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.
2024
Authors
Isabella BørjaAbstract
No abstract has been registered
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Authors
Nana Yaa Boahene Marianne Stenrød Esther Bloem Tor Fredrik Holth Tim Hofer Mette Helen Bjørge Müller Elise Rundén-Pran Christian VogelsangAbstract
Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø (VKM) har oppdatert et metodedokument for helse og miljørisikovurderinger av plantevernmidler. Målet med oppdateringen er å gjenspeile gjeldende regelverk og praksis, og sikre kvaliteten på fremtidige risikovurderinger utført av faggruppen for plantevernmidler i VKM. Det forrige metodedokumentet er fra 2012, og oppdateringen var nødvendig for å tilpasse metodene til nytt EU-regelverk for plantevernmidler, og for å innarbeide nye datakrav og retningslinjer for plantevernmidler og biocider. Ved å oppdatere metodedokumentet, ønsket faggruppen å sikre at risikovurderingene de leverer er i tråd med gjeldende regelverket og vitenskapelig kunnskap. Viktige endringer Dokumentet er oppdatert med henvisninger til nye forskrifter og veiledninger, om for eksempel biocider, nye typer plantevernmidler, og forenklet godkjenning/risikovurdering for mikrobielle stoffer. Det nye dokumentet inneholder også veiledning om fareidentifikasjon av stoffer med hormonforstyrrende egenskaper, alternative metoder for å redusere toksikologisk testing hos dyr, og vurdering av ikke-kostholdeksponering av plantevernmidler. Dokumentet inneholder oppdatert informasjon om metodikk knyttet til vurdering av plantevernmidlers egenskaper og skjebne i miljøet, inkludert norske jord- og klimaforhold, renseanlegg og drikkevannsrenseprosesser. Veiledning om risikovurdering for bier og andre insekter, akvatiske organismer, fugler, pattedyr og andre vertebrater, samt meitemark og andre jordlevende organismer, er også oppdatert. Innen flere av feltene er eller vil det bli etablert spesifikke beskyttelsesmål og trinnvise risikovurderinger. Samlet sett fungerer det oppdaterte metodedokumentet som en referanse for VKMs risikovurderingsarbeid for plantevernmidler, og sikrer at fremtidige vurderinger gjennomføres i samsvar med gjeldende regelverk og vitenskapelig kunnskap. Metode VKM har benyttet en semi-systematisk tilnærming, ved å utarbeide et arbeidsdokument for innhenting og sammenstilling av nødvendig informasjon om nye datakrav fra gjeldende regelverk for plantevernmidler og biocider i EU. Dokumentet er godkjent av VKMs faggruppe for plantevernmidler.
Authors
Adriana Dorota Osinska Ahmed Bargheet Agnieszka Cuprys Ida Marie Bardalen Fløystad Hans Geir Eiken Kenneth William Lindstedt Veronika Kucharová Pettersen Arnfinn Sundsfjord Yngvild WastesonAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Per Kristian Alnes Gudbrand Lien Erik Haugom Iveta Malasevska Ørjan MydlandAbstract
We evaluate a fast-track ticket alternative in the alpine skiing industry using data from a survey of skiers at a major ski resort in Norway. We estimate price-response functions, optimal prices for fast-track tickets and use regression to analyse the most important characteristics of skiers who demand the fast-track ticket alternative. Our findings show that the additional willingness to pay for a fast-track ticket over the standard day-pass ticket ranges from 4% (one minute waiting time) to 13% (20 minutes waiting time). The skiers with the highest demand for the fast-track ticket alternative are typically single men living near the ski resort who do most of their alpine skiing during the weekend. Some respondents expressed critical concerns regarding the fast-track ticket alternative, and we therefore discuss some customer acceptance challenges and ethical aspects associated with such an alternative.
Abstract
Housing and indoor feeding of sheep is required throughout the cold season, which can last more than half a year, in Nordic highlands and Alpine regions. This study aimed to examine and evaluate the housing costs, including labour requirements, according to type of sheep housing system and degree of mechanized feeding by investigating systems commonly used in Nordic and Alpine regions. Detailed cost data were obtained from 61 surveyed sheep farmers in Norway with sheep houses built between the years 2008 and 2015. Costs were calculated for a baseline scenario (2021-prices) as well as for five scenarios at low and high discount rates and opportunity cost of labour, and high energy prices. The median (interquartile range) flock size was 150 (100) winter-fed sheep. Houses with slatted floors were more expensive than deep-litter systems. Costs of bedding material and feed waste were however higher, and the net value of the manure were lower in houses with deeplitter systems. At the baseline assumptions, overall net housing costs per sheep was not statistically different among the main housing types studied. Multiple regression analyses showed that net housing costs per sheep were lower in larger flocks and for centrally located farms (control variables). Undertaking daily chores, such as feeding of roughages twice a day rather than once, resulted in significantly higher net housing costs. Mechanized feeding of roughages, and even more so for concentrates, were not economically justified since labour savings were not sufficient to pay for the additional capital costs. A round bale chopper lowered net housing costs, significantly at a high labour cost. None of the scenarios found slatted floors to be significantly more expensive than deep-litter systems. High costs of labour and capital favoured deep-litter systems, while slatted floor systems were more advantageous at rising prices of energy that resulted in increased values of organic manures and costs of feed wastes and bedding materials. The study was based on a decade old data from common Norwegian sheep house variants. Farmers that consider constructing a new sheep house today, still must compare these variants as their main alternatives. We encourage other researchers to include effects of housing systems and mechanized feeding on animal performance, health, and welfare. Moreover, future studies should preferably also be undertaken in other environmental or socio-economic settings to produce more general results.
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Only approximately 2% of the land area in Northern Norway is suitable for agricultural purposes. The short growing season and cold climate impose limitations for what can be produced. Agriculture still takes place here, with forage crops for livestock being the most important. On free rangeland areas, including both semi-natural and natural habitats, livestock grazing is common. The biomass production on some of these rangelands is presumed to be high, although little is known about the actual fodder potential. In 2022 a preliminary study was performed to determine abundance and variety of wild pasture plants, dry matter yield (DM) and feed quality in the (presumed) highest yielding Vegetation types. Results showed an average of 1520 kg DM ha–1 in spring and 5380 kg DM ha–1 in autumn. Early season feed quality was high, but with rapidly decreasing trends. The number of pasture plants was also high. Our results show that in sub-arctic Northern Norway grazing animals can harvest substantial amounts of ‘free’ fodder of good quality, yet the official statistics show that only 14% of this resource is utilised. Continuous grazing is needed to maintain production and fodder quality in these areas.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
2023
Abstract
No abstract has been registered