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
Authors
May Bente Brurberg Anupam Gogoi Nina Elisabeth Nagy Mandeep Poudel Andre van Eerde Jahn DavikAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Forest tree seed orchards are artificial populations of genetically superior individuals that play a crucial role in the production of high-quality seeds for reforestation and afforestation programs worldwide. In the pre-genetic-marker era, seed orchards were assumed to act as closed, panmictic populations with equal reproductive success among parents and with no gene flow from external pollen sources. Meeting these assumptions would ensure that the genetic gain attained by breeding would be efficiently transmitted to the next generation, i.e., into seed orchard crops. Many studies published to date have shown that parental reproductive success may be highly variable and that gene flow from undesired pollen sources, a.k.a. pollen contamination, can be substantial. Since the realized genetic gain can be considerably reduced, it is important to monitor mating patterns in seed orchards and thereby control the genetic quality (gain and diversity) of their crops. With the development of genetic markers, the theoretical assumptions as well as the efficiency of measures proposed to enhance desired crosses and reduce pollen contamination in seed orchards could be verified. First attempts to unravel mating patterns and quantify pollen contamination in seed orchards date back to the late 1970s when allozyme markers were introduced. Allozymes remained in use for over two decades, but due to their low resolution, they were gradually replaced with much more powerful microsatellites (SSRs), which, along with the rapid evolution of various statistical approaches, were capable of providing a much more detailed picture of seed orchards’ mating dynamics through pedigree reconstruction. Recently, SNP arrays that have been (and are being) developed for a number of commercially important forest tree species make it possible to affordably and rapidly screen seed orchard seed lots and evaluate the orchards’ genetic efficiency.
Abstract
Tree size is one of the major factors that determines harvester productivity and is heavily influenced by forest managerial activities. Stand silvicultural management can lead to managing tree size, the distribution of tree size, and tree height amongst others. Understanding the effect of tree size distribution on harvesting productivity is central for optimizing management of operations. To investigate the effects of tree size distribution on harvester productivity, productivity functions for a medium and larger-sized harvester were applied to harvester derived tree size distributions from 35 clearfelled pine stands. These functions were applied to a normal distribution of trees covering the same tree size ranges. Productivity differences were analysed on a stand-by-stand basis. Results showed that for the larger harvester, productivity rates remained constant (67.1 vs. 67.6 m3·PMH− 1) indicating relatively little sensitivity to variations in tree size distributions. Although the standard deviation (SD) halved from 11.6 to 5.6 in the case of the uniform tree distribution. The smaller harvester productivity decreased by 15% from 47.3 to 40.1 m3·PMH− 1 and the coefficient of variation (CV) by 6% in the same transition to a uniform distribution. Further investigation was done on more skewed tree size distributions, a family of nine Weibull distributions was generated, representing combinations of three mean DBH classes (25 cm, 30 cm, and 35 cm) and three levels of CV (15%, 20%, 25%), for each DBH class. Results clearly indicate that different distribution shapes have different effects on different machine sizes, and that a low CV correlates to a higher productivity in larger tree sizes. A more uniform tree size distribution also provides more predictable results (lower CV), which would promote machine scheduling and result in fewer discrepancies on production rates.
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the main drivers behind summer farm tourism and the elements of summer farms and the summer farm experience that create value for tourists. The study contributes to the conceptualization of summer farm food consumption. By combining concepts used in the analysis of rural tourism, such as postmodernity and cultural heritage, with the hospitality-oriented Five Aspects Meal Model, we offer a new avenue to understand the drivers behind summer farm tourism. Empirically, the study contributes by bringing a hospitality perspective into research about rural tourism, thus offering new avenues for future research. The results show that intrinsic and extrinsic values (e.g. product-specific and non-product-specific characteristics) of summer farm products, along with a welcoming atmosphere, aspects related to the cultural and biological heritage of summer farms, the scenery, and the possibility of encountering real-life animals, are appreciated elements in creating consumer and tourist value. Tourists appreciate the simple rural experience and wish to preserve the cultural heritage embedded in summer farms. Furthermore, traditional elements of hospitality are highly conditioned by postmodern and cultural heritage values.
Authors
Kalkidan Ayele Mulatu Kaue de Sousa Mohammed Ebrahim An Notenbaert Wuletawu Abera Solomon Mwendia Eyuel Girmay Marit JørgensenAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Alternaria is a ubiquitous fungal genus with many allergenic and pathogenic species inhabiting grasslands. We hypothesise that grasslands (natural/man-made) host a diversity of fungal species whose spores have varying emission patterns. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the potential of grasslands for emission, diversity and composition of Alternaria and other fungal species. To test the hypothesis, Hirst-type and multi-vial Cyclone samplers collected air samples from two grassland sites (unmanaged and managed) and a non-grassland site at Lakeside campus of the University of Worcester, United Kingdom for the period May to September 2019. The unmanaged grassland was originally planted with grasses and left uncut for three years. The managed grassland was a roadside verge that was cut once every year, typically after most grasses have flowered. We used optical microscopy and Illumina MiSeq sequencing to investigate the emission, abundance, diversity and composition of the fungal spores from each site alongside meteorological variables. Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon tests examined differences in the bi-hourly Alternaria concentrations between the sites. Shannon's and Simpson's Index determined the diversity of the fungal spores between the unmanaged and non-grassland sites. The results showed that grasslands are a strong source of Alternaria spores with considerably higher numbers of clinically important days compared with the non-grassland site. The managed grassland varied in Alternaria spore emission pattern from the unmanaged, probably due to differences in environmental variables and cutting frequency. The unmanaged grassland and non-grassland sites showed a high diversity of fungi including Alternaria, Cladosporium, Ascochyta, Botrytis and Aureobasidium. Overall, the study shows that grasslands are a strong source of fungal spores with allergenic and pathogenic potential and have varying emission patterns, compared with nearby urban areas where monitoring stations are located. This information is useful for atmospheric modelling of airborne fungal spore sources and has implications for allergy sufferers in particular.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Shirin Mohammadi Morten Lillemo Åshild Gunilla Ergon Sahameh Shafiee Stefano Zanotto Jon Arne Dieseth Wendy Marie Waalen Chloé Grieu Anne Kjersti UhlenAbstract
This study evaluated 22 spring-type faba bean cultivars in the main areas for cultivation of faba bean in Norway to assess the variation of 14 faba bean traits due to cultivar (G), environment (E), and their interaction (G × E), and to assess their stability across environments by using the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis and coefficient of variation (CV). Significant G, E, and G × E effects were found for most traits, with environment accounting for much of the variance in yield and the growing degree days (GDD) to different developmental stages. Yield was highly correlated with thousand kernel weight (TKW) and GDD to BBCH 89 (maturation). The stability of the cultivars was studied for yield, TKW, and GDD to BBCH 89. Stability analysis using the AMMI stability value, yield stability index, CV, and the average sum of ranks identified Birgit, Stella, Bobas, and Macho as the most stable high-yielding cultivars across environments, achieving a mean yield of 6–6.4 tons ha−1. Bobas, Macho, Stella, and Yukon had the most stable TKW (612–699 g) and Bobas, Capri, Trumpet, and Vertigo were the most stable regarding GDD to BBCH 89 (1257°C days, with a base temperature of 5°C). These stable cultivars can be utilized in breeding programs to achieve high and stable faba bean yield in the main growing areas of Norway and other Nordic-Baltic countries.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Agampodi Gihan S. D. De Silva Z. K. Hashim Wogene Solomon Junbin Zhao Györgyi Kovács István M. Kulmány Zoltán MolnárAbstract
Agricultural soil has great potential to address climate change issues, particularly the rise in atmospheric CO2 levels. It offers effective remedies, such as increasing soil carbon content while lowering atmospheric carbon levels. The growing interest in inoculating soil with live microorganisms aims to enhance agricultural land carbon storage and sequestration capacity, modify degraded soil ecosystems, and sustain yields with fewer synthetic inputs. Agriculture has the potential to use soil microalgae as inoculants. However, the significance of these microorganisms in soil carbon sequestration and soil carbon stabilization under field conditions has yet to be fully understood. Large-scale commercial agriculture has focused on the development and use of inoculation products that promote plant growth, with a particular emphasis on enhancing yield attributes. Gaining more profound insights into soil microalgae’s role in soil carbon cycling is necessary to develop products that effectively support soil carbon sequestration and retention. This review comprehensively explores the direct and indirect mechanisms through which soil microalgae contribute to soil carbon sequestration, highlighting their potential as microbial inoculants in agricultural settings. This study underlines the need for more research to be conducted on microalgae inoculation into agricultural soil systems aimed at mitigating carbon emissions in the near future.