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Traditional Agroforestry Systems

In Switzerland, there are two main traditional agroforestry systems: the wood pasture and the selva (orchard of nut trees). Both of them are typically characterized by the combined management as a tree stand with agricultural use of the ground vegetation (pasture, meadow). Therefore, natural stand dynamics are strongly influenced, respectively suppressed. On a landscape scale, in several regions of Switzerland these agroforestry systems play a certain role as typical elements of the landscape as well as precious habitat.

In Switzerland, the agroforestry system of the selva traditionally contains walnut orchards (Juglans regia) and sweet chestnut orchards (Castanea sativa). Particularly chestnut orchards south of the Swiss Alps are still frequent and well known. However, there is only scarce knowledge about former walnut orchards on calcareous bedrock in southern Switzerland as well as on sweet chestnut orchards originating from the former medieval chestnut culture in northern Switzerland. Currently, two applied projects focus on sweet chestnut north of the Alps.

Both projects are supported by the Forest Ecology Group (guest projects) and are realized by the consulting company MOGLI solutions, Baden, in collaboration with the Association Pro Chestnut Central Switzerland, Weggis.

Sweet Chestnut Orchard Chestenweid in Weggis LU
Sweet Chestnut Orchard Chestenweid in Weggis LU

 

Conservation of Sweet Chestnut Varieties north of the Swiss Alps

This applied project seeks the inventory, conservation, description and use of sweet chestnut genetic resources (land races, varieties) north of the Swiss Alps. It is a basis for the conservation and promotion of the traditional agroforestry system of the chestnut orchard. The primary inventory of occurrences and references for varieties was realized for all Northern Switzerland. The further work had been split among this project for the German speaking part and partner projects for the French speaking part of Northern Switzerland and the Italian speaking part in Southern Switzerland. The notes on occurrences were verified and completed by a survey in the field. Therefore, in the German speaking part of Switzerland as a side product of the project a distribution map of high resolution and high representation for sweet chestnut resulted. Furthermore, a broad set of test descriptors for the identification and description of sweet chestnut varieties has been evaluated systematically (costs, stability, variation, distinction power). This resulted in the first complete and consistent catalogue of descriptors for sweet chestnut. It is available online on the website of the NAP external pagedatabase – and in four languages (German, French, Italian, English). A genetic analysis of the potential varieties from all regions of Switzerland allows an overregional comparison and the exclusion of identity (clonal varieties). Selected varieties are conserved in a first ex situ collection in Küssnacht a.R., and the realization of a duplicate collection is planned. The description of selected varieties north of the Swiss Alps is in preparation.

Funding

National Action Plan for conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources for nutrition and agriculture (external pageNAP-PGREL) of the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG)

Status of the project

Project phases 2007-2010, 2011-2014, 2015-2016,2017-2018 (running), 2019-20 (in preparation)

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