The Horse 2019/20

Step 3 — Experience

16th November 2019 at 3pm

We did an interview with a regional farmer (Thomas Kunz) from Switzerland about corn planting. To specify this he is from the region of Zurich. If you are interested in the exact location, here the map. Thomas is a close friend of Lars. He explained the process from planting to harvesting. Enclosed you are able to see the interview questions and answers:

1. Which cereal do you plant?
   We plant corn. (It is a root crop and not a grain)
2. How big is your plantation?
   Our plantation is 2.3 hectares.
3. Where does the water come from for the plantation?
   There is no watering needed. The rain is enough for the plantation.
4. How does climate change affect agriculture?
   Weather extremes are becoming more common, with respect to maize, the breeding of new varieties is required for example dryness compatibility. Special crops like fruits and vegetables are increasingly covered so that the weather risk is reduced.
5. In your opinion, how does climate affect food security?
   In our latitude, you will notice no change in the short term.
6. What are the biggest problems with water?
   Water is currently enough available. The biggest problem is actually the authorities when it comes to water-related permits.
7. What was the biggest problem you had in terms of climate and how did you solve it?
   The biggest problem is large amounts of rain in a short time. The crops need to cover the ground as quickly as possible. To solve this problem you can change for example the cultivation methods.
8. Is there a way to save water in agriculture? If yes how?
   The best way is to purpose watering with drip irrigation and avoid spraying water into the air.
   
9. Is it difficult to get the water needed to water the plantation?
   From lake and river in canton Zurich is it very difficult to get enough water. It shouldn't be a problem when you get the water from supply but depending on the culture it could be very expensive. In my opinion, corn irrigation is not an issue for me.

Thanks for your attention.

with kind regards

Lars, Ashish & Dharany