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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.

2023

To document

Abstract

Agricultural extension services are integral to technology adoption where they play a key role in delivering relevant agricultural information and technologies to farmers. In China, agricultural extension services are provided through experimentation, demonstration, training, and consulting. In Norway, agricultural extension is focused on collecting, developing, and coordinating agricultural knowledge to farmers. This chapter focuses on why agricultural extension is needed, how it is developed, and what services agricultural extension provides to its clients. It discusses experiences from China and Norway where agricultural extension has led to or is necessary for boosting agricultural productivity, increasing food security and safety, and improving the well-being of farmers.

2022

To document

Abstract

Soil fungi are vital for regulating ecosystem carbon balance and productivity, by driving processes related to soil carbon and nutrient cycling. The rate and capacity of fungi-mediated processes are linked to fungal biomass dynamics and identifying the drivers of fungal biomass is important for predicting ecosystem responses to environmental changes. Here, ergosterol-based fungal biomass estimates and ITS2-based fungal community composition profiles were used to assess biomass of fungal guilds. Effects of forest management (thinning), environmental factors (soil chemical properties, microclimate, weather and forest stand composition) and season were related to the fungal biomass dynamics to identify the guild-specific drivers of biomass. Biomass of most fungal guilds increased with nutrient availability (nitrogen and potassium in particular) and decreased with forest thinning, and variation in total biomass was mainly driven by variation in mycorrhizal biomass. Most fungal guilds reached a minimum in biomass during summer except for mycorrhizal and root-associated ascomycetes, which instead reached a minimum during winter. Mycorrhizal fungi and root-associated ascomycetes displayed similar spatiotemporal variability in biomass. Yeasts and moulds were the only fungi displaying strong linkages with microclimate, whereas pathogenic and moss-associated fungi largely diverged in their responses to the environmental factors. The results of our study highlight that environmental factors related to the availability of soil nutrients may have an overall stronger effect on variation in biomass of fungal guilds in Mediterranean Pinus pinaster forests than direct influences of microclimate, weather and forest management.

Abstract

We present an innovative value chain on upscaling and commercial production of carbonized bio-briquettes from agro-industrial waste (mainly a sugarcane bagasse), that aims at substituting a forest-based charcoal for household consumption and thus reduce deforestation. We demonstrate the three main pillars of the value-chain: (1). Empowering and capacity building of members of the cooperatives (mainly women), through developing technical skills, using and maintaining technologies and tools, ergonomics and safety, businesses and marketing. (2). Innovative locally built biowaste to biofuel conversion technologies. This are technologies for raw material (biowaste) preparation (transport, drying and storage), locally developing carbonization kilns of high efficiency and commercial volume, biochar production, selection of bio-based binders, local fabrication of briquetting machines, production of briquettes, drying and storage of briquettes. This section demonstrates (using videos and pictures) on how a daily briquettes production of 3-tons is achieved, with briquette qualities comparable to that of wood-based charcoal. We also demonstrate production of custom-made cookstoves for briquettes by modifying existing local cookstoves. Further, we demonstrate the amount of avoided deforestation through such innovative local approaches. (3). Business and market development: This aims at bringing green-jobs to villages in sustainable supply, distribution, and sales of clean locally produced bio-briquettes. The program enables capacity building of members of the cooperatives in business and marketing; building partnership with key market segments and cooperation with private sector such as distributors, consumers, lenders and banks. The complete value-chain is a result of a successful development and partnership program (2018-2021) supported by the government of Norway that involved Kenyan national institutions, local community cooperatives and international partners.