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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

In Scandinavia, the bird cherry-oat aphid Rhopalosiphum padi overwinter as eggs on the bird cherry tree Prunus padus. Branches of P. padus were collected at the late February / early March from 17 locations in Norway over a three-year period. We found 3599 overwintering aphid eggs, 59.5% of which were dead. Further, a total of 879 overwintering fungus-killed cadavers were observed. These cadavers were found close to bud axils, where overwintering eggs were also usually attached. Cadavers were infected with either Zoophthora cf. aphidis or Entomophthora planchoniana. All the fungal-killed cadavers were filled with overwintering structures of Z. cf. aphidis (as resting spores) or E. planchoniana (as modified hyphal bodies). We found a significant negative correlation between eggs and cadavers per branch. However, both numbers of eggs and cadavers varied greatly between years and among tree locations. This is the first report of E. planchoniana overwintering in R. padi cadavers as modified hyphal bodies. We discuss whether P. padus may act as an inoculum reservoir for fungi infecting aphids in cereals in spring.

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Abstract

The seed predator Argyresthia conjugella Zeller has rowan as its preferred host plant. In years of poor fruiting in rowan, it oviposits on apples. To improve the knowledge of this apple pest, rowanberries were collected from localities all over Norway from 1971 to 1985, and seed predators and their parasitoids were allowed to emerge for up to five years. Two species of seed predators, A. conjugella and Megastimus brevicaudis Ratzeburg, and seven species of parasitic Hymenoptera were common. The distribution of these species is shown on EIS (European Invertebrate Survey) maps of Norway. The biology of the parasitoids is summarized based on the published literature and their behavior during emergence. The tendency for delayed emergence, which is an indication of prolonged diapause, was more pronounced in M. brevicaudis than in A. conjugella, the former appearing in all five years. Five of the parasitoids also delayed their emergence, and three of them to a high degree, up to five years. Prolonged diapause must be taken into account in studies of rowanberry insect guilds.

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Abstract

Background Cultivation of oilseed rape Brassica napus is pesticide-intensive, and alternative plant protection strategies are needed because both pesticide resistance and legislation narrow the range of effective chemical pesticides. The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana is used as a biocontrol agent against various insect pests, but little is known about its endophytic potential and role in plant protection for oilseed rape. First, we studied whether B. bassiana can establish as an endophyte in oilseed rape, following seed inoculation. To evaluate the plant protection potential of endophytic B. bassiana on oilseed rape, we next examined its ability to induce plant metabolite biosynthesis. In another experiment, we tested the effect of seed inoculation on seedling survival in a semi-field experiment. Results Beauveria bassiana endophytically colonized oilseed rape following seed inoculation, and, in addition, natural colonization was also recorded. Maximum colonization rate was 40%, and generally increased with inoculation time. Seed inoculation did not affect the germination probability or growth of oilseed rape, but B. bassiana inoculated seeds germinated more slowly compared to controls. Endophytic colonization of B. bassiana induced biosynthesis of several flavonoids in oilseed rape leaves under controlled conditions. In the experiment conducted in semi-field conditions, inoculated seedlings had slightly higher mortality compared to control seedlings. Conclusion Beauveria bassiana showed endophytic potential on oilseed rape via both natural colonization and seed inoculation, and it induced the biosynthesis of flavonoids. However, its use as an endophyte for plant protection against pests or pathogens for oilseed rape remains unclear. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

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Abstract

Aims: In a field study, the effects of treatments of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) in soil, alone and in combination with phosphate fertilizer, were examined on the performance and endophytic microbiota of garden strawberry. Methods and results: The root and leaf endophytic microbiota of garden strawberries grown in GBH-treated and untreated soil, with and without phosphate fertilizer, were analyzed. Next, bioinformatics analysis on the type of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase enzyme was conducted to assess the potential sensitivity of strawberry-associated bacteria and fungi to glyphosate, and to compare the results with field observations. GBH treatments altered the abundance and/or frequency of several operational taxonomic units (OTUs), especially those of root-associated fungi and bacteria. These changes were partly related to their sensitivity to glyphosate. Still, GBH treatments did not shape the overall community structure of strawberry microbiota or affect plant performance. Phosphate fertilizer increased the abundance of both glyphosate-resistant and glyphosate-sensitive bacterial OTUs, regardless of the GBH treatments. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that although the overall community structure of strawberry endophytic microbes is not affected by GBH use, some individual taxa are.

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Abstract

Interactions between plants and herbivores are central in most ecosystems, but their strength is highly variable. The amount of variability within a system is thought to influence most aspects of plant-herbivore biology, from ecological stability to plant defense evolution. Our understanding of what influences variability, however, is limited by sparse data. We collected standardized surveys of herbivory for 503 plant species at 790 sites across 116° of latitude. With these data, we show that within-population variability in herbivory increases with latitude, decreases with plant size, and is phylogenetically structured. Differences in the magnitude of variability are thus central to how plant-herbivore biology varies across macroscale gradients. We argue that increased focus on interaction variability will advance understanding of patterns of life on Earth.