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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.

2024

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Abstract

The sustainable production of perennial grasses in Northern Norway is at risk due to the ongoing climate change. The predicted increase in temperatures and variable weather patterns are further expected to create challenges for winter survival of timothy (Phleum pratense L.). Knowledge about the molecular mechanisms underlying freezing tolerance is crucial for developing robust cultivars. The current study is aimed at identifying genes involved in freezing stress response of timothy and studying gene expression differentiation due to field selection in contrasting environments using RNAseq. Four timothy cultivars were field tested for three years in Tromsø and Vesterålen, in Northern Norway. The surviving material from the field tests, along with plants raised from the original seed lots, were subjected to freezing tests. LT50 values varied across cultivars and materials. Many genes coding for transcription factors and proteins known to play an important role in freezing tolerance, like dehydrins, c-repeat binding factors, and late embryogenesis abundant proteins were upregulated with decreasing temperatures. Moreover, genes associated with glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, TCA cycle, glutathione metabolism, proteasome pathways and genes encoding autophagy-related proteins, plasma membrane-associated proteins, sugar and amino acid transporters had elevated expression in field survivors compared to plants raised from the original material. The lower freezing stress tolerance of field survivors despite the elevated expression of several stress-responsive genes might be due to a combination of selection in the field and the age effect. Furthermore, differences in freezing stress response between northern and southern adapted cultivars and surviving material from two field trial locations are discussed.

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Abstract

In this work, 12 apple cultivars grown organically in three regions of Norway (Telemark, Ullensvang, Viken) were analyzed in terms of fruit quality, with the aim of equating different growing regions under specific climatic conditions. Apples were analyzed for concentration levels of minerals, sugars, sugar alcohols, organic acids, total phenolic content (TPC), radical scavenging activity (RSA), and phenolic profiles. Discovery “Rose” from Telemark stored the highest level of minerals (24,094.5 mg/kg dry weight). Glucose, fructose, sucrose, and sorbitol were the major carbohydrates, whereas the predominant organic acids were quinic acid and malic acid. Cultivar Discovery from Ullensvang had the highest TPC (9.22 g/kg) and RSA (229.32 mmol TE/kg). Of the polyphenols quantified, chlorogenic acid and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside were the most abounded, accounting for 85.50%. Principal component analysis (PCA) shows that the Ullensvang region is the richest source of most carbohydrates, organic acids (quinic, shikimic, and galacturonic), and most polyphenols, whereas the highest content of minerals and maleic acid characterized Viken. Regardless of location, the Discovery cultivar had, on average, the highest sugar and polyphenol contents. The results obtained suggest that organic apples from Norway are a rich source of beneficial compounds that can have a positive impact on human health. In addition, these results may be useful for consumers in identifying apple cultivars with desirable characteristics and for the fruit industry in tracing back the origin of apples. The findings could also be of great interest for locations with similar climate and soil conditions worldwide.

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Abstract

Forest soils harbor hyper-diverse microbial communities which fundamentally regulate carbon and nutrient cycling across the globe. Directly testing hypotheses on how microbiome diversity is linked to forest carbon storage has been difficult, due to a lack of paired data on microbiome diversity and in situ observations of forest carbon accumulation and storage. Here, we investigated the relationship between soil microbiomes and forest carbon across 238 forest inventory plots spanning 15 European countries. We show that the composition and diversity of fungal, but not bacterial, species is tightly coupled to both forest biotic conditions and a seven-fold variation in tree growth rates and biomass carbon stocks when controlling for the effects of dominant tree type, climate, and other environmental factors. This linkage is particularly strong for symbiotic endophytic and ectomycorrhizal fungi known to directly facilitate tree growth. Since tree growth rates in this system are closely and positively correlated with belowground soil carbon stocks, we conclude that fungal composition is a strong predictor of overall forest carbon storage across the European continent.

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Abstract

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Abstract

Gray mold, caused by Botrytis spp., is a serious problem in Norway spruce seedling production in forest nurseries. From 2013 to 2019, 125 isolates of Botrytis were obtained from eight forest nurseries in Norway: 53 from Norway spruce seedlings, 16 from indoor air, 52 from indoor surfaces, and four from weeds growing close to seedlings. The majority of isolates were identified as B. cinerea, and over 60% of these were characterized as Botrytis group S. B. pseudocinerea isolates were obtained along with isolates with DNA sequence similarities to B. prunorum. Fungicide resistance was assessed with a mycelial growth assay, and resistance was found for the following: boscalid (8.8%), fenhexamid (33.6%), fludioxonil (17.6%), pyraclostrobin (36.0%), pyrimethanil (13.6%), and thiophanate-methyl (50.4%). Many isolates (38.4%) were resistant to two to six different fungicides. A selection of isolates was analyzed for the presence of known resistance-conferring mutations in the cytb, erg27, mrr1, sdhB, and tubA genes, and mutations leading to G143A, F412S, ΔL497, H272R, and E198A/F200Y were detected, respectively. Detection of fungicide resistance in Botrytis from Norway spruce and forest nursery facilities reinforces the necessity of employing resistance management strategies to improve control and delay development of fungicide resistance in the gray mold pathogens.