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.
2026
Authors
Paal Krokene Beatrix Alsanius Jorunn Børve Daniel Flø Christer Magnusson Mogens Nicolaisen Line Nybakken Johan A. Stenberg Selamawit Tekle Iben M. Thomsen Sandra A. I. Wright May SæthreAbstract
EPPO-listed plant pests were assessed and ranked according to the overall risk they pose to Norwegian plant health. Based on probability of entry, probability of establishment (including spread), and potential impact on plant health, pests were classified into five risk classes: very high, high, moderate, low, and very low risk. In this first progress report VKM has assessed 61 pests: 24 fungi, 12, nematodes, 11 insects, eight viruses, and six bacteria. None of these were assessed to pose very high risk, while one pest (Fusarium euwallaceae) was assessed to pose high risk. Six pests were assessed to pose moderate risk: Dendroctonus ponderosae, Tuta absoluta, Phymatotrichopsis omnivora, Verticillium dahliae hop strains, Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. euvesicatoria, and Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. perforans. The remaining pests were assessed to pose low risk (16 pests) or very low risk (38 pests) to Norwegian plant health.
Authors
Paal Krokene Beatrix Alsanius Jorunn Børve Daniel Flø Christer Magnusson Mogens Nicolaisen Line Nybakken Johan A. Stenberg Selamawit Tekle Iben M. Thomsen Sandra A. I. Wright May SæthreAbstract
EPPO-listed plant pests were assessed and ranked according to the overall risk they pose to Norwegian plant health. Based on probability of entry, probability of establishment (including spread), and potential impact on plant health, pests were classified into five risk classes: very high, high, moderate, low, and very low risk. In this second progress report VKM has assessed 69 pests: 53 insects and mites, eight bacteria, four viruses, three fungi, and one chromista. No pests were assessed to pose very high or high risk. Six pests were assessed to pose moderate risk: Choristoneura fumiferana, Dendrolimus superans, Grapholita packardi, Potexvirus pepini, Tobamovirus fructirugosum, and Xylella fastidiosa. The remaining 63 pests were assessed to pose low risk (20 pests) or very low risk (43 pests) to Norwegian plant health.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Dalphy Ondine Camira Harteveld Abdelhameed Elameen Simo Maduna Adam Vivian-Smith Andrea Podavkova Sabine Oettl Stefanie Maria Primisser Jorunn BørveAbstract
Small, superficial rot spots occurring around lenticels postharvest on apple in Norway have not been identified but were assumed to be underdeveloped Neofabraea lesions. Fungal isolation from such spots on fruit from the 2022 season revealed both Neofabraea perennans and Ramularia spp., identified by B-tubulin and ITS sequencing, respectively. In the 2023 season, isolations were made from fruit with spots resembling dry lenticel spot caused by Ramularia mali. The aim of this study was to identify the Ramularia species associated with the postharvest fruit spots in Norway. Multiple gene regions of five Norwegian isolates (E20, E21 from 2022; 13,15 and 18 from 2023) and three reference isolates, R. mali, R. eucalypti, and R. collo-cygni, were sequenced and used for phylogenetic analysis. The Norwegian isolates were distinct from the included reference isolates, but clustered with other Ramularia species. Isolates 13, 18 and E21 clustered with Ramularia vizellae, while isolates 15 and E20 were most closely related to Ramularia phacae-frigidae. Isolate E20 was sequenced using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION platform. Pathogenicity was assessed in a field inoculation study using isolate E21, resulting in typical spot development on inoculated fruit. Ramularia vizellae has previously been reported from dead apple leaf litter and other woody hosts in the Netherlands and Iran, while R. phacae-frigidae was originally described from Phaca frigida in Switzerland. Neither species has previously been reported in association with apple fruit spotting. While Ramularia mali has caused outbreaks on apple in several European countries, recent studies hypothesize that the symptoms may be caused by a species complex with regional variation. The present results identify candidate species contributing to this complex in Norway and highlight the need for further studies to improve species delimitation and pathogenicity.
Authors
Theresa Weigl Jorunn Børve Melissa Magerøy Hanne Larsen Carl Gunnar Fossdal Siv Fagertun RembergAbstract
The physiological disorder soft scald may cause losses in apple fruit storage. This study aimed at understanding the interplay between fruit maturity at harvest and storage temperature on soft scald development in the susceptible cultivar ‘Red Aroma’. Fruit harvested late and subsequently stored at −0.5 °C developed the significantly highest soft scald incidence. Overall ethylene and CO2-production was reduced in late harvested fruit stored at −0.5 °C, while fruit from the early harvest showed a cold-induced ethylene increase under the same storage conditions, suggesting an active cold-acclimation response. Clustering of RNA sequencing data and overrepresentation analysis revealed that transcripts involved in cell wall modification, ripening-associated signaling, antioxidant defense system and secondary metabolism were upregulated in late harvested fruit at harvest as well as soft scald-affected fruit after storage. In contrast, early harvested fruit at harvest and disorder-free fruit after storage showed higher expression of transcripts associated with abiotic stress resistance, such as leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases, protein kinases with tetratricopeptide repeat domains, and auxin response factor, indicating a potential link between early maturity and enhanced cold tolerance in ‘Red Aroma’ apple fruit.
Authors
Thomas M. Mansfield Artin Zarsav Filipa Cox Laura M. Suz Martin I. Bidartondo Sietse van der Linde Nadia Barsoum Colin Averill Alan Kuo Leho Tedersoo Pasi Rautio Arthur Gessler Bruno De Vos Luc Croisé Henning Meesenburg Markus Wagner Frank Jacob Paweł Lech Anna Kowalska Martin Greve Genoveva Popova Beat Frey Marcus Schaub Marco Ferretti Peter Waldner Vicent Calatayud Roberto Canullo Giancarlo Papitto Aleksander Marinšek Lars Vesterdal Morten Ingerslev Helge Meissner Volkmar Timmermann Nadine Eickenscheidt Andreas Schmitz Francis M. Martin Joseph Spatafora Peter G. Kennedy Annegret Kohler Jonathan M. Plett Ian C. Anderson Sara Branco Igor V. Grigoriev Chris J. Pires Sarah A. Unruh Lawrence W. Zettler Otto Miettinen Ilya Viner Tom W. May Teresa Lebel David E. A. Catcheside Pamela S. Catcheside Helen P. Vonow Leigh A. Burgoyne Julia Haska Mark A. AnthonyAbstract
Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) produce mycelia with variable extension and complexity, which can be classified according to soil ‘exploration types’ (ETs). ETs have received attention as one of the few mycorrhizal trait frameworks, but without an empirical classification of ET functional diversity and environmental preferences, understanding and interpreting EMF biogeographic patterns has been difficult. We conducted a synthesis combining: comparative EMF genomics to describe functional divergence in decomposition and nutrient cycling genes across ETs; and EMF trait distribution modeling across continental Europe, pairing soil and root EMF surveys to establish biogeographic ET niche profiles. We demonstrate a signature of ETs encoded in EMF genomes, which is independent from phylogeny and linked to biomass production strategies. EMF ET relative abundances were separated by soil, root, and dominant tree leaf type habitats and exhibited unique correlations with forest biotic (e.g. plant productivity and plant pathogen densities) and abiotic (e.g. nitrogen deposition and soil pH) conditions. These findings support a theory that EMF niche partitioning can be partially explained by extraradical mycelial traits, with underlying variation in ET biogeography likely arising from distinct decomposition and nutrient cycling potentials. We also identify important limitations to this trait framework and provide a guided outlook for future research.
Authors
Lena Wohlgemuth Mathieu Jonard Andreas Schmitz Paul Schmidt-Walter Heleen Deroo Peter Waldner Nathalie Cools Bruno De Vos Arne Verstraeten Inken Krüger Anne Thimonier Volkmar Timmermann Mathias Neumann Pasi Rautio Kai SchwärzelAbstract
Key message A large European forest monitoring dataset reveals a pattern of reduced foliar nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations following drought conditions in spruce and pine, and, in the case of P, beech and oak, often exhibiting N:P imbalances. Gradual nutritional imbalance and nutrient deficiency during droughts raise concern for tree vitality and forest carbon sequestration under climate change. Context Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are essential nutrients for tree metabolism, forest growth, and carbon sequestration, yet the drivers of their availability to trees are often complex to untangle. Aims and methods In this study, we investigated environmental controls of foliar N, P, and N:P based on > 4100 N and P measurements in foliage samples of main tree species (beech, oak, spruce, and pine) across 279 European monitoring sites by applying mixed regression models. Results We found overall nutritional declines over the past three decades that ranged from − 1.8% to − 2.7% and from − 3.5% to − 4.2% per 10 years for foliar N and P concentrations respectively. At around two-thirds of monitoring sites, where foliar N:P significantly increased over the examined time span, these increases were dominated by declines in foliar P. Foliar sampling years with summer droughts (standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index < − 1.2) were associated with lower standardized foliar P concentrations in all tree species compared to average years. Conclusion We concluded that variations in drought conditions drive foliar N and P on a short-term, mostly annual basis, while throughfall deposition of N impacted foliar N over larger time spans of several decades depending on tree species.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Desalegn Chala Diress Tsegaye Alemu Habtamu Alem Belachew Asalf Tadesse Melesse Eshetu_Moges Nega Tassie Abate Ayalew Wondie Aklilu Tilahun Tadesse Abebayehu Aticho Alemu Gonsamo Lanhui Wang Erick Lundgren Jeffrey Kerby Jens Christian SvenningAbstract
Abstract Water hyacinth is among the world’s most damaging aquatic invasive plants, forming dense mats that disrupt ecosystem functioning, fisheries, navigation, and livelihoods across tropical and subtropical freshwater systems. Its rapid spread is driven by clonal propagation, short life cycles, and prolific seed production, particularly under nutrient-enriched conditions. Although mechanical, chemical, and biological control methods are widely applied, their long-term effectiveness remains uncertain when underlying eutrophication persists. Here, we present a large-scale, one-time water hyacinth removal campaign in Lake Tana, Ethiopia’s largest lake and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, as a representative nutrient-rich tropical freshwater system. Using high-resolution satellite imagery, we quantified coverage one month before removal, one month after removal, and one year later. We integrated SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis with a socio-ecological system map to assess mitigation mechanisms and identify sustainable management pathways capable of providing long-term solutions to halt water hyacinth proliferation in freshwater bodies. The campaign removed over 75% (~1271 ha) of water hyacinth, yet within one year the plant resurged to levels ~18% higher than pre-removal. This rebound highlights the ecological resilience of water hyacinth and the limitations of short term, noncontinuous control strategies. Our analysis identifies unmanaged catchment nutrient inputs as the primary driver of proliferation. Lake Tana serves as a model system demonstrating that water hyacinth functions less as a traditional invader and more as a bioindicator of eutrophication. We propose a transferable conceptual and methodological framework combining continuous removal, catchment-based nutrient management, and circular bioeconomy approaches, offering globally relevant lessons for sustainable management of nutrient-enriched tropical freshwater systems.
Authors
Hanna Huitu Tor-Einar Skog Christophe Pradal Antonio Calatayud Tor Skaslien Brita Linnestad Ari Ronkainen Christian Fournier Marc Labadie Dave Skirvin Matti Pastell David Melchior Johannes Tobiassen Langvatn Berit NordskogAbstract
Decision support systems (DSS) in crop protection provide valuable support for pest risk prognosis and recommendations for pest control, enabling farmers to make better-informed decisions. As a part of the European Union’s strategy for the sustainable use of plant protection products, the “IPM Decisions” project developed an online platform that gives farmers and advisors access to a wide range of DSS for major pests, weeds, and diseases in a variety of crops across Europe. Multiple DSS models relevant for different crops and geographical regions of Europe were selected for integration in the platform. Information on the models is compiled into a model catalogue, which serves as a core component of the IPM Decisions platform. To facilitate the use of these models, two application programming interfaces (APIs) were developed. In line with the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) principles, the DSS API provides access to models and their metadata, including descriptions of input and output parameters. The weather API enables access to European online weather data sources and adapts this data to meet the requirements of DSS models. While these APIs are integrated into the IPM decisions platform, they are also open source, allowing other crop protection and farm management software to inspect, download, modify, install, run, and use them. In this article, we describe the development of the DSS and weather APIs, outline their structure and definitions, and present the services that DSS API and weather API provide. Finally, we demonstrate their application through three practical use cases.