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.
2025
Forfattere
Ghulam Qasim Khan Dejan Dragan Miladinovic Puchun Niu Eddy Weurding Jos van Hees Martha Irene Grøseth Egil PrestløkkenSammendrag
This article synthesizes evidence on how screw-extrusion followed by pelleting can tailor compound feeds to improve nutrient use in ruminants. Extrusion can produce pellets with targeted density and fluid stability by altering starch gelatinization, protein functionality, and fiber structure, potentially shifting rumen degradation kinetics and nutrient flow to the intestine. This article identifies extruder settings needed to achieve the desired pellet density and fluid stability for rumen control, and defines and evaluates ruminant-specific physical properties of extruded feed pellets.
Sammendrag
ABSTRACT Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) ranks among the top three health threats facing the EU. The AMR crisis is characterized as a “creeping crisis” and refers to the development where the increase in AMR causes antibiotics to lose their efficiency and effect—potentially causing millions of deaths. This article explores the EU's efforts to manage the AMR crisis by linking and coordinating different policy sectors. It assumes that institutional factors at the meso‐level, that is, at the level where political strategies are transformed into action, are key to ensure coordination across policy‐sectors and thus successful implementation of inter‐sectorial AMR policies. Drawing on literature on historical institutionalism, we analyze the development of institutional conditions for coordinating the three key sectors of AMR‐governance in the EU: the human health, veterinary, and environmental sectors. The starting point is the observation that the latter sector is considerably less integrated into AMR governance than the other two sectors. The article describes and explains how institutional developments at the meso‐level of AMR governance in the EU (European Commission Directorate‐Generals (DGs), EU agencies) contribute to an inter‐sectoral coordination deficit, or a “blind spot,” in the combat against AMR.
Forfattere
Erlend Hustad Honningdalsnes Erik Stensrud Marstein Dag Lindholm Helge Bonesmo Heine Nygard RiiseSammendrag
No abstract has been registered
Sammendrag
Abstract Semi‐natural grasslands are recognized as important habitat for bumblebees in Fennoscandia. These grasslands are maintained by free‐ranging sheep, but it is unclear which sheep intensities are most beneficial to bumblebees. We will compare bumblebee species richness and abundance with Bayesian mixed models at varying levels of disturbance by sheep to test the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis, while considering other important habitat variables: distance to forest, meadow size, sward height, and availability of flowers, litter and bare soil. Practical Implication: Results of this investigation will provide valuable information to land managers setting limits for the number of free‐ranging sheep released on semi‐natural grasslands within the coniferous boreal landscape to benefit bumblebee conservation.
Sammendrag
Soil pH is one of the properties that determines the levels of bioavailability of macro- and micronutrients for plant roots. Apple rootstocks are the interface by which these nutrients are absorbed and shuttled to grafted scions. Our experiment was aimed at understanding the phenotypic and underlying genotypic variation of apple roots interacting with the same soil amended to five pH levels (4.5, 5.5, 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5) by monitoring growth and leaf nutrient concentrations (Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Zn, and Ni) of one-year-old ‘Golden Delicious’ trees grafted on 28 different apple rootstocks. Data were analyzed as a full factorial of pH and rootstock type. Soil pH amendment was successful as least squares means for the pH main effect displayed expected nutrient content curves for Mo (increasing with higher pH) and for Mn (decreasing with higher pH). ANOVA showed significance for main effects (pH and rootstock type) while the interaction (pH × rootstock type) was significant only for Mo. Both main effects were significant for Mn, P, and Ca whereas pH was significant for Fe and rootstock type was significant for Cu, Zn, and S. No significant effects were observed for Na, Ni and K. Multivariate analyses using rootstock genotype LS means revealed diverse correlation (pairwise Pearson) patterns when the data were analyzed as a whole or split by pH treatment levels. For example, the genotypic similarity (Pearson pairwise) between K and Mo was not significant at pH level 4.5 (r=-0.342 and p=0.109) whereas at pH 8.5 such relationship was highly correlated (r=-0.547 and p=0.006). Similar results were observed among other nutrients. Dual hierarchical clustering (Ward) displayed different number and composition of clusters according to pH where two main clusters were observed for pH 4.5 and three main clusters for the other pH levels. Rootstocks G.41, G.890, MM.111 and G.935 were tightly clustered at pH 7.5 whereas at pH 5.5 they all fell into different clusters. These results suggest the individuality of the interaction of each rootstock with pH levels with implications on fertilizer management practices and optimum pH and planting amendments specific for rootstock type.
Sammendrag
European livestock sectors rely heavily on imported protein feeds, presenting challenges regarding sustainability and supply security. Green biorefineries (GBR) represent a local alternative where protein concentrates are extracted from grassland crops, but the environmental performance of these systems depends on feedstock cultivation practices. This study combined field trials and life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify how nitrogen (N) fertilization rates, clover inclusion rates, and feedstock management (fresh vs. ensiled) affect dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) biomass yields, as well as subsequent climate impact, and agricultural land use of GBR products. The results reveal that N fertilization during cultivation of feedstock biomass plays a critical role in the climate impact of green biorefining, and that including legumes enhances GBR sustainability. Increasing N fertilization from 0 to 240 kg N ha−1 in red clover–grass swards increased DM and CP biomass yields but also increased soil N₂O emissions and upstream fertilizer burdens. Under no N fertilizer treatment, biological N fixation supported high yields, resulting in the lowest net climate footprint in the ensuing LCA of the GBR process. However, this treatment also required around 60 % more land than the high N treatment. Processing ensiled feedstock further reduced the climate impact compared to fresh biomass by retaining more CP in the liquid fraction and eliminating several biorefinery steps. However, this benefit in this case was linked to the use of the liquid phase rather than ensiling itself, and similar outcomes could be achieved with fresh biomass if processed accordingly and used immediately after production. Future work must expand system boundaries to include transport, storage, and animal-feeding stages, and develop farm-level strategies that align GBR practices with regional conditions.
Forfattere
Elena Arrigoni Ruairi Hafferty-Hay Pino-Raquel Bodas Liv Guri Velle Kerry Bradshaw Zeren Yang Amanda Cooper Tim Wilkinson Jeffrey G. Duckett Silvia Pressel Rachael Howlett Justin Moat Susan Zappala Martin I. Bidartondo Laura M. Suz Jill KowalSammendrag
Heathlands are among the most iconic habitats in Northern Europe, with 20% of the world’s total area in the UK. Their wide, open landscape is dominated by low-growing Ericaceae shrubs and associated ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) fungi on nutrient poor, acidic, dry or waterlogged, organic soils. ErM fungi enable N and phosphorus uptake by their plant hosts in exchange for carbon, playing a crucial role in nutrient cycling and contributing to carbon stocks. These fungi also form intimate associations with the rhizoids of several leafy liverworts, including the widespread heathland liverwort Cephaloziella divaricata. In the 20th Century, nitrogen (N) pollution alongside urbanisation and tree encroachment, have severely impacted heathlands, contributing to their sharp decline. The effects of N pollution on heathland vegetation are well documented, with useful indicators including lichens and bryophytes. However, little is known about how the soil microbiome, including mycorrhizal-forming fungi, is impacted by N pollution. Also lacking is understanding of how heathland might recover; with N pollution now declining across parts of Europe, there is demand from managers and policymakers for novel indicators of heathland recovery. Our research investigates responses of ErM fungi to, and recovery from N pollution, and evaluates their suitability as recovery indicators. 18In 2021, we reinstated a dormant experiment in a dry heathland at Thursley National Nature Reserve (Surrey, UK) where N additions ceased in 2010. Results showed lingering effects of N additions on heather vegetation, moss ground cover, lichen communities, soil chemistry and soil fungal communities, while a negative trend was observed in root ErM colonisation in N-treated plots. In 2023, we established thirty new plots, 15 fertilised with 30 kg/ha of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), and 15 as controls. To account for plant age, 20 plots were located within mature C. vulgaris stands, and 10 on pioneer vegetation (wildfires occurred in 2006 and 2020, respectively). Combining eDNA techniques and microscopy, we are monitoring ErM root and rhizoid colonisation in C. vulgaris and C. divaricata respectfully, diversity of fungal communities in roots and soil, and soil fungal biomass. A lichen survey was conducted to assess differences in postfire recovery. Vegetation structure and biomass changes are monitored with LiDAR, RGB and multispectral drone imaging to develop a complementary carbon calculation method. We also sampled six coastal heathlands in Norway, along a south-north N deposition gradient (1-6 kg N/ha/yr), and a comparable wet heathland at Thursley (13 kg N/ha/yr) to investigate potential mycorrhizal indicators of healthy heathlands below the N critical load. Preliminary results show ErM fungi are more diverse than expected, with ongoing analyses linking root colonisation to N deposition and climate data to understand heathland recovery and identify potential nitrophilic and nitrophobic ErM fungi as recovery indicators.
Sammendrag
In this article we show benefits of quota flexibility in a single-stock fishery model where one of the firms is allowed to behave strategically in the trading of quotas while other firms in the fishery are price takers. The ex-vessel price for fish is assumed constant. Quota flexibility is implemented through a settlement at the end of each regulation period. In that settlement firms having unused quotas are compensated by a subsidy, while those who have quota shortfalls are obligated to pay a tax. For the same deviation the tax is higher than the reward. Former literature shows that market power under a traditional ITQ system can lead to inefficiencies. However, losses due to market power can be subdued when quotas are more flexible. A simple argument to account for this view is that the competitive fringe of firms in the flexible case have the option to make use of the tax/reward system. Thus, rather than being exploited by the price manipulating firm the competitive fringe might find it better to deviate from the 1:1 “quota — realized catches”- relationship that characterizes competitive equilibrium.
Sammendrag
In this article we show benefits of quota flexibility in a single-stock fishery model where one of the firms is allowed to behave strategically in the trading of quotas while other firms in the fishery are price takers. The ex-vessel price for fish is assumed constant. Quota flexibility is implemented through a settlement at the end of each regulation period. In that settlement firms having unused quotas are compensated by a subsidy, while those who have quota shortfalls are obligated to pay a tax. For the same deviation the tax is higher than the reward. Former literature shows that market power under a traditional ITQ system can lead to inefficiencies. However, losses due to market power can be subdued when quotas are more flexible. A simple argument to account for this view is that the competitive fringe of firms in the flexible case have the option to make use of the tax/reward system. Thus, rather than being exploited by the price manipulating firm the competitive fringe might find it better to deviate from the 1:1 “quota — realized catches”- relationship that characterizes competitive equilibrium.
Forfattere
Lampros LamprinakisSammendrag
No abstract has been registered