From the vegetable fields of Europe to farms in the United States, Canada, and Australia, Swiss agricultural innovation is now supporting farmers across multiple continents. Over the past five years, 1,000 ARA ultra-high precision sprayers developed by Ecorobotix have been deployed worldwide, helping farmers transition toward smarter and more sustainable crop protection.

Developed in Switzerland and now used by farms around the globe, ARA sprayers highlight the growing role of Swiss technology in modern agriculture. Reaching the milestone of 1,000 machines marks an important step for Ecorobotix, and for the thousands of farmers adopting precision spraying in their fields.

From a Swiss Idea to a Global Technology

More than a decade ago, Ecorobotix co-founders Aurélien Demaurex and Steve Tanner asked a simple but ambitious question: What if every weed could be treated individually instead of spraying an entire field? Their vision combined artificial intelligence, robotics, and agronomy to rethink how crop protection could be applied. That idea led to the creation of Ecorobotix, which has since grown into an international ag-technology company with more than 250 employees and operations across Europe, North and South America, and additional global markets.

The sale of 1,000 ARA sprayers demonstrates how this original concept has moved from research and development to widespread use in real farming conditions.

Precision Spraying That Transforms Crop Protection

Since its introduction, ARA has redefined field spraying through its ultra-precise 6 x 6 cm treatment footprint, allowing the system to target only the plants that need treatment. The result is a dramatic reduction in crop protection inputs, up to 95% less herbicide compared to conventional broadcast spraying.

For farmers, this precision technology delivers several key benefits:

• Significant savings on crop protection products
• Reduced spray drift toward neighboring crops and ecosystems
• Lower exposure risks for operators and wildlife
• Improved resistance management through targeted application

Today, thousands of growers, particularly in high-value vegetable crops, are adopting precision spot spraying as a smarter approach to crop protection, with measurable benefits for soil health, water protection, and the long-term resilience of farming systems.

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Agroscope’s 2026-2029 Work Programme addresses the most important challenges facing the Swiss agriculture and food sector, and agricultural practitioners in particular. The focus is on six key issues to be addressed by the research institute in 42 research programmes and around 360 projects. Areas such as plant protection, plant breeding, climate-change adaptation and economic efficiency will be strengthened.

Safeguarding domestic food production, enabling farming families to earn a fair income and reducing the negative environmental impacts: these are important challenges facing the Swiss agriculture and food sector. With its new 2026-2029 Work Programme (WP), Agroscope aims to make a contribution to meeting these and further challenges, and to reducing the trade-offs of agricultural production.

Research from field and barn to plate and back

The new Work Programme continues to focus on six interlinked core themes: competitive food production, agriculture in a changing climate, protecting natural resources, agroecological production systems, cost-efficient and species-appropriate animal husbandry, and sustainable and healthy food. Agroscope conducts cross-disciplinary research across the entire agriculture and food sector on these focus areas. The aim is to develop solutions for increasing the ecological, economic and social sustainability of the agriculture and food system.

Novel developments vis-à-vis the last Work Programme

Agroscope is strengthening research in the areas facing major challenges, such as climate-change adaptation, water efficiency, crop protection, particularly in vegetable and field crops, sustainable livestock production and reduction of nutrient losses.  Since the aim is to improve the social and economic sustainability of agricultural production for farming families, research into cost-efficiency and value creation is also being expanded. The Swiss Parliament has also allocated additional funds for plant protection and plant breeding, which strengthens these particularly challenging subject areas with additional research projects.

Focus on impact and practical benefits

The motto ‘We research with and for farmers’ gains even greater importance in the new Work Programme. More systematically than before, the WP is designed for the benefit of and its impact on agricultural practice, without neglecting the basic research that is necessary for this. Each of the 42 research programmes addresses a specific topic as well as defining goals and expected impacts. The practical relevance of the projects and knowledge transfer are ensured by the strong involvement of stakeholders from agricultural practice, the Federal Administration, the agricultural extension and the Cantons.

Comprehensive assessment of needs

The Work Programme was developed via a structured process involving many sectors, associations, organisations and stakeholder groups within the agriculture and food sector. Around 70 organisations submitted over 650 proposals which were prioritised jointly. In addition, Agroscope took into account overarching strategies of the Swiss Federal Council, future visions for the agriculture and food sector, and changing social requirements.

The content of the new Work Programme has been positively received and supported by Agroscope Council. This advisory body is composed of representatives from the Federal Administration, science and agricultural practice.

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The construction of the new building dedicated to the production of Liebefeld Kulturen AG marks a key milestone for the future of Swiss cheese cultures. The building will be equipped with state-of-the-art technological infrastructure. The site will open in spring 2028.

The new building intended for the future production of Liebefeld Kulturen® will be erected on the site of the Grangeneuve competence centre, just a few hundred metres from the new Agroscope campus in Posieux. On 19 January, the groundbreaking ceremony officially marked the start of construction works, in the presence of representatives from Liebefeld Kulturen AG, the Canton of Fribourg and Agroscope.

A broadly supported collaboration

The new building, with an estimated cost of around CHF 20 million, is being developed and financed by the private company Liebefeld Kulturen AG, supported by the Swiss dairy and cheese sector.

The building, covering approximately 1,500 m² over three floors, will house production facilities, laboratories, warehouses, offices, as well as social and technical rooms, all equipped with cutting-edge technological infrastructure. Once completed in spring 2028, it will also accommodate around ten Agroscope employees.

This project is part of the ongoing development of the Agroscope Grangeneuve campus and the national competence centre for raw milk dairy products and foodstuffs.

Connecting R&D with practical application

This new building ensures that the Swiss cheese and food sector will continue to benefit from Liebefeld Kulturen®, which are recognised for their quality. More than 500 cheese dairies across Switzerland use these cultures to produce iconic cheeses such as Gruyère, Emmentaler, Appenzeller, Vacherin Fribourgeois and many others. A significant increase in capacity in the field of freeze-dried cultures will also enable the production of new innovative products. Proximity to Agroscope ensures that research and development remain directly and continuously linked to practical application.

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