PostDoc ’Dairy Housing Emissions when Combined with Grazing’

myScience

Publication date:
10 October 2024
Workload:
100%
Place of work:Ettenhausen

PostDoc ’Dairy Housing Emissions when Combined with Grazing’

Agroscope

Published 10 October 2024 Closing Date 8 November 2024 Workplace Ettenhausen, Eastern Switzerland, Switzerland Category

Agronomy / Food Science
Environment

Position

Senior Scientist / Postdoc

PostDoc, ’Dairy Housing Emissions when Combined with Grazing’
8356 Ettenhausen

The ’Ruminant Nutrition and Emissions’ Research Group is represented at the Posieux and Tänikon sites. We deal with ruminant physiology, nutrition and husbandry in roughage-focused feeding systems with the aim of sustainably improving nutrient efficiency, lowering emissions from cattle husbandry, reducing nutrient-related production diseases, and maintaining high product quality.
In dairy-cattle farming, grazing offers benefits for animal welfare. Grazing can also reduce ammonia emissions, since urine seeps away quickly on the pasture. However, the soiled areas in the housing continue to emit while the cows are on the pasture. In this project, ammonia and greenhouse-gas emissions from naturally ventilated dairy housing with different cattle grazing durations and feeding strategies were measured for the first time. Annual values are modelled based on the measurements in order to improve the data pool for emission inventories.

This is how you can contribute

Preparation and statistical analysis of emission data as well as of relevant parameters in the housing and on the pasture (e.g. climate data, animal data, feeding data)

Modelling of annual emission values

Publishing the results in peer-reviewed journals

Presenting the results at scientific conferences

Requirements

Doctorate or PhD in Agronomy/Agricultural Sciences, Agrobiology, Environmental Sciences or a related field

Good skills in the preparation and statistical analysis of data (e.g. with R)

Experienced in and enjoy authoring scientific publications

Aptitude for working independently and systematically, as well as in a team

Knowledge of two official Swiss languages and a very good command of written and spoken English

We offer

The ’Animal Production Systems and Animal Health’ Research Division deals with production systems ranging from forage to milk and meat production, with the aims of rendering these systems multifunctional and sustainable, ensuring the effective use of the farm’s own resources, and enabling the closure of nutrient cycles, whilst producing safe, high-quality raw materials. In the field of beekeeping research, it develops the basics of bee health and husbandry, ensuring effective pollination.

Agroscope is the Swiss federal centre of excellence for research in the agriculture and food sector. Its researchers work at a number of sites in Switzerland. Headquartered in Bern-Liebefeld (as of 2026: Posieux), Agroscope is attached to the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER.

We offer you a varied job in an interesting work environment as well as thorough training and a modern research infrastructure. Flexible working hours and good employee benefits are additional perks of the job.

Contact and Address

If this challenge appeals to you, we look forward to receiving your online application by 08.11.2024 at www.stelle.admin.ch Ref. Code JRQ$540-12455 (English is not an official Swiss language, please choose German, French or Italian as correspondence language).

For further information please contact Ms. Sabine Schrade, Head of Project, Tel. +41 58 480 33 33.

Start date: 1 Feb. 2025 or as agreed. The post is for a fixed term of two years.