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.
2023
Editors
Giuseppe E. Scarascia-Mugnozza Vicente Guallart Fabio Salbitano Giovanna Ottaviani Aalmo Stefano BoeriAbstract
This edited volume centers around the concept of BioCities, which aim to unify nature and urban spaces in order to reverse the effects of global climate change and inequity. Following this principle, the authors propose multiple approaches for sustainable city growth. The discussed concepts are not only relevant for newly constructed cities, but offer transformative perspectives for existing settlements as well. Placing nature at the forefront of city planning is not an entirely new concept, so the authors build on established ideas like the garden city, green city, eco-city, or smart city. All chapters aim to highlight aspects to develop a city that is a resilient nature-based socio-ecological system. Many of these concepts were formed in an effort to copy the best traits of a forest ecosystem: a home for many different species that build complex communities. Much like many of our forests, urban areas are managed by humans for multifunctional purposes, using living and abiotic components. This viewpoint helps to understand the potential and limitations of sustainable growth. With these chapters, the authors want to inspire planners, ecologists, urban foresters and decision makers of the future.
Authors
Odd Arne Rognli Trygve S. Aamlid Muath K Alsheikh Helga Amdahl Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Kristoffer Herland Hellton Marit Jørgensen Mallikarjuna Rao Kovi Therese Mæland Akhil Reddy Pashapu Ievina Sturite Thordis Linda Thorarinsdottir Susanne Skinnehaugen WindjuAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Siv Mari Aurdal Tomasz Leszek Woznicki Trond Haraldsen Krzysztof Kusnierek Anita Sønsteby Siv Fagertun RembergAbstract
Cultivation of strawberries in greenhouses and polytunnels is increasing, and new sustainable growing media are needed to replace peat and coconut coir. This study investigated the effect of wood fiber and compost as growing media on hydroponically cultivated strawberries. Two experiments were conducted, where the everbearing cultivar ‘Murano’ was grown in mixtures of wood fiber and compost (Experiment 1) and the seasonal flowering cultivar ‘Malling Centenary’ was grown in mixtures of wood fiber and peat (Experiment 2). Additionally, in Experiment 2, the effect of adding start fertilizer was assessed. The yield potential of ‘Murano’ plants was maintained in all substrates compared to the coconut coir control. However, a mixture of 75% wood fiber and 25% compost produced the highest yield, suggesting that mixtures of nutritious materials with wood fiber may improve plant performance. The chemical composition of the berries was not affected by the substrate composition; however, berries from plants grown in the best performing blend had a lower firmness than those grown in coconut coir. ‘Malling Centenary’ plants produced higher yields in substrates enriched with start fertilizer. Generally, the productivity of ‘Malling Centenary’ plants was maintained in blends containing up to 75% of wood fiber mixture even without start fertilizer.
Authors
Eva Farkas Teresa Gómez de la Bárcena Tatiana Francischinelli Rittl Trond Henriksen Peter Dörsch Sigrid Trier Kjær Randi Berland FrøsethAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Tatiana Francischinelli Rittl Teresa Gómez de la Bárcena Eva Farkas Trond Henriksen Sigrid Trier Kjær Peter Dörsch Randi Berland FrøsethAbstract
In Norway, cover crops were introduced to prevent loss of nitrogen and phosphorous from fields to waterways. Today, cover crops are also used to restore soil organic matter and improve soil health. Yet, the direction and magnitude of these effects are variable, and little is known about the persistence of the C derived from the cover crops in the soil. In the CAPTURE project, we evaluated the soil C sequestration potential from different cover crops used in the main cereal production areas in Norway. To do so, we used pulse labelling with 13C (CO2) to label four different cover crop species Italian ryegrass, phacelia, oilseed radish and summer vetch through their growing period. Cover crops were grown in a monoculture to enable the labelling. The results of the first year of the experiment show that cover crops produced 10- 14 Mg ha-1 above ground biomass, corresponding to 4-6 Mg C ha-1. At the end of the growing season, 3-5% of cover crop C was found in the soil particulate organic matter (POM) fraction and 2-4% in the soil mineral organic matter fraction (MAOM). In the following years, the fate of C derived from the cover crops in the soil will be determined. Furthermore, the soil C sequestration of the different cover crops will be scaled to barley plots in the same experiment, to which cover crops had been undersown in spring or summer. In these plots, N2O emissions have been measured through the whole year. The greenhouse gas trade-offs of cover crops in Norwegian cereal production will be estimated.
Authors
Kristoffer Herland Hellton Helga Amdahl Thordis Thorarinsdottir Muath K Alsheikh Trygve S. Aamlid Marit Jørgensen Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Odd Arne RognliAbstract
The perennial forage grass timothy (Phleum pratense L.) is the most important forage crop in Norway. Future changes in the climate will affect growing conditions and hence the yield output. We used data from the Norwegian Value for Cultivation and Use testing to find a statistical prediction model for total dry matter yield (DMY) based on agro-climatic variables. The statistical model selection found that the predictors with the highest predictive power were growing degree days (GDD) in July and the number of days with rain (>1mm) in June–July. These predictors together explained 43% of the variability in total DMY. Further, the prediction model was combined with a range of climate ensembles (RCP4.5) to project DMY of timothy for the decades 2050–2059 and 2090–2099 at 8 locations in Norway. Our projections forecast that DMY of today’s timothy varieties may decrease substantially in South-Eastern Norway, but increase in Northern Norway, by the middle of the century, due to increased temperatures and changing precipitation patterns.
Authors
Alice Budai Daniel Rasse Teresa Gómez de la Bárcena Hugh Riley Vegard Martinsen Ievina Sturite Adam Thomas O'Toole Samson Øpstad Thomas CottisAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Tage Thorstensen Johanna Eva Bodin Nur Duale Johan Johansen Volha Shapaval Øystein Sæle Anne-Marthe Ganes Jevnaker Ville Erling Sipinen Kristian Prydz Kaja Helvik SkjærvenAbstract
The Norwegian Scientific Committee for food an Environment (VKM) has assessed an application for authorisation of refined oilseed rape oil (Aquaterra®) derived from genetically modified oilseed rape line NS-B50027-4 for exclusive use as an ingredient in fish feed in Norway. NS-B50027-4 is also named DHA-canola. This report uses the term oilseed rape. NS-B50027-4 produces omega-3 long-chain (≥C20) polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 LC-PUFAs) in its seeds, with a high level of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and a small amount of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA). Aquaterra® also contains a significant level of alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA). Whereas ALA can be derived from plants, the primary producers of EPA and DHA are mainly marine microalgae. EPA and DHA are concentrated in the food chain to fish in the oceans and are often referred to as marine omega-3 fatty acids. NS-B50027-4 was developed as an alternative land-based source of marine fatty acids, mainly DHA. NS-B50027-4 was genetically modified to express seven transgenes derived from yeasts and marine microalgae that encode the enzymes necessary for the biosynthesis of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, an eighth gene, pat, was inserted as a marker for selection purposes during development. The pat gene encodes the enzyme phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase (PAT) conferring tolerance to glufosinate-ammonium herbicides. Equally to conventional refined oilseed rape oils any residues levels of proteins, including the introduced enzymes, will be negligible in the Aquaterra® oil. The risk assessment of Aquaterra® was conducted in accordance with the guidance for risk assessment of derived food and feed from genetically modified plants as described by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA, 2011a). The risk assessment is based primarily on scientific documentation provided in the application EFSA-GMO-NL-2019-160, which seeks approval for NS-B50027-4 for all applicable food and feed uses in the European Union (EU). VKM concludes that the provided scientific documentation fulfills the criteria of the EFSA guidance and is adequate for risk assessment. VKM concludes that the molecular characterisation, comparative, nutritional, toxicological and allergenicity assessments of NS-B50027-4 do not indicate increased risks to animal or human health compared to its conventional counterpart (comparator) or commercial reference varieties. Based on this together with specific analyses of the seed oil fraction and studies, e.g., in fish, VKM therefore concludes that the refined oil Aquaterra®, is equal to conventional oils from oilseed rape except for the altered composition in fatty acids. VKM concludes there is no increased health risk to fish fed Aquaterra® in feed compared to conventional feeds with oils from other sources, nor is there an indication of increased risk to the environment. Since Aquaterra® is equal to conventional oils from oilseed rape except for the marine omega-3 fatty acids already present in fish feeds, VKM concludes there is no greater need for health or environmental monitoring of feeds containing Aquaterra® than conventional feeds.
Abstract
This report shows results from an experiment where it was investigated whether a powder of freeze-dried microalgae (Phaeodactylum tricornutum) had a biostimulating effect on the growth and content of nutrients and antioxidants in basil (Ocimum basilicum). The effect of the microalgae powder was tested as a supplement to either mineral fertilizer or a commercial organic fertilizer. We found no significant effect on the yield of applied microalgae powder, but there was a tendency for a higher yield with added microalgae powder for the treatment with organic fertiliser. This may be due to additional nitrogen supply with the microalgae powder. With mineral fertiliser, there was the opposite tendency, highest yield without microalgae powder. The only statistically significant effect of the microalgae powder was an increase in the concentration of boron for the treatment with organic fertiliser. This was probably an effect of a significant additional supply of boron with the microalgae biomass. There was a tendency for an increased concentration of copper with the addition of microalgae powder with both mineral and organic fertiliser, although the additional copper supply with the microalgae powder was small. With organic fertiliser, there was also a tendency towards increased phosphorus and potassium concentrations with the addition of microalgae powder. This could be a biostimulating effect as the additional phosphorus and potassium supply with the microalgae powder was small, but as mentioned, the effect was not statistically significant. We found no significant differences between the treatments for total antioxidant content.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered