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
Arne Verstraeten Aldo Marchetto Andreas Schmitz Nicholas Clarke Anne Thimonier Char Hilgers Anne-Katrin Prescher Till Kirchner Karin Hansen Tamara Jakovljevic Carmen Iacoban Wim de Vries Bernd Ahrends Peter WaldnerAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Arne Verstraeten Aldo Marchetto Andreas Schmitz Nicholas Clarke Anne Thimonier Catherine Hilgers Anne-Katrin Prescher Till Kirchner Karin Hansen Tamara Jakovljevic Carmen Iacoban Wim de Vries Bernd Ahrends Peter WaldnerAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Junbin Zhao Mikhail Mastepanov Carla Stadler Cornelya Klutsch Erling Fjelldal David Kniha Runar KjærAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Vibeke Lind Özge Sizmaz Ahu Demirtas Mert Sudagidan Simon Weldon Alice Budai Adam O'Toole Dejan Dragan Miladinovic Grete H. M. JørgensenAbstract
Biochar, which is the product of biomass pyrolysis, has been suggested as a feed supplement to improve performance in livestock systems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of the current study was to investigate in vitro and in vivo potential of biochar to favourably modify rumen fermentation (e.g., an increase in total Short Chained Fatty Acid (SCFA) concentration and a change in SCFA profile), reduce methane emission and increase sheep growth performance. Four concentrates were produced with biochar inclusion of 0, 10, 23 and 46 g/kg DM. The experimental diets for the in vitro experiments consisted of straw and concentrate in a 60:40 ratio and included measurements of total gas and methane (CH4) production, pH, ammonia nitrogen, SCFA, and microbial assays (total bacteria and methanogenic archaea). Two in vivo experiments were performed where the animals received ad libitum forage with 0.4 kg concentrate daily. Experiment 1 investigated the daily DM intake of sheep while experiment 2 investigated daily growth rate and CH4 emission of lambs. The inclusion of biochar had no impact on in vitro total gas production (ml/200 mg DM substrate) (P = 0.81) and CH4 production (ml/200 mg DM substrate) (P = 0.93). In vitro total SCFA concentration increased (P < 0.05) while acetate to propionate ratio (A:P) tended to decrease (P = 0.05) with both doses of biochar. Total bacteria decreased with the highest biochar inclusion in vitro (P < 0.05). Sheep’s DM intake (kg/d) increased when low and medium levels but not when a higher level of biochar was added to the diet (P < 0.001). The inclusion of biochar did not significantly impact the lamb’s daily growth rate (g/d) (P = 0.61) or enteric CH4 emissions (g/kg DM) (P = 0.43). We conclude that biochar supplementation had no favourable impacts on in vitro and in vivo CH4 production or on lamb’s growth rate. Further research with well-characterised biochar is needed to gain a better understanding of the potential of biochar as a feed additive for ruminant livestock.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Marie-Christin Wimmler Nadezhda Nadezhdina Hannah Bowen Susana Alvarado-Barrientos Teresa David Gabriela Fontenla-Razzetto Britt Kniesel Holger Lange Roman Mathias Link Yang Liu Jorge López-Portillo Clara Pinto Junbin Zhao Alejandra G. VovidesAbstract
1. Sap flow measurements are fundamental to understanding water use in trees and could aid in predicting climate change effects on forest function. Deriving knowledge from such measurements requires empirical calibrations and upscaling methods to translate thermometric recordings to tree water use. Here, we developed a user-friendly open-source application, the Sap Flow Analyzer (SFA), which estimates sap flow rates and tree water use from the heat field deformation (HFD) instruments. 2. The SFA incorporates four key features to ensure maximum accuracy and reproducibility of sap flow estimates: diagnosis diagrams to assess data patterns visually, regression models implemented to increase accuracy when estimating K (the main HFD parameter), three approaches to upscale sap flow rates to whole-tree water use and visualization of the input parameters' uncertainty. Thirteen participants were given three raw datasets and assigned data processing tasks using the SFA user guide, from estimating sapwood depth to scaling sap flow rates to whole-tree water use to assess the reproducibility and applicability of the SFA. 3. Participants' results were reasonably consistent and independent of their background in using the SFA, R, or HFD method. The results showed lower variability for high flow rates (SD: mean 1% vs. 10%). K estimates and sapwood depth differentiation were the primary sources of variability, which in turn was mainly caused by the user's chosen scaling method. 4. The SFA provides an easy way to visualize and process sap flow and tree water use data from HFD measurements. It is the first free and open software tool for HFD users. The ability to trace analysis steps ensures reproducibility, increasing transparency and consistency in data processing. Developing tools such as the SFA and masked trials are essential for more precise workflows and improved quality and comparability of HFD sap flow datasets.
Abstract
Since the 1950s, the use of plastics in agriculture has helped solving many challenges related to food production, while its persistence and mismanagement has led to the plastic pollution we face today. Soils are no exception and concentrations of polyethylene mulch debris up to 380 kg/ha have been reported in Chinese agricultural soils. A variety of biodegradable plastic products have thus been developed and marketed, with the aim to solve plastic pollution through complete degradation after use. But the environmental conditions for rapid and complete degradation are not always fulfilled, and the risk that biodegradable plastics could also contribute to plastic pollution must be evaluated. In this presentation, we want to share the knowledge gained through research projects on biodegradable plastics in agricultural soil, where we both studied the degradation of biodegradable mulch under Nordic soil conditions, and the fate of biodegradable plastics in two major soil amendments: compost and biogas digestate. A two-year field experiment with biodegradable mulch (PBAT-starch and PBAT-PLA) buried in soil in mesh bags showed that also under colder climatic conditions does degradation occur, involving fragmentation already after 2 months, but that complete degradation may take 3 to 9 years, depending on soil temperature and soil organic matter content (both correlate positively with degradation rate). Accumulation is therefore likely to happen when biodegradable mulch is repeatedly used every year. A full-scale experiment with compostable plastic cups (PLA) at an industrial composting plant, where we followed their fate and conducted metagenomic analysis over 13 weeks, demonstrated the major role played by fungi for a successful degradation of PLA. However, the successful management of biodegradable plastic products largely depends on existing waste management infrastructure. Most biodegradable plastic bags, labelled as compostable and used for food waste collection do not end up in industrial composting plants in Norway, but in biogas production plants. Here, we showed that these plastic bags (starch-based polymer) are only marginally degraded (maximum 21-33 % mass loss) during biogas production, and likely to end up in biogas digestate and then in agricultural soils, unless digestate is treated to remove plastic residues.
Abstract
Since the 1950s, the use of plastics in agriculture has helped solving many challenges related to food production, while its persistence and mismanagement has led to the plastic pollution we face today. Soils are no exception and concentrations of polyethylene mulch debris up to 380 kg/ha have been reported in Chinese agricultural soils. A variety of biodegradable plastic products have thus been developed and marketed, with the aim to solve plastic pollution through complete degradation after use. But the environmental conditions for rapid and complete degradation are not always fulfilled, and the risk that biodegradable plastics could also contribute to plastic pollution must be evaluated. In this presentation, we want to share the knowledge gained through research projects on biodegradable plastics in agricultural soil, where we both studied the degradation of biodegradable mulch under Nordic soil conditions, and the fate of other biodegradable plastics in soil amendments such as compost and biogas digestate. A two-year field experiment with biodegradable mulch (PBAT-starch and PBAT-PLA) buried in soil in mesh bags showed that also under colder climatic conditions does degradation occur, involving fragmentation already after 2 months, but that complete degradation may take 3 to 9 years, depending on soil temperature and soil organic matter content (both correlate positively with degradation rate). Accumulation is therefore likely to happen when biodegradable mulch is repeatedly used every year. A full-scale experiment with compostable plastic cups (PLA) at an industrial composting plant, where we followed their fate and conducted metagenomic analysis over 13 weeks, demonstrated the major role played by fungi for a successful degradation of PLA. However, the successful management of biodegradable plastic products largely depends on existing waste management infrastructure. Most biodegradable plastic bags, labelled as compostable and used for food waste collection do not end up in industrial composting plants in Norway, but in biogas production plants. Here, we showed that these plastic bags (Mater-Bi®) are only marginally degraded (maximum 21-33 % mass loss) during biogas production, and likely to end up in biogas digestate and then in agricultural soils, unless digestate is treated to remove plastic residues.