Agroscope Reckenholz-Taenikon Research Station ART in Reckenholz and Tänikon, is one of three agricultural research stations under the control of the Swiss Federal Office of Agriculture. Its research results play a key role in maintaining an animal- and environmentally friendly agriculture geared to market requirements. The research work carried out by the ART in Tänikon is particular in that it combines engineering and economics under one roof.

Agricultural economics: providing decisional bases
The level of agricultural income makes it vital to exercise effective control of farm production costs and improve market orientation, so agricultural policy makers and farms need facts and figures to help them reach decisions and assess action plans. The structural and financial impact of underlying agricultural conditions and policy measures are ascertained using an information and forecasting system for Swiss agriculture. Every year the Farm Accountancy Data Network at ART evaluates the annual accounts of over 3000 farms, making it possible to form a representative picture of the economic state of Swiss agriculture.

Agricultural engineering: engineering in the service of sustainable production
ART, the only agricultural engineering research centre in Switzerland, uses functional engineering, quality improvement and environmental criteria to develop and assess techniques and concepts for agricultural vehicles, machinery and equipment. It develops optimum process engineering for environmentally sound and animal-friendly husbandry systems. It works out technically and financially viable solutions, key data and basic planning and calculation principles for farmyard engineering and rural buildings. Great importance is attached to aspects related to labour organisation and farm management.

In the Agricultural Engineering Systems Department, the focus is on determining and optimising the use of energy and emission factors in agricultural engineering and agricultural vehicles, and on testing agricultural machinery:

• OECD tractor tests
• Machinery for grassland farming
• Machinery for hillside farming
• Crop protection sprayers
• Soil tillage machinery
• Ventilators for hay drying