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SWISS NO-TILL - SWITZERLAND

SWISS NO-TILL attends numerous events to inform farmers about the benefits of CA and the agricultural techniques used.
Several guides have been produced to provide scientific and practical information to members and anyone interested in becoming a member.

SWISS NO-TILL is actively involved in several innovative projects to promote conservation agriculture in Switzerland. One of these is the Soil Evolution event, which will take place in Switzerland in June 2026 (Soil Evolution). It aims to bring together farmers, researchers, and experts to discuss best practices and new technologies in soil management. As an active member of the event’s organizing committee, SWISS NO-TILL is particularly enthusiastic about showcasing the tangible impact of conservation practices. This unique opportunity will serve as a valuable platform to highlight the benefits of conservation agriculture while encouraging constructive dialogue around its adoption and promoting knowledge sharing and the exchange of experiences.

In addition, SWISS NO-TILL is pleased to lead the “Staffelkulturen” (i.e., relay crops) Resource Project, which aims to test the implementation of relay crops in Switzerland. This project will study the feasibility of relay crops under our soil and climate conditions and their impact on biodiversity, water management, and soil fertility. The results of this research should provide practical recommendations for farmers wishing to optimize their crop rotations.

Achievements and milestones

  • 1995: Form an “interest group” (IG NO-TILL) to promote direct seeding and sustainable agricultural practices in Switzerland. In the early days, the adoption of these farming techniques was still low, with limited awareness among farmers.
  • 1995-2000: Gradually, IG NO-TILL began organizing training courses, technical demonstrations, and events to raise farmers’ awareness of the benefits of direct seeding, such as reduced erosion and improved soil structure.At its 2000 meeting, this community of interest was unanimously formed into an association known as SWISS NO-TILL, the Swiss soil conservation association. At the same time, it became a member of the ECAF.
  • 2006: Around 12,000 hectares of Swiss land are cultivated using direct seeding, representing around 3% of the country’s arable land. This increase is due to awareness-raising efforts and the emergence of direct seeding techniques adapted to Swiss conditions (Swiss Agricultural Research).
  • 2010-2020: The popularity of direct seeding continues to grow, with increased attention being paid to research results showing conservation practices’ environmental and economic benefits. The association strengthens its collaborations with research institutions and pioneering farmers to improve techniques and share results.
  • 2020 and beyond: SWISS NO-TILL is involved in innovative projects and initiatives to evaluate and strengthen the impact of direct seeding on the sustainability of farms in Switzerland.

Current status

According to official Swiss statistics (OFAG – Agricultural Report 2021), around 80,948 hectares were cultivated in 2020 using conservation agriculture practices, broken down as follows:

  • No-till (direct seeding): 9,180 ha with herbicides, 948 ha without herbicides
  • Strip-till: 10,605 ha with herbicides, 128 ha without herbicides
  • Seeding under mulch/litter: 55,261 ha with herbicides, 4,825 ha without herbicides

National policies

In summary, while Switzerland does not have a national policy solely focused on Conservation Agriculture, a combination of agro-environmental support programs actively contributes to its implementation.

Contact information

Contact information:

President:

Representative:

  • Name: Regula Schwarz
  • Address: Oberdorf 7, CH-2514 Ligerz / BE
  • E-mail: info@no-till.ch