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...
In Austria and Central Europe, there is little demand for dairy breed calves (Holstein, Brown Swiss) for further fattening (steers, heifers, bulls). Domestic calf fattening offers a sales channel for dairy breed calves, however, there is still a shortage...
How can emissions in pig farming be sustainably reduced without compromising animal health or fattening performance? A new research project at HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein addresses this central question. The project...
Project launch: Eco-poisonous plant identification. Farmers specializing in crops, such as medicinal plants, are constantly confronted with the presence of poisonous plants (PA plants) and weeds in their fields. The selection of...
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.
In the PolliDiversity project, 550 students from 23 secondary school classes in Styria are researching the development of the ReNatura® BW3 Gumpensteiner wildflower mix at various locations. At the same time, they are observing...
As part of the "FarmLife EcoValue" project, a set of indicators was developed to assess ecosystem services at the farm level. The aim was to identify the benefits beyond mere food production...
LIFE AMooRe is a strategic nature project under the EU funding program LIFE+, aiming to support the implementation of the Austrian Peatland Strategy 2030+. In what is currently the largest peatland conservation project in Austria, all federal states are involved...
Although the number of suckler cows in Austria continues to decline (as of December 2024: 154,656), suckler cow husbandry plays an important role, especially in Austria's grassland regions. It contributes significantly to the preservation of...
Comparison of methods for reducing dust pollution in the air of organic pigsties. In organic pig farming, dust pollution in the barn is just as relevant to health as in conventional farming systems...
Flexible cubicle partitions are an innovation designed to offer cows greater lying comfort. This project will investigate how flexible cubicle partitions affect the lying, resting, and standing behavior of cows...
The FarmLifeWelfare Index, developed at the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein, assesses the animal welfare potential on dairy farms in three areas: housing conditions, animal care and management, and the animals themselves. In the...
Bogs are peat-forming plant communities with characteristic species. They provide numerous ecosystem services and fulfill important landscape ecological functions: they are large water reservoirs, water filters, and important...
In the Agri-PV-Grass project, we are comparing different photovoltaic systems (bifacial Agri-PV mounting systems with conventional ground-mounted systems) on grassland and observing their effects on agricultural use. The aim is...
Optimizing yield and quality dynamics in grassland: This project investigates how the yield and quality of grassland stand develop under different management practices. Innovative methods for digital data collection are used...
The kick-off meeting for the MikroWaSta project took place on January 24, 2025. The research project "Microbial Contamination in Drinking Water Systems – Relationship to Weaning Diarrhea in Pig Farming" (MikroWaSta) investigates...
Innovative Technologies for Agriculture: A Practical Guide to the Future of the Agricultural Sector in Austria. The final report describes innovative technologies in agriculture with the aim of promoting their use in Austria...
