Department of
Sustainable Agricultural Systems
WURZINGER
MOITZI
FRIEDEL
Objectives
 Contributing to a network of sustainable agricultural
systems, which provide food, renewable resources,
energy and other services relevant for society.
• productivity issues
• characteristics of production systems, including the role
of producers and stake holders
• societal demands on agricultural production processes
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011
Starting points
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Sustainable
Agriculture
Systems
Agricultural engineering, occupational
safety, biogas, energy efficiency, solar
drying, …
 Animal husbandry, adequate housing,
feeding, breeding, animal welfare, …
 Organic farming, crop rotations, soil
fertility, legumes, farmers, society, …
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011
AMON
ZOLLITSCH
VOGL
DNAS on the pathway
towards sustainability
 Business as usual not longer an option 
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fundamental shift;
Diversity and multifunctionality;
Animal health & welfare;
Next generaton biofuels and energy efficiency;
Increase productivity in a sustainable way; fair;
organic;
Resource poor farmers, small and minorities;
Rural women – role, education, health, extension,
science;
Revalorization of traditional and local knowledge;
Local cultivars and breeds for site specific
adaptation;
Etc.
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011
VOGL
Heads: Department for Sustainable Agriculture Systems
BOKU University, H930
(Version 21. Nov. 2010)
Head of Department
Vogl
Deputy Head
Zolltitsch, Weingartmann
Division of Organic
Farming (DOF)
Friedel
DNAS-Secretary
Löffler
Division of Livestock
Sciences (DLS)
Winckler
WG Soil Fertility &
Cropping Systems
Friedel
WG Animal Husbandry
WG Knowledge Systems
& Innovation
Vogl
WG Animal Breeding
WG Transdisciplinary
Systems Research
Freyer
Winckler
Sölkner
WG Feeding Systems
DNAS–
Introduction – September 2011
Zollitsch
Division of Agricultural
Engineering (DAE)
Weingartmann
WG Animal Husbandry
& Environ. Engineering
Amon
WG Agricultural
Process Engineering
Boxberger
WG Basics of
Agricultural Engineering
Weingartmann
Teaching
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The DNAS contributes with
teaching courses and advising
students during their bachelor and
master theses in the following
study programmes:
Bachelor Agricultural Sciences;
Bachelor Equine Science (in
cooperation with VUW);
Master Livestock Sciences;
Master Organic Farming;
Int. Master Organic Agriculture and
Food Systems (EUR-Organic);
Master Agro Biology;
 Master Applied Plant Sciences;
 Master Environmental Sciences 
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Soil, Water and Biodiversity
(ENVEURO);
Double Degree Programme:
Material and Energetic Utilization of
Renewable Resources
International Master Horticultural
Sciences;
Master Management of
Environment and Bio Resources;
Erasmus Mundus Master Animal
Breeding and Genetics.
Several summer schools
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011
Working Group “Soil Fertility
and Cropping Systems”
 Soil Fertility and Nutrient Cycling, low livestock density
• Symbioses in organic farming
• Closing nutrient cycles
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on stockless organic farms
• Effects of organic fertilisers
on soil fertility, yield and quality
Cropping Systems in Organic Farming
• Pre-crop effects of main crops and cover crops
• Crop rotation design in organic farming, including energy crops / oil crops
• Improving drought tolerance and site adaptation of lucerne (alfalfa)
• Improving yield stability and quality of cash crops wheat and potato
Resource Protection by Organic Farming
• Management effects on nitrate leaching, budgets of greenhouse gases
• Indicators for biodiversity
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011
Working Group „Knowledge
Systems and Innovation“
 Local knowledge (ethno-sciences approach)
• on agrobiodiversity, plant, soil, climate and water management;
• transmission and transformation of knowledge, ways of knowing.
 Innovation processes
• in organic farming
• farmers experiments, involved actors and institutions, their social
networks and the legal framework, impact on regional processes.
 Socio-ecological systems & resilience perspective
• e.g. on homegardens; on organic food networks.
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011
Working Group „Transdisciplinary Systems Research“
 IFOAM principles (farmer – consumer relations): Fairness and Justice,
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“Quality” / Responsibility, …
Societal Discourse: Monasteries and Sustainability (rural context),
Media Analysis on OA, Initiating sustainable processes by OA
Adaptation and Adoption processes of the OA-Movement: Coping with
societal Change (CC, food security, EU regulations…)
Theorizing Organic Agriculture: Systems Theory, Practice Theory,… to make OA explicit
Dev. Countries: Contributions to sustainable agriculture and food
systems (cropping system, biofuel production, social, ecological and
economic transition processes; East Africa, Nicaragua) (six projects
ongoing)
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011
Working Group ‚Animal
Husbandry‘
 Aim: Understanding and improving farm animal health and welfare
(‚fourth‘ pillar of sustainable livestock farming systems)
 Applied ethology
• E.g. social behaviour, sleep in animals, abnormal behaviours
• Innovative housing systems
 Animal welfare assessment
• Feasible on-farm welfare assessment protocols
• Promising new parameters
 Health and welfare planning
• Practical on-farm strategies (including epidemiology)
• Organic livestock production
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011
Working group „Animal
Breeding“
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Quantitative Genetics (Sölkner)
Conservation Genetics (Fürst-Waltl)
Design of Breeding Programs (Willam)
Animal Breeding in the Tropics (Wurzinger)
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011
Working group "Feeding
Systems"
 Sustainability of livestock production systems
• Ecological pillar of sustainability (nutrient flow, emissions etc.)
• Efficiency of livestock production systems
 Feed resource development
• Alpine livestock production systems
• Organic livestock production
• Animal production in the tropics
 Feeding management
• Analysis and optimization
• Low input / organic livestock production
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011
WG: „Animal husbandry &
environmental engineering “
 Bioenergy
• Biogas
• Residues
• Cascade utilization
• Adapted crop rotation systems
 Renewable resources
• Biorefineries
• Feedstock for industrial utilization
• Reduction of emissions
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011
Working Group “Agricultural
Process Engineering”
 Gender related more effective, efficient and healthier
working systems
 Energy-input and Energy efficiency in agriculture
• Soil tillage
• GPS-based automatically steering systems
• Energy analysis of different farm types
• Assessement of agricultural engineering in respect of
external effects (e.g. soil compaction etc.)
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011
Working Group „Basics of
Agricultural Engeneering“
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Drying technology
Solar Energy for Agriculture
Climatic engineering
Post harvest technology
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011
Infrastructure
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Office rooms;
Laboratory rooms;
Storage rooms;
Access to BOKU experimental station Groß-Enzersdorf;
incl. 26 ha certified organic farming;
 From 2011 onwards: office rooms and lab at UFT (new
BOKU site at Tulln);
 A technical laboratory (Maschinenhalle).
DNAS– Introduction – September 2011