On May 23rd 2023, the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) organized a field visit for the advisory group to their long-term recycled fertilizer field trial in Wallbach, Switzerland, which is part of WP4 validation trials in LEX4BIO project. The event was attended by 15 participants, representatives of federal offices, private industry, farmers, (applied) universities and agricultural research institutes.

After an initial inspection of the trial, to compare the performance of the different recycled fertilizer treatments, the applied recycled fertilisers and their composition were presented in greater detail and their application methods were demonstrated.

Initial inspection of the field trial

Presentation of the applied recycled fertilizers

Due to a thunderstorm and heavy rain, the group moved to the nearby farm of the farmer hosting the long-term trial to further discuss the status of nitrogen stocks in Swiss fields and newly emerging tools for national nutrient management.

After the storm has passed, the group returned back to the field to observe demonstrations of some of the techniques utilized in the field trial including the closed static chamber method for greenhouse gas emissions monitoring and phenotyping supported by drone and PhenoCam imaging to improve nitrogen application rates and timing.

Discussion about nitrogen stocks and nutrient monitoring tools

Presentation of the closed static chamber system to measure greenhouse gas emissions.