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.
2016
Abstract
The density and diversity of springtails (Collembola) in the upper soil layer (0–3.8 cm) were studied in a perennial grass-clover ley in NW Norway during April–June 2012. The study was part of a field experiment comparing yields and soil characteristics after application of non-digested slurry (NS) versus anaerobically digested slurry (DS) from dairy cows. In total for three sampling dates, 39 species of springtails were identified. In the Control plots receiving no manure, the density level was around 30 000 individuals (ind.) m−2 throughout the whole season. Three days after slurry application (40 t ha−1), the density of springtails had dropped significantly; from 55 214 to 7410 ind. m−2 in the NS treatment and from 41 914 to 10 260 ind. m−2 in the DS treatment. After 7 weeks the densities had increased again to 54% and 38% of the initial levels in NS and DS treatments, respectively. The springtails were divided into two ecological groups based on morphology and colour. The epigeic group comprised surface-dwelling species with eye organs and pigmentation. The endogeic group comprised soil-dwelling species lacking eye organs and pigmentation, and generally with shorter extremities than those found in the epigeic group. The negative effect of manure application on density was more severe and long-lasting in the epigeic than in the endogeic group. This effect was similar for both manure types. One species (Parisotoma notabilis) comprised 50% of the epigeic population, while three Mesaphorura spp. and Stanaphorura lubbocki comprised half the endogeic population. In general, the community structure, described by the relative abundance of each species, was more affected by manure application in the epigeic than in the endogeic group. Hence, slurry application seemed to affect surface-dwelling species more negatively than soil- dwelling species, even within the small sampling depth used here. The density of endogeic species seemed to recover faster than the density of the epigeic species. A simplified classification of epigeic and endogeic springtails, based on the presence or absence of pigmentation and eyes, may be useful in studies of soil springtails where identification of the actual species is not the primary purpose.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Nicholas ClarkeAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Nicholas ClarkeAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Nicholas ClarkeAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
The effect of fertility status and temperature conditions during floral induction on flowering, berry yield,and weight and drupelet numbers of individual berries were studied in ‘Glen Ample’ raspberries grownunder controlled conditions. Withdrawal of normal fertilization prior to and at various stages duringfloral induction did not affect yield and berry size, but marginally advanced flowering and fruit ripening.The successive stages of floral initiation and differentiation were studied and identified by scanning elec-tron microscopy of the uppermost lateral buds of plants grown for six weeks under naturally decreasingautumn photoperiods at temperatures of 9, 15 and 21◦C. Low temperature advanced floral initiation, andadvanced and enhanced flowering and berry yield in the following season. However, at variance fromearlier studies, the plants eventually initiated flower primordia even at 21◦C. Marginal low temperatureand short day conditions during the last days before the temperature treatments were started on 17September might possibly have reduced the subsequent induction requirements enough to explain thisunexpected result. Correlation analyses revealed an over-all positive correlation between fruit weightand drupelet numbers (r = 0.568, P = 0.01). In berries from the early harvests, the number of drupelets perberry increased with decreasing temperature, while the numbers converged to the same level regardlessof temperature in the later harvests. Based on the progress of the floral initiation process at the vari-ous temperatures, we interpret this to mean that only the early initiated flowers, that gave rise to theearly maturing berries, were differentiated during the actual period of controlled temperature exposure,whereas the remaining flowers were differentiated afterwards when all plants were exposed to identicallow temperature conditions. Increased femaleness under optimal floral induction conditions is in agree-ment with results in both monoecious and dioecious plants and circumstantial evidence suggest that,in the raspberry, this might be mediated by changes in gibberellin activity which acts as a male sexualhormone in plants and is known to inhibit growth cessation and floral initiation in raspberry.
Abstract
The European plum cultivar 'Opal', widely grown in Scandinavia, frequently initiates too many flowers and set too many fruits. If excess fruitlets remain on the trees until harvest, the crop consists of small, unmarketable fruits of low fruit quality and return bloom will be reduced. The current study investigated effects of different crop loads established at blossom and fruitlet stages on yield, fruit quality and return bloom. For two seasons starting in 2008 on mature 'Opal'/'St. Julien A' trees, two crop loads 50 and 25% flowers reduced were established at full bloom and at 10-12 mm fruitlet size and compared with an un-thinned control treatment. Treatments were applied on single whole trees in a randomized complete block design with six replications. Spindle trees spaced at 3.0×5.0 m were selected for uniformity in growth habit, flowering intensity and trunk cross sectional area. Final fruit set varied from 63% on the control trees to 18% when thinned at bloom. Yield was negatively correlated with the fruit set response. Thinning at the fruitlet stage resulted in smaller fruits at the same crop level compared to flower thinning. Fruit quality parameters characterized by bright yellow skin background colour, red surface colour and the concentrations of soluble solids increased significantly as the crop load was reduced. Other fruit quality parameters like percentage acidity were not significantly different and did not show a clear response to the thinning. Return bloom was promoted most when trees were thinned at bloom the year before.
Authors
Eivind Vangdal Valentina Picchi Marta Fabiani Roberto Lo ScalzoAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
European plum cultivar Jubileum (Prunus domestica L.) blooms abundantly most years and too many fruit can be set if flowers and/or fruitlets are not properly thinned. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, mature ‘Jubileum/St. Julien A’ trees were treated with ethephon either at full bloom, at concentrations of 250, 375 and 500 mg/l or when fruitlets averaged ~12 mm in diameter at concentrations of 125, 250 and 375 mg/l. In general, flower-thinning treatments reduced fruit set significantly. Fruit set decreased with increasing ethephon concentrations, and the highest rate of ethephon applied either at full bloom (500 mg/l) or post bloom (375 mg/l) resulted in excessive over-thinning. Up to 375 mg/l of ethephon was required at full bloom whereas only 125 mg/l of ethephon was required post bloom for marked fruitlet thinning. Yields confirmed the fruit set response and yield reductions were significant. In most years, all thinning treatments resulted in fruit larger than 38 mm in diameter compared to fruit from unthinned control trees. Fruit quality, characterized by blue surface color and soluble solids content was generally higher and increased significantly with the reduction in crop load. Fruit firmness of fruit from all ethephon applications was lower than that of the fruit from unthinned control trees. In contrast, titratable acidity did not show a clear response to ethephon thinning. Return bloom the following year was mostly unaffected by all ethephon applications compared to the control. In conclusion, an ethephon application at a rate of up to 375 mg/l applied at full bloom will result in adequate thinning of ‘Jubileum’ plums and achieved a target of about 10- 15 % reduction in fruit set. When weather conditions are not conducive during flowering, a post bloom ethephon application at 125 mg/l may be applied however, this should only be considered in years of excessive flowering and as a last resort.
Abstract
When establishing an apple orchard it is important to stimulate the growth of young trees to fill up their allotted space in the row and minimize the time to come into full production with high quality fruit. In May 2012 two-year-old 'Summerred'/'M.9' knip trees were planted at the experimental farm at NIBIO Ullensvang, western Norway. The planting distance was 4×1 m (2500 trees ha-1). Three fertigation schemes were established (zero; low - 0.15 g N m-1 row day-1, and high nitrogen - 0.30 g N m-1 row day-1) and two crop loads allowed (low and high). In the year after planting the crop loads were limited to zero and five apples tree-1, respectively. In the third leaf the crop loads were adjusted by hand to 15 apples and 30 apples tree-1, respectively. The experimental design was a randomized blocks with four replications and 10 trees treatment-1. No significant effects of N-fertigation on soil NO3-, NH4+ or N-min contents were found. However, N-fertigation increased the leaf nitrogen content the whole season and leaf N were ≥ than the standard adequacy range (1.5-2.0%). Trees reached the desirable height of 3 m in the third leaf. Trunk circumference and number of branches per tree increased from second to third leaf, but were not significantly influenced by the N-fertigation. In the third leaf the high crop load trees yielded 7 kg tree-1 (17.5 t ha-1) and the low crop load 4 kg tree-1. Fruit weights were negatively correlated with the crop loads. Small differences in fruit quality attributes were found. Return bloom was not affected after the second leaf. However, the high crop load in the third leaf clearly reduced the amounts of return bloom in 2015, irrespective of the amount of N-fertigation.