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
Divya Karthick Rajan Durairaj Karthick Rajan Jayakumar Rajarajeswaran Nagarajan Revathi Shubing Zhang Kannan Mohan Abirami Ramu GanesanAbstract
Edible coleopteran insects are an important source for sustainable protein and generating chitin as a significant waste (exuviae, cuticle residues, and frass), which can be valorized into value-added biopolymers. These side-streams can be diverted for chitin and chitosan production due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability in biomaterial applications which gained attention in recent times. Therefore, this review evaluates various types of chitin and chitosan extractions and their structural characterization suitable for industrial applications. The nutritional and bioactive functionalities of chitin as derived from coleoptera insect side-streams were critically discussed. Furthermore, it also distinguishes the presence of α-, β-, and γ-chitin polymorphic forms exhibited in the coleopterans order with recent research gaps was also discussed herein. Currently, there is no literature review that describes the roles of coleopteran side-streams derived chitin and chitosan. Hence, this review not only underscores the potential for chitin production from coleopteran side-streams but also outlines critical bottlenecks that warrant further investigation in biopolymer chemistry. Moreover, it provides comprehensive recommendations to facilitate the scale-up of chitin and chitosan derived from coleopteran side-streams as an added advantage for new business models.
Authors
Linn VassvikAbstract
Agricultural production is highly dependent upon pollinators to achieve maximum yield and increase global food security. Wild pollinators, such as bees, are declining due to a loss of habitat from agricultural intensification, and the use of domesticated honeybees to supplement pollination services is increasing. Apple is an important, pollinator dependent food crop that commonly experiences pollination and production deficits worldwide. In this thesis, I explored whether pollination and production deficits occur in Norwegian apple orchards and what factors might be driving potential deficits. To test for pollination (seed set) and production (yield) deficits I conducted a supplemental pollination experiment for three cultivars, in eighteen orchards, in two distinct growing regions in Norway, over two years. I also assessed which pollinators are present in Norwegian apple orchards and how different groups of bees and their behaviour affect pollination of apple. Lastly, I studied different management practices to increase bee diversity and pollination success, by increasing alternate floral resources and evaluating orchard design that promotes cross-pollination. Pollination and production deficits were found across all locations, with differences in pollination deficits among cultivars. I also found that a high abundance of wild bees increases seed set in apples—a key indicator of pollination success. Behaviour also varied among bee groups, for example bumblebees visited more flowers, while solitary bees were slow, but potentially more thorough, foragers, which increases pollen deposition. Wild bees visited more apple flowers than dandelion flowers (Taraxacum spp.) when orchards were left unmowed. I also found that a higher abundance of dandelions increased bee visitation to apple flowers, suggesting higher floral diversity can increase pollination success and support a greater diversity of bees. In addition, block design orchards appear to limit cross-pollination among apple cultivars, and management actions to decrease the distance among compatible apple cultivars is needed to achieve sufficient pollination. Overall, my results suggest that greater pollination and production of apples in Norway is possible, and management actions should focus on increasing wild bee abundance and diversity, increasing alternate floral resources, and optimising orchard design to facilitate cross-pollination across shorter distances. Such actions have the potential to ensure greater yields of higher quality apples for human consumption and increased economic output for farmers.
Authors
James O’Malley John A. Finn Carsten S. Malisch Matthias Suter Sebastian T. Meyer Giovanni Peratoner Marie-Noëlle Thivierge Diego Abalos Paul R. Adler T. Martijn Bezemer Alistair D. Black Åshild Ergon Barbara Golińska Guylain Grange Josef Hakl Nyncke J. Hoekstra Olivier Huguenin-Elie Jingying Jing Jacob M. Jungers Julie Lajeunesse Ralf Loges Gaëtan Louarn Andreas Lüscher Thomas Moloney Christopher K. Reynolds Ievina Sturite Ali Sultan Khan Rishabh Vishwakarma Yingjun Zhang Feng Zhu Caroline BrophyAbstract
High-yielding forage grasslands frequently contain low species diversity and receive high inputs of nitrogen fertilizer. To investigate multispecies mixtures as an alternative strategy, the 26-site international LegacyNet experiment systematically varied the diversity of sown grasslands using up to six high-yielding forage species (grasses, legumes, and herbs) managed under moderate nitrogen inputs. Multispecies mixtures outyielded two widely used grassland practices: a grass monoculture with higher nitrogen fertilizer and a two-species grass-legume community. High yields in multispecies mixtures were driven by strong positive grass-legume and legume-herb interactions. In warmer sites, the yield advantage of legume-containing multispecies mixtures over grass monocultures with higher nitrogen fertilizer inputs increased. Improved design of grassland mixtures can inform more environmentally sustainable forage production and may enhance adaptation of productive grasslands to a warming climate.
Abstract
Cover crops enhance soil quality and organic matter stability, yet the mechanisms linking belowground inputs to persistent soil organic matter (SOM) remain unclear. This study examined the effects of diversified cover cropping in barley systems on root biomass, SOM fractions, soil structure, microbial activity, and yield in central Norway (63.9° N), three years post-implementation. Six treatments were tested: (1) Control (barley without NPK), (2) Biochar-Fertilizer (barley + NPK + 3 Mg ha⁻¹ biochar), (3) Monocrop (barley), (4) Ryegrass (barley + ryegrass), (5) Clover (barley + ryegrass + white/red clover), and (6) Chicory (barley + ryegrass + red clover + chicory + bird’s-foot trefoil). Ryegrass and Clover systems produced 28.65 g m-² more root biomass at 0–13 cm (p < 0.05) and, along with Monocrop, stored 2.2 Mg ha-¹ more mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) carbon and 0.2 Mg ha-¹ more MAOM nitrogen at 0–20 cm than other treatments. The Chicory system improved soil structure and biology, with higher aggregate stability, lower bulk density, and greater microbial abundance. Barley yields remained consistent across treatments, suggesting that cover cropping and low biochar inputs do not reduce productivity. Strong correlations (p < 0.01) between root biomass and MAOM stocks highlight root development as a key driver of SOM stabilization via organo-mineral associations. These findings underscore the role of root-enhancing cover crops in promoting MAOM formation and long-term SOM persistence, offering valuable insights for sustainable soil management.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Sissel Hansen Synnøve Rivedal Samson Øpstad Johannes Deelstra Trond Børresen Torfinn Torp Peter DörschAbstract
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Abstract
Potato field management in Europe is already optimized for high production and tuber quality; however, numerous environmental challenges remain if the industry is to achieve “green economy” targets, such as less resources utilized, and less nitrate leached to the environment. Strategic co-scheduling irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilization might increase resource use efficiency while minimizing reactive losses such as nitrate leaching. This study aimed to quantify the combined effect of irrigation and N fertilization on potato production, growth, and resource use efficiencies. A field experiment was conducted from 2017 to 2019 on a coarse sandy soil in Denmark, with a drought event occurring in 2018. Full (Ifull, maximized), deficit (Idef, 70–80 % of Ifull) and low irrigation treatments (Ilow, minimized amount to keep crop survival), each under full (Nfull, maximized) and variable (Nvar, variable amount according to the crops’ needs) N fertilization were applied. The analyses results show that Ilow limited potato growth under a drought-heat event; otherwise, potato growth was comparable between Ifull and Idef treatments, with 31–32 % higher irrigation efficiency (IE) under Idef than under Ifull. Nitrate leaching was variable and not significantly different among the treatments, being in general 9–13 % lower under Idef in absolute terms than under Ifull. Unexpectedly, outcomes from Nvar were statistically lower compared to those from Nfull. Radiation use efficiencies (RUEs) from Ilow and Nvar were significantly lower than from Ifull and Idef (14–19 %), and from Nfull (9–11 %). N use efficiencies (NUE) were comparable between N fertilization treatments but significantly different among different irrigation treatments. Overall, this study confirms that Idef is the best irrigation strategy. Future efforts should focus on developing improved approaches for detecting in-season crop N status and further quantifying N requirements, as well as promoting the co-scheduled management of irrigation and N fertilization. Remote sensing approaches have great potential to assist with this.
2025
Authors
Mette ThomsenAbstract
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Authors
Darius KviklysAbstract
No abstract has been registered