
This project complements the ongoing EIP project "New concepts for organic calves from dairy farms for quality beef cattle fattening (organic feeder rearing)" with an in-depth scientific analysis and additional investigations. In addition...
The LIFE VineAdapt project pursued a comprehensive approach to sustainably increase biodiversity in European vineyards. The newly planted vineyards in Hungary, Germany, France, and Austria are intended to benefit from...
The BioFieldFood project, running from 2021 to 2025, investigated how selected food crops can be successfully cultivated under organic farming conditions in the climate zone of the Austrian Alpine foothills. The focus was on...
How can biodiversity in grasslands be effectively promoted – together with local farmers? The EU project FRAMEwork (Farmer Cluster for Realising Agrobiodiversity Management...) addressed this question.
Project background: The "unstructured, fully slatted floor system" used in pig farming has come under public criticism, and it was partly against this backdrop that the first animal husbandry ordinance was amended in July 2022. What is often not known...
Agriculture is increasingly under pressure to contribute to the reduction of environmentally and climate-relevant emissions. Manure management, in particular, is coming into focus: it contributes significantly to ammonia emissions and is...
Participation of HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein in the international collaboration on land use and flood protection as well as water protection in the Danube region with further measures. The basis was the INTERREG project CAMARO-D for the...
Seed quality is crucial – pathways to climate-resilient intensive grassland. High-performing grassland stands form the basis for sustainable animal production and numerous ecosystem services in Austria. But with...
The production and consumption of organic gourmet mushrooms has been steadily increasing in Austria for years. As a byproduct of the marketable mushrooms, remnants of the mushroom fruiting bodies are generated, which are still present at the end of the harvest season...
Austrian ox fattening is gaining increasing importance as a sustainable, grassland-based form of beef production (Vision 2028+, Kirner et al. 2025). It enables animal-friendly husbandry practices and reduces the use of concentrated feed...
Investigations on the effects of copper sulfate on endoparasites and metabolism in goat kids. Goats are susceptible to parasite infestations but must be grazed in organic farming (organic regulations). The increased use...
New approaches to breeding and feeding: A balanced energy intake is crucial for the health and performance of dairy cows. However, many animals experience an energy deficit, especially in early lactation: They lose...
The efficient use of scarce resources is one of the major future issues in agriculture. In organic dairy farming in particular, the question arises: Should dairy cows be raised with high-quality milk suitable for human consumption...?
Hoof health in focus: An underestimated weakness in sheep farming. Lameness in sheep – often caused by hoof diseases such as foot rot – is not only an animal welfare problem, but also an economic one...
Targeted use of digitalization in agriculture: How can new digital technologies contribute to the economically and ecologically sustainable development of agricultural businesses? This question is the focus of the new...
Cooperation partners: Francisco Josephinum Federal Higher Education and Research Institute, University of Agricultural and Environmental Education. Practice-oriented analysis of the socio-economic and ecological effects of using digital technologies.
The current organic grazing obligation according to EU Regulation 2018/848 presents many Austrian organic farms with new challenges in pasture management. As a central element of organic animal husbandry, the grazing of ruminants opens up new possibilities...
Sheep wool as bedding and composting material for on-farm use: Domestic sheep wool has lost significant value in Austria. A considerable amount of sheep wool is produced annually on domestic farms. In 2023, for example, almost 800,000...
Cooperation partner: Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Wolfgang Schöner, University of Graz, Institute of Geography and Regional Science. The significance of local snow depth variability for the water balance at the Stoderzinken measuring site in alpine...
Increasing droughts are noticeably impacting domestic forage production. This poses a key challenge in cattle feeding – not only in terms of feed availability, but also quality...
"Today's calf is tomorrow's cow" is the current motto in calf rearing. Indeed, calf feeding is becoming increasingly important, as it directly impacts the calf's development, health, and well-being...
Climate change will lead to more frequent, longer-lasting, and more severe droughts in permanent grassland across large parts of Austria in the future, resulting in significant yield reductions. Therefore, more efficient use of the land is essential...
The FarmLife newsletter is sent twice a year to agricultural schools in Austria to inform them about current events and dates regarding FarmLife projects, events, and training opportunities. Here you will find...
Here you will find links to the currently running projects of the Eco-efficiency research group of HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein.
The biodiversity of our extensive grasslands is under pressure. Intensification of farming practices, climate change, and the widespread reseeding with cultivated varieties are severely threatening the genetic diversity of many native wild plants. To protect them...
As part of the scientific work, a climate manipulation experiment is being set up in the high alpine region of the Grossglockner in order to subsequently study the effects of increased temperatures and reduced snow cover in a...
A new project in the FarmLife area will focus on creating a "Handbook for Eco-efficiency and Eco-efficient Management with FarmLife Key Performance Indicators" starting in early 2025.
A productive and site-adapted permanent grassland is a key foundation for sustainable and economically successful livestock production. A balanced ratio of species groups (grasses,...
Endoparasitic infections in cattle are a global problem, leading not only to animal welfare issues but also to significant economic losses in milk and meat production. In addition to clinical symptoms such as weight loss, anemia,...
Extensive grazing with small ruminants in alpine regions is of high ecological, social, and economic importance. However, this requires well-trained herders.
Raumberg-Gumpenstein has, for the first time, calculated the impact of all greenhouse gas emissions on the atmosphere's energy balance using a specific region (the Austrian state of Carinthia) as an example. These results, along with additional life cycle assessments...
Changes in feed, such as at the beginning and end of the grazing season, also affect the digestive system of cattle, as the entire digestive system (especially the rumen) must adapt to the new ration. Fecal sieving can be used to...
From June 10-13, 2024, Stephan Pabst was one of 325 participants from 32 countries at the conference of the “European Grassland Federation” in Leeuwarden in the Netherlands.
A new scientific article was recently published in the journal Grass and Forage Science, containing important results from an experiment conducted by HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein on the biorefinery of grass silage. The following information is included...
BioOptiFood Research Project: This project builds on the findings of its predecessor, BioFieldFood, and aims to develop practical techniques for the cultivation and processing of food crops. Initial...
Both climate change and the increasing demand for animal-based foods pose significant challenges for society and agriculture. Food and feed production is also affected on a global scale...
