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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.

2009

Abstract

One of the major concerns regarding use of velvet bentgrass in Scandinavia is whether current cultivars are sufficiently tolerant to frost. In 2008-09 the four velvet bentgrass (VB, Agrostis canina L.) cultivars Avalon, Greenwich, Legendary, and Villa, and the creeping bentgrass (CB, Agrostis stolonifera L.) cultivar Penn A-4 (control) were established from seed in 7.5x10x10 cm pots filled with a USGA-spec. sand containing 0.5% (w/w) organic matter. The following four treatments representing different phases of cold acclimation were compared: (i) nonacclimated (NA) plants maintained at 18 °C/12 °C (day/night) and 16 h photoperiod (150 μmol/m/s); (ii) plants acclimated at 2 °C and 16 h photoperiod (250 μmol/m/s) for 2 wk (A2); (iii) plants acclimated as ii plus 2 wk of sub-zero acclimation in darkness at -2 °C (A2+SZA2); and (iv) naturally acclimated plants under outdoor (field) conditions in November -December (FA). Freezing tolerance was assessed visually as percent of pot surface covered with healthy turf after 26 days of recovery in the greenhouse. To examine the relationship between physiological changes under cold acclimation and freezing tolerance, crowns of VB and CB were harvested for carbohydrate (CHO) analysis after each hardening treatment. Results showed that FA plants survived all freezing treatments (plant coverage more than 90 %). A2+SZA2 plants had better survival after freezing to -9 °C, -12 °C and -15 °C as compared with A2 plants. Differences in freezing tolerance between VB and CB were not significant. NA plants survived none of freezing temperatures. The predominant CHO in VB and CB crowns were sucrose and fructans. Compared with NA plants, A2 plants had significantly higher concentrations of fructose, sucrose and fructan. Exposure to -2 ºC in darkness (A2+SZA2) had no further effect on these concentrations. Natural hardening (FA) resulted in total carbohydrate and fructan concentrations significantly lower than for plants exposed to artificial acclimation.

Abstract

Continuous light is a promising method to reduce the problems with rose powderymildew in greenhouse rose production. The effects of such a light regime on the performance of insect pests on roses have so far not been investigated. In the present study, survival, developmental time, and reproduction during one generation of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), were characterized on roses, Rosa x hybrida cv. Passion, grown in climate chambers with long-day conditions (L20:D4) or continuous light (L24:D0) at 21 oC and fluctuating relative humidity (mean 74%, range 47–96%). Whiteflies reared under continuous light had lower immature survival and fecundity and shorter female longevity than whiteflies reared under long-day conditions, but immature developmental time was only slightly affected. Life-table analysis showed that the net reproductive rate (Ro) and intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm) were reduced by 85 and 76%, respectively, and the time for the population to double its size (D) was 4.2 times longer under continuous light. Thismean that the whitefly population growth under continuous light was strongly reduced compared with the traditional light regime used in rose production.

To document

Abstract

It is concluded that the ruminal aNDF degradation characteristics are affected by maturity Stage, and interactions with climatic factors such as temperature and water availability probably interact with maturity stage. Precautions should he made when prediction feed degradation characteristics from multiple regression analyses. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Abstract

A continuous grazing experiment with three measurement periods, 3 weeks each, was conducted with 16 Norwegian Red dairy cows in mid lactation to compare milk quality when grazing red clover-grass (R) or botanical diverse pasture (D). The cows were offered either R or D from the start of grazing season in mid May until beginning of September 2008. Milk yield was measured and milk samples were collected in the last week in each period (end of June, beginning of August and end of August). Pasture type had no effect on milk yield and milk content of fat or protein. Cows grazing R had higher proportion of the fatty acids C18:0 (22.41 vs. 9.96, P<0.05) and C18:1t11 (0.58 vs. 0.44 g/100g FAME, P<0.05) and lower proportion of C16:0 (27.83 vs. 30.92, P<0.05) in their milk fat than the cows grazing D. The milk content of ?-tocopherol was higher in milk from R than D (3.01 vs. 2.64 µg/ml, P<0.05). The oxidative stability of the milk lipids were only minor affected by pasture type.

To document

Abstract

The relative effects of using light (2-3 Mg) versus heavier (5-7 Mg) tractors, shallow (15 cm) versus deeper (25 cm) ploughing and on-land versus in-furrow wheel placement during ploughing were investigated from 2003 to 2006 in organic rotations (wheat or barley, green manure, oats with peas) and conventionally fertilized barley. Trials were located on loam soil in south-eastern Norway and silty clay loam in central Norway. Ploughing was performed in spring, when the topsoil moisture content was at or below field capacity, using single furrow ploughs that allowed alternative wheel placement and resulted in complete coverage of the surface by wheels each year (ca. 3 times the normal coverage during ploughing). Low tyre inflation pressures (:<= 80 kPa) were used throughout. The use of a heavy tractor increased topsoil bulk density slightly in the loam soil, and, in combination with in-furrow wheeling, it reduced air-filled pore space and air permeability at 18-22 cm. On the silty clay loam, the use of a heavy tractor did not increase bulk density, but it reduced air-filled pore space throughout the topsoil. In-furrow wheeling reduced air-filled pore space in this soil also, compared to on-land wheeling. Penetration resistance was in this soil always greater at 15-25 cm depth after shallow than after deep ploughing, especially with in-furrow rather than on-land wheeling. Shallow ploughing led on both soils to marked increases in perennial weed biomass compared to deep ploughing. Earthworms were hardly affected by the treatments, but in the loam in 2006 a higher number of individuals were found where the light rather than the heavy tractor had been used. Few significant treatment effects were found on grain yield and quality. Deep ploughing with a light tractor gave the highest wheat yield and protein content in 2 years on the loam soil, and on the silty clay loam the yield of conventionally fertilized barley was higher after deep than after shallow ploughing. In summary, limited evidence was found to support the use of on-land rather than in-furrow wheeling when ploughing is performed at favourable soil moisture and with tractor weights < 5 Mg. There is, however, reason to be wary of using heavy tractors (> 5 Mg), even under such conditions. With regard to ploughing depth in organic rotations dominated by cereals, the need to combat perennial weeds by deep ploughing weighs probably more heavily than any possible beneficial effect of shallow ploughing on stimulating nutrient turnover. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.