The latest edition of the Agroscope newsletter reports that the network will be based on co-creation, “where various stakeholders from research, practice, education, extension and industry come together to develop new knowledge. This close cooperation enables the pooling and expansion of the skills, know-how and resources of the various actors (transdisciplinarity).”

This approach will not only guide the choice of research projects but will also apply to how the results are disseminated and newly found solutions are implemented.

Manuel Boss, head of Agroscope’s Plants and Plant Products Competence Division told the newsletter: “Through the joint creation of knowledge, the Competence Network for Fruit and Berries will accelerate the development of solutions and enhance the impact of research work in practice. All stakeholders will benefit from this.”

“The challenges and problems of the Swiss fruit sector are becoming increasingly complex, requiring the commitment of each individual and the pooling of competences,” Ernst Lüthi, chairman of the network’s steering committee told the newsletter.

Agroscope reports that these challenges are ecological, societal and economic. The newsletter says: “Consumers demand fruit of impeccable appearance and taste, produced according to the highest ecological standards and at a reasonable cost – and this against the backdrop of climate change, increasing pest and disease pressure, and the fact that fewer and fewer effective plant-protection products are available for use.”

Towards the end of last year some 30 or so experts defined, discussed and expanded on what they identified as the most relevant and innovative medium and long-term projects. Agroscope’s newsletter reports: “The selected projects include the use of UV-C radiation for long-term protection of crops from mildew, and the promotion of agrophotovoltaics in fruit and berry production. Further topics are the development of alternative, more resilient systems for fruit production, and residue-free plant protection.”

The next step for the network is to define how the projects will be implemented and increasing the size of the network, which is open to all private and public institutions (universities, universities of applied sciences, institutes, cantons, enterprises etc.) wanting to contribute to sustainable fruit production.

Agroscope says these contributions can be in the form of the provision of technical knowledge, experimental sites, infrastructure, financial or personal resources. New stakeholders can join the network at any time, it says.

For more information:

• Read more in the Agroscope newsletter here