Maria Thorkildsen
Research Scientist
Biography
My job is to test new varieties of barley, oat, spring wheat and winter wheat. After a trial period of three years the variety is assessed by the Plant Variety Board, and may be included in the Norwegian official list of plant varieties.
Authors
Nora Røhnebæk Aasen Sybil A. Herrera-Foessel Silius Mortensønn Vandeskog Therése Bengtsson Mulatu G. Dida Isak Drozdik Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Egill Gautason Jaroslaw S. Grodek Hrannar S. Hilmarsson Merja Högnäsbacka Ortrud Jäck Janne Kaseva Antti Laine Alex Lenkoski Morten Lillemo Min Lin Anne Marthe Lundby Shirin Mohammadi Per Jarle Møllerhagen Markku Niskanen Rodomiro Ortiz Maxie Skalshøi Anna G. Þórðardóttir Maria ThorkildsenAbstract
Climate change will substantially impact agriculture, requiring the development of new crop cultivars adapted for resilience to future stresses. Developing a new crop cultivar is a decades-long process. Therefore climate change considerations must already be incorporated into breeding programs. National breeding programs have typically involved field trials in a single country, which has functioned satisfactorily during periods of stable climate variability. However, it is widely acknowledged that when field trial information across borders is made available, it can significantly aid plant breeding programs. This paper presents a pan-Nordic multi-environment dataset that consolidates national trial data and data from VCU (Value for Cultivation and Use) trials for spring barley, red clover, and potato, during 1970–2024. The dataset harmonizes information on yield across diverse environments, enabling comparative analyses and cross-regional assessments. By providing a unified resource for the Nordic region, this dataset supports the development of more resilient crop varieties and facilitates data-driven breeding strategies under changing climatic conditions.
Authors
Nora Røhnebæk Aasen Sybil A. Herrera-Foessel Silius Mortensønn Vandeskog Therése Bengtsson Mulatu G. Dida Isak Drozdik Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Egill Gautason Jaroslaw S. Grodek Hrannar S. Hilmarsson Ortrud Jäck Janne Kaseva Antti Laine Alex Lenkoski Morten Lillemo Min Lin Anne Marthe Lundby Shirin Mohammadi Per Jarle Møllerhagen Markku Niskanen Rodomiro Ortiz Maxie Skalshøi Anna G. Þórðardóttir Maria ThorkildsenAbstract
We present a harmonized database of national variety trials and official Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) trials from the five Nordic countries, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Finland, focusing on three key crops for that region: spring barley (Hordeum vulgare), red clover (Trifolium pratense), and potato (Solanum tuberosum). Yield is the primary phenotypic trait reported. The location of each trial is also reported, which enables analysis of how weather variability impacts crop performance. Climate change will have a substantial impact on agriculture, requiring the development of new crop cultivars adapted for resilience to future stresses. Developing a new crop cultivar is a decades-long process, therefore climate change considerations must already be incorporated into breeding programs. National breeding programs have typically involved field trials in a single country, which has functioned satisfactorily during periods of stable climate variability. However, it is widely acknowledged that when field trial information across borders is made available, it can significantly aid plant breeding programs. Here, we present a pan-Nordic multi-environment database that consolidates national trial data and data from VCU trials for spring barley, red clover, and potato. The database harmonizes information on yield across diverse environments, enabling comparative analyses and cross-regional assessments. By providing a unified resource for the Nordic region, this dataset supports the development of more resilient crop varieties and facilitates data-driven breeding strategies under changing climatic conditions.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Division of Food Production and Society
HveteLøft; variety-adapted fungal disease control in wheat for increased yields under IPM-strategies
Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health
Diversity Oats - A more sustainable Norwegian oat industry by increased genetic diversity and diversified food products