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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

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Abstract

Vertical agrivoltaics can help reduce land use competition by integrating food crop cultivation between rows of vertical solar panels. However, its agricultural viability is often questioned due to panel shading. This study demonstrates that wind sheltering from vertical solar panels not only can compensate for the shading losses but lead to net-positive yield changes in Northern Europe. Crops benefit from wind shelter through improved soil moisture retention, higher ambient temperatures, and protection from wind erosion and damage. This study quantified the combined shading and wind sheltering effects on timothy grass (Phleum pratense L.) yields within large-scale vertical agrivoltaics across Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Our modeling framework integrated ERA5 weather data (2010–2023), Computational Fluid Dynamics for wind simulation (OpenFOAM), ray tracing for shading analysis (Honeybee Radiance), and a crop growth simulation model (CATIMO). Additionally, ERA5 temperature data was adjusted to explore shelter-induced warming effects. In the simulation, vertical agrivoltaics decreased ground irradiation by 15–16 % and reduced seasonal mean crop zone wind speeds by up to 40 % (up to 88 % for perpendicular winds), lowering evapotranspiration. When combining shading, wind reduction, and a conservative +0.5 ◦C shelter-induced temperature increase, the model predicted an average regional yield increase of +2.4 % compared to traditional agriculture. Yield improvements were highest in drought-prone soils (+3.7 %) and dry, sunny years (e.g., +9.2 % in 2018). This suggests that vertical agrivoltaics improves agricultural resilience under challenging conditions. These findings demonstrate that agrivoltaic modeling, particularly for vertical systems, should incorporate wind shelter effects to avoid fundamentally underestimating crop yield potential.

Abstract

Chocolate spot (CS) is one of the most destructive diseases affecting faba beans worldwide, leading to yield reductions of up to 90% in susceptible cultivars under conducive environmental conditions. Traditionally, the disease has been attributed to the fungal pathogens Botrytis fabae and Botrytis cinerea, however recent studies have identified three additional Botrytis species capable of causing the disease. Fungicide applications during flowering are commonly used to control the disease and limit damage to pod set, but this approach is not always effective. The reasons for this lack of control are not fully understood. To increase our understanding of the CS species complex in Norway, we used species-specific PCR to identify different Botrytis species in symptomatic leaves collected at various locations and years. Some Botrytis species are known to be high-risk pathogens for fungicide resistance development, but resistance in Norwegian Botrytis populations in faba bean have not previously been studied. Therefore, we obtained Botrytis isolates from diseased leaves and used a mycelial growth assay to assess their response to the active ingredients (boscalid and pyraclostrobin) in the fungicide commonly used for CS control in Norway. Resistance to both boscalid and pyraclostrobin was detected among B. cinerea isolates, while only resistance to boscalid was detected among B. fabae isolates. To elucidate resistance mechanisms, we analyzed target gene sequences for the presence of mutations known to confer resistance to the two active ingredients. Field experiments were conducted to test the efficacy of various spray timings and fungicides in early and late faba bean varieties. Additionally, we are developing a disease risk model for CS to better understand the conditions that lead to disease and to improve the timing of fungicide applications.

Abstract

Chocolate spot (CS) is one of the most destructive diseases affecting faba beans worldwide, leading to yield reductions of up to 90% in susceptible cultivars under conducive environmental conditions. Traditionally, the disease has been attributed to the fungal pathogens Botrytis fabae and Botrytis cinerea, however recent studies have identified three additional Botrytis species capable of causing the disease. Fungicide applications during flowering are commonly used to control the disease and limit damage to pod set, but this approach is not always effective. The reasons for this lack of control are not fully understood. To increase our understanding of the CS species complex in Norway, we used species-specific PCR to identify different Botrytis species in symptomatic leaves collected at various locations and years. Some Botrytis species are known to be high-risk pathogens for fungicide resistance development, but resistance in Norwegian Botrytis populations in faba bean have not previously been studied. Therefore, we obtained Botrytis isolates from diseased leaves and used a mycelial growth assay to assess their response to the active ingredients (boscalid and pyraclostrobin) in the fungicide commonly used for CS control in Norway. Resistance to both boscalid and pyraclostrobin was detected among B. cinerea isolates, while only resistance to boscalid was detected among B. fabae isolates. To elucidate resistance mechanisms, we analyzed target gene sequences for the presence of mutations known to confer resistance to the two active ingredients. Field experiments were conducted to test the efficacy of various spray timings and fungicides in early and late faba bean varieties. Additionally, we are developing a disease risk model for CS to better understand the conditions that lead to disease and to improve the timing of fungicide applications.