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Publications

NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.

2023

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Abstract

The effect of steam thermotherapy on Botrytis spp. populations in strawberry transplants was evaluated. Tray plants rooted in 0.2 L peat plugs of seasonal flowering cvs. Falco, Sonsation, and Soprano, and everbearing cvs. Favori and Murano were pre-treated with steam at 37 °C for 1 h, followed by 1 h at ambient temperature and air humidity, and then 2 or 4 h steam treatment at 44 °C. Except for one cultivar with a slight reduction in yield, there were no negative effects on plant performance. Compared to untreated transplants, mean incidence of Botrytis on the five cultivars was reduced by 43 and 86% with the 2 and 4 h treatments, respectively. Within cultivars the reduction was significant in 2 and 3 experiments following the 2 and 4 h treatments, respectively. Sclerotia from four different isolates of Botrytis were subjected to treatment including 4 h of steam thermotherapy and subsequently tested for viability. Following 14 days of incubation, 90 to 100% (mean 97%) of treated sclerotia failed to produce mycelial growth compared with untreated sclerotia, which all germinated and produced mycelia. Botrytis isolates recovered from both treated and untreated strawberry transplants were tested for resistance to seven fungicides, including boscalid, fenhexamid, fludioxonil, fluopyram, pyraclostrobin, pyrimethanil and thiophanate-methyl. Multiple fungicide resistance was common; 35.5% of isolates were resistant to fungicides from at least three FRAC groups. Results indicate that steam thermotherapy treatment strongly reduces populations of Botrytis spp., including fungicide-resistant strains, in strawberry transplants with negligible negative impacts on the transplants.

Abstract

Aquaculture of marine macroalgae is an important part of the world’s food production. In Norway, the fast-growing kelp Saccharina latissima has the highest potential for industrial biomass production. Aquaculture in the country’s fjords is economically more viable for SMEs, supports the development of IMTA and could allow the industry to approach the projected 20 million tons by 2050. However, S. latissima is exposed to a considerable decline in seawater salinity during the growth season, which affects the biomass production. This presentation shows results of industrial R&D projects in which the presence of “low-salinity tolerant” strains of S. latissima in a North Norwegian fjord and their responses to the seasonal salinity decline was studied. In a laboratory-based common garden experiment, sporophytes of S. latissima from different locations in Skjerstadfjorden were cultivated under different salinities for six weeks. Growth and photosynthetic parameters were measured to understand their physiological responses to salinity stress. Then their F1 generation were seeded on ropes and deployed at a commercial aquaculture site in Skjerstadfjorden to study strain-specific differences in biomass production and yield, optimal growth depths and biochemical composition of S. latissima. In addition, the aquaculture site was characterised by measurements of physical and chemical parameters. The projects’ results will help North Norwegian macroalgae producers to improve the biomass production and biochemical composition of S. latissima. These findings could lay the foundation for the development of breeding programmes in Norway and could demonstrate the macroalgae producers in Norway the possibility of establishing aquaculture in fjords.

Abstract

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are associated with a range of contested, place-based attributes which contrast with the characteristics of complex, global and corporate chains. This article avoids such oppositional binaries by focusing on SFSCs serving two European cities, namely Oslo (Norway) and Bristol (UK). It reviews cities as a particular kind of market within which to secure custom, by presenting qualitative data from a study of SFSCs in these two cities to examine marketing barriers and opportunities encountered. Distinctive urban contexts, such as the density of consumers and presence of food-related infrastructures, can influence the marketing strategies and sales channels chosen by food enterprises. Difficulties are faced by both food producers and the sales channels through which they come to market, especially in relation to financial viability, price competition and efficiency. Our analysis, as well as highlighting connections and divergences between Oslo and Bristol, emphasises the role of these cities in providing diverse food market niches. Alongside global chains, functioning SFSCs help to reflect the history of Oslo and Bristol as trading cities with diverse populations and reveal enterprise adaptability and innovation as market demand shifts.