Text von youtube.com:
As summer droughts become more frequent due to climate change, Agroscope is testing a promising adaptation strategy: forage hedges made of tree species.
During a ClimateFarmDemo event in Carrouge (VD), Pierre Mariotte and his team presented the potential of trees like ash, willow, mulberry, and linden to produce leaf-based forage when grass growth fails.
The densely planted hedges are carefully managed to encourage young, leaf-rich shoots. Adding wood chip mulch (ramial chipped wood, or RCW) boosts tree growth and improves soil moisture—without irrigation.
Alongside these benefits, the researchers also identify challenges such as damage caused by voles, and they assess the nutritional value of existing trees on farms as alternative feed sources.
