The farm is a part of the HiLIFE infrastructures. The farm administrates 155 hectares of arable land and a research dairy barn with 60 dairy cows. Main part of the arable area is used conventionally for feed production for the dairy cattle; grass silage and pasture is grown roughly on half of the fields, and the rest of the area is used for feed grain and protein crop (e.g. faba bean) production, as well as for test plots for plant science and other life sciences research.
Viikki Research Farm provides services primarily for the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, but we also welcome other faculties and universities to collaborate with us. The possible fees and terms of using our services are negotiated individually for each case. If you are interested in collaborating with the Viikki research farm, please contact us:
Principal research areas at the Viikki research farm are feeding are welfare of dairy cows, plant production, soil sciences and agricultural engineering. Currently many of research topics are related to climate change, reduction of greenhouse gases emerging from food production and soil carbon sequestration.
As a summary it can be said, that the research in Viikki focuses on how agriculture can feed the growing population of our planet ecologically, socially and economically as sustainably as possible.
See the list of publications from the research conducted at the Viikki research farm
The modern dairy barn is highly automated. Milking is accomplished with automated milking system and feed mix is distributed with automated feed distribution wagons. The barn is equipped with RIC system, which enables the monitoring of feed intake of each individual cow, and GreenFeed system for real time methane emission measurements. The barn is divided in two sections: freestall section, which holds the major part of the cattle, and tiestall section with 12 animal places for individual research. The VRF research barn enables many kind of cattle related research: nutrition, welfare, behavior, technology, etc. In summertime, all of our animals have a possibility for gracing at the pastures every day.
All of the farmland administrated by the Viikki research farm is located closely aroud the farm center. Soiltypes of the fields are mainly finesandy or finesandy moraine soils with high organic matter content. Field plots closest to the cowhouse are mainly used as pastures, and a 3-4-year silage grass crop rotation is applied to the rest of the fields. Cereals and faba bean are cultivated between the grass rotation.
Several hectares of field are used annually as research plots. The farmland at the Viikki research farm enables diverse research in plant production and soil sciences, agrotechnology and -ecology and animal sciences.
The farm uses modern machinery and grain drying technology, which enables diverse agrotechnological research. Our farm infrastructure offers also a great platform for the research of new agricultural technologies, such as automation and data management, unmanned aerial vehicles and field robots or sensor and measurement technology.
Despite the character as a research farm, we produce a substantial amount of foodstuff.
Viikki research farm hosts dozens of visitor groups annually, from kindergartens and schoolchildren to public officers, companies and organisations.
Every spring, together with the dairy company Valio, we organise a public event, where our cows are let out to the pasture for the first time after winter. Thousands of people around the city gather to share the joy of the animals each year.
Together with the bay "Vanhankaupunginlahti", our fields form a unique natural and recreational area, and even internationally notable bird reserve, just next to the heart of Helsinki city. Learn more about the area from the vanhankaupunginlahti-website.
Muddusjärvi Research Station belongs to the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki and is situated in northern Finland in the village Kaamanen, 25 km from the city of Inari. The station operates with ca. 13 hectares of field and ca. 700 ha of forest and administrates also a 1000 ha lake area. The original purpose was to conduct research to support Lappish agriculture and other subarctic research for the Faculty. Since 1996, the usage of the station has been more or less project based and concentrated to the summer time. There is one permanent employer accompanied by the necessary summer help.
The Inari lowlands are among the best farming areas in the northern Lapland. Fields are situated near the water systems and therefore better sheltered from the frost. The soil is mineral soil ranging from fine sand / moraine to fine silt. The fields are low with organic material and the forests are flat dry coniferous forests. Reindeer are a regular sight.
The station is administrated by Viikki Research Farm. For more information about the station please contact VRF.