Videos

For a farmer, a soil brimming with life, such as bacteria, fungi, and other organisms, is important for growing crops. But how do you get such a healthy soil? That's what Koen Willekens (ILVO) digs into in his research.

To reduce the use of antibiotics on farms, we need to prevent animals from becoming sick as much as possible. This involves changing how farmers keep their animals, such as rethinking housing and transportation, adjusting their diet, and allowing young animals to stay with their mothers longer. However, these changes can be difficult for farmers because they might increase costs. Fanny Baudoin, a researcher from ILVO, spoke with farmers and others involved to understand these challenges. She aims to make recommendations on how to overcome these difficulties, helping us decrease the need for antibiotics on farms.

Did you know that laying hens stay on a laying farm until they are 18 months old? "But maybe this could be 4 months longer, provided their health, welfare, and egg quality are still fine," says Karolien Langendries (ILVO). Together with her colleagues, she investigates what support old laying hens need so that they can lay good eggs for longer.

Away with bare boxwood bushes! The infamous boxwood moth went on a rampage in Flanders in recent years 🐛🌳 But don't panic! Meet Japanese holly, a robust alternative that is immune to these voracious caterpillars. The catch? The soil in many Flemish gardens is not acidic enough for this shrub to grow well. Bioengineer Esther Geukens will therefore tinker with the plants and the soil so that Japanese holly can thrive here.

"Top presentation yesterday! 👏 But that one slide with all those numbers could be slightly clearer." Feedback at work is crucial to your professional growth. But asking for it and giving it isn't always easy. Shana Mertens looks at how organizations can ensure that asking, giving, receiving, and using feedback becomes natural.

Managers of large companies get bonuses for achieving financial goals, such as increasing profits. But what do shareholders think about giving these managers a bonus for environmental and social goals, such as reducing emissions or improving employee well-being? This is what Bettina De Ruyck looked into. "Bonuses for non-financial objectives are twice as common in managers' pay compared to ten years ago."

The tobacco whitefly, an exotic fly smaller than a grain of rice, can kill almost any vegetable in a greenhouse. These flies already turned up in greenhouses of vegetable growers in our country, but we don't know how big the problem is. At least, for now. Because Fauve Maertens (ILVO) wants to change that by mapping the spread of the tobacco whitefly.

Have you ever heard of the mysterious "crazy root disease"? Sounds like something you'd rather not have in your garden or greenhouse, right? 🌱 Find out more about this bizarre plant disease and how the VIB and the KU Leuven are determined to get rid of it! 💡✨

We are facing a little green problem: the southern green stink bug, an insect from Ethiopia, is on the rise in our country. And that's bad news for our vegetable growers. Fortunately, Margot Geerinck is working on a solution. The protagonists: ichneumon wasps & fungi!

How do you make a dairy cow emit less nitrogen without her producing less milk? To this end, Tine Van Den Bossche (ILVO - UGent) is doing tests with different feed additives that help the cow make milk proteins, among other things. Her goal: to provide milk that is not only good for all of us, but also better for the environment!

Potatoes are highly susceptible to diseases and pests. To better protect these crops, computer scientist Jana Wieme is deploying drones and artificial intelligence. With that extra eye, potato farmers can monitor each individual plant and thus intervene quickly when needed. In this video, she explains how it works.

In dry periods, is the grass greener on the other side? Then chances are it is reed fescue, a type of grass that is much more drought-resistant than traditional English ryegrass. Unfortunately, cows are not very fond of reed fescue: they find it less tasty and digest it less easily. At ILVO, Maarten Cromheeke and his colleagues are testing whether newly developed varieties of reed fescue are more popular with young cattle and dairy cattle.