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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.

2017

Abstract

Pre-sprouting of potato seed tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.) in light (greensprouting) is an established practice in short growing seasons to speed up plant development. Light exposure secures short and robust sprouts for mechanical planting. In 2014–2015, different pre-sprouting treatments were investigated, including different daily durations of light exposure during 6 to 12 weeks at 10 °C in controlled environments. The effects on sprout growth, early growth vigour and field performance in four cultivars were assessed in the greenhouse and in the field. Results indicated that the light treatments involving 8, 16 and 24 h light exposure per day all strongly inhibited sprout growth, with only minor differences between treatments. Compared to untreated tubers, within all cultivars, emergence and early plant growth was clearly and similarly accelerated by all light treatments. At harvest, cultivars were differently affected by the pre-sprouting treatments with regard to haulm senescence (greenness), tuber DM and total yield, and the latest cultivars seemed to benefit more from green-sprouting than the earliest. Different daily durations of light exposure during green-sprouting had a largely similar impact on seed tuber performance in all cultivars. Dark-sprouted tubers (de-sprouted before planting) performed largely similar to control tubers from 4 °C storage. Results demonstrate a potential for shorter daily light exposure during greensprouting with less energy use and heating problems.

To document

Abstract

Limited information is available on the extent to which blankets are used on horses and the owners’ reasoning behind clipping the horse’s coat. Research on the effects of those practices on horse welfare is scarce but results indicate that blanketing and clipping may not be necessary from the horse’s perspective and can interfere with the horse’s thermoregulatory capacities. Therefore, this survey collected robust, quantitative data on the housing routines and management of horses with focus on blanketing and clipping practices as reported by members of the Swedish and Norwegian equestrian community. Horse owners were approached via an online survey, which was distributed to equestrian organizations and social media. Data from 4,122 Swedish and 2,075 Norwegian respondents were collected, of which 91 and 84% of respondents, respectively, reported using blankets on horses during turnout. Almost all respondents owning warmblood riding horses used blankets outdoors (97% in Sweden and 96% in Norway) whereas owners with Icelandic horses and coldblood riding horses used blankets significantly less (P < 0.05). Blankets were mainly used during rainy, cold, or windy weather conditions and in ambient temperatures of 10°C and below. The horse’s coat was clipped by 67% of respondents in Sweden and 35% of Norwegian respondents whereby owners with warmblood horses and horses primarily used for dressage and competition reported clipping the coat most frequently. In contrast to scientific results indicating that recovery time after exercise increases with blankets and that clipped horses have a greater heat loss capacity, only around 50% of respondents agreed to these statements. This indicates that evidence-based information on all aspects of blanketing and clipping has not yet been widely distributed in practice. More research is encouraged, specifically looking at the effect of blankets on sweaty horses being turned out after intense physical exercise and the effect of blankets on social interactions such as mutual grooming. Future efforts should be tailored to disseminate knowledge more efficiently, which can ultimately stimulate thoughtful decision-making by horse owners concerning the use of blankets and clipping the horse’s coat.

To document

Abstract

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Dalmannsdottir, S., Jørgensen, M., Rapacz, M., Østrem, L., Larsen, A., Rødven, R. & Rognli, O. A. (2017). Cold acclimation in warmer extended autumns impairs freezing tolerance of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and timothy (Phleum pratense). Physiologia Plantarum: An International Journal for Plant Biology, 160(3), 266-281, which has been published in final form at <a href=http://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.12548> http://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.12548.</a> This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.