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
Abstract
This report presents results from apple cultivar testing at NIBIO Ullensvang during 2016–2024. In total, 23 cultivars and advanced selections were evaluated for flowering, harvest time, yield, tree efficiency, fruit quality, and potential storage performance. Clear differences were found among cultivars in productivity and market suitability. ‘Fonn’ and ‘Jonagold Decosta Robijn’ were the most promising cultivars, combining high and stable yields, good fruit quality, and attractive fruit size. Both of them can be recommended for further commercial testing in a wide scale. Cultivar ‘Santana’ showed value as a niche cultivar because of its stable yield, scab resistance, and suitability for low-allergen and organic production, although its relatively high acidity reduced taste scores. Small fruited cultivar ‘Early Crunch’ produces very tasteful fruits and may have potential in the snack-apple segment.
Authors
S. Ellen Macdonald Anne C. S. McIntosh Selena Schut Samuel Bartels Seung-Il Lee Elvira Baisheva Jeff Battigelli Erin Bayne Yves Bergeron Mathieu Bouchard Brendan Casey Mats Dynesius I. Tanya Handa Joakim Hjältén Kristoffer Hylander Matti Koivula Jari Kouki Therese Löfroth Asko Lõhmus Anders Nielsen Sonya Odsen Manuela Panzacchi Jaime Pinzon Peter B. Reich Pavel Shirokikh Ekaterina Shorohova Ilkka Vanha-Majamaa Lisa Venier Tim Work Linhao WuAbstract
Boreal forests are important reservoirs of biodiversity, carbon and timber stocks. However, timber harvest can alter biodiversity in these forests without clear evidence on the duration needed for biotic groups to recover. Resilience of boreal forest biodiversity to clear-cut harvest was examined with a meta-analysis of 190 datasets from boreal and hemi-boreal forests of Europe/Russia and North America for arthropods, birds, small mammals, lichens, bryophytes and vascular plants. We modelled similarity of community composition between harvested and unharvested stands versus years post harvest. In approximately half of cases, predicted times for recovery to pre-harvest composition were ≤30 years. In other cases, recovery took much longer or had not occurred within the timeframe of our data; for example, in conifer forest: >100 years (bryophytes), >55 years (small mammals), ~95 years (lichens) and ~85 years (vascular plants). Saproxylic beetles showed no resilience within the 16 (conifer forest) or 29 (mixed forest) years post harvest for which we had data. Recovery generally took longer in conifer and mixed than in broadleaf forests, which always showed either resistance (bryophytes, vascular plants) or resilience with recovery within 12–25 years. Conserving biodiversity in boreal forests will require extended rotations, management for ‘old forest’ structural elements and areas protected from harvesting.
Abstract
Conference paper presenting rumen degradation and in vitro gas production characteristics of grass-clover pulp silage compared with conventional grass-clover silage.
Abstract
Within the EUFRIN apple rootstock trials, seven apple rootstocks are being tested for their resistance to ARD (apple replant disease) in several European countries. The current paper focuses on the effects of rootstock and soil type (ARD vs. fresh soil) on the accumulation of phenolic compounds in apple fruit. This research was performed at the Lithuanian trial site. Accumulation of phenolic compounds in fruit tissues was enhanced in replanted soil. On average, total phenol content in fruit flesh increased by 25%, and in fruit peel by 31%. Hyperoside and rutin in fruit flesh, and hyperoside, reynoutrin, phloridzin, and procyanidin C1 were the most variable among detected phenolic compounds, and their content in fruits from ARD soil was by 50-77% higher than in fruits from the fresh soil. The content of (-)-epicatechin in fruit flesh and (+)-catechin and procyanidin B1 in fruit peel was similar in both ARD and fresh soil. Rootstock had a significant effect on phenolic compound accumulation, but this effect was modified by soil conditions. Soil type had no effect on total phenol accumulation in fruits (flesh and peel) grown on Pajam 2 rootstock. Also, a stable phenol content in fruit flesh was on G.11 and M200 rootstocks, and in fruit peel on G.41. The highest increase of total phenol content at replant conditions was recorded on B.10 (by 66% in flesh and 60% in peel) and on G.935 (by 68% in flesh and 47% in peel) rootstocks.
Abstract
The successful introduction of new cultivars requires proper pomological, phenological, and technological evaluation. It is particularly important in the harsh Norwegian climate conditions. Investigations were conducted with apple cultivar ‘Eden’/‘Wursixo’ (WUR 6), to establish an optimal balance between yield, fruit quality, and bearing regularity. Four different crop load levels were tested in 3 consecutive years in the orchard, planted 3.5×1 m and trained as a slender spindle. Lower crop load levels guaranteed good return bloom, a very high share of fruits harvested during the first picking, and larger fruits. Increasing crop load led to less intensive return bloom, smaller fruit sizes, and a higher share of fruits harvested during the second picking. It was found that ‘Eden’ is strictly alternating cultivar and precise crop load levels according to the tree age and tree vigour were defined. In order to keep ‘Eden’ trees in regular bearing mode, crop load levels should be maintained at 4.5-5 fruits cm‑2 of trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) in the 3rd and 6-7 fruits in the 4th growing season.
Authors
Till SeehusenAbstract
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Authors
Bienson Ceasar V. Narvarte Shienna Mae C. Gonzaga Lourie Ann R. Hinaloc Jonh Rey L. Gacura Emmanuel M. Mendoza Ronel T. Aguilar Bea A. Crisostomo Michael RoledaAbstract
Betaphycus gelatinus is a red seaweed with emerging commercial interest due to its potential as a source of high-quality carrageenan and bioactive compounds. Despite its promise, there remains a lack of established cultivation techniques for this species. Here, we provided a comprehensive assessment of the strain-specific performance of B. gelatinus grown in land-based cultivation systems, focusing on growth and its seasonality, morphological transformation, and a snapshot biochemical analysis at the end of a one-year cultivation period. Three B. gelatinus strains, namely KU9-PGD, KG1-PGD, and K-PGD, were collected from field and maintained in a land-based culture system. Significant differences in growth rates were observed among strains, with generally higher values recorded during the inter- and southwest monsoon (0.78 – 3.09, 1.74 – 4.41, and 1.79 – 5.45% d−1, respectively) compared to northeast monsoon (0.49 – 1.44, 1.25 – 2.12, and 1.20 – 3.97% d−1, respectively). Among the three strains, K-PGD exhibited the most robust growth, underscoring the importance of strain selection in optimizing biomass yield. Growth rates also varied between cultivation systems, with glass aquaria (1.30 – 2.87% d−1) promoting higher growth rates than concrete tanks (1.15 – 1.75% d−1). The domestication of B. gelatinus resulted in morphological transformation where changes in branching, pigmentation, and thallus surface features emerged compared to their respective original wild forms. During the southwest monsoon sampling, biochemical profiles (pigments, carbohydrates, proteins) of the three strains remained relatively uniform under controlled conditions. These results affirm the potential of B. gelatinus as a viable crop for future commercial mariculture and provide valuable baseline information for developing cultivation protocols and selecting high-performing strains for large-scale production.