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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.

2010

Abstract

Plant responses to elevated CO2 are governed by temperature, and at low temperatures the beneficial effects of CO2 may be lost. To document the responses of winter cereals grown under cold conditions at northern latitudes, autumn growth of winter wheat exposed to ambient and elevated levels of temperature (+2.5°C), CO2 (+150 µmol mol-1), and shade (-30%) was studied in open-top chambers under low light and at low temperatures. Throughout the experiment, temperature dominated plant responses, while the effects of CO2 were marginal, except for a positive effect on root biomass. Increased temperature resulted in increased leaf area, total biomass, total root biomass, total stem biomass, and number of tillers, but also a lower content of total sugars and a weaker tolerance to frost. The loss of frost tolerance was related to the larger size of plants grown at elevated temperature. The 30% light reduction under shading did not affect the growth, sugar content, or frost tolerance of winter wheat. At the low temperatures found at high latitudes during autumn, the atmospheric CO2 increase is unlikely to enhance autumn growth of winter wheat to any significant extent, while a temperature increase may have important and major effects on its development and growth.

To document

Abstract

P>Autumn growth of weeds (i) provides an opportunity for mechanical and chemical control in autumn and (ii) can be important for weed survival and infestation in the following spring. Growth characteristics of Elytrigia repens, Cirsium arvense and Sonchus arvensis in autumn were studied in 2004 and 2005, on plants of different origins and developmental stages (planted at various times from May to August). The plants were grown outdoors in large pots and were assessed during September and October each year. The study showed that (i) all species grew in autumn, but growth ceased and the species withered at different times; S. arvensis first, followed by C. arvense and then E. repens and (ii) less developed (i.e. younger) plants grew later in the autumn. This was demonstrated by leaf area development and biomass distribution during autumn. Older plants had a greater total biomass with relatively more rhizomes or creeping roots than younger plants. In young plants of C. arvense and S. arvensis, the biomass of creeping roots increased during autumn. The total biomass, however, changed little during autumn. These growth patterns indicate that E. repens will be the easiest, S. arvensis the most difficult and C. arvense in between, regarding control of these species in autumn.

To document

Abstract

Farmed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) are occasionally exposed to buoyancy changes in sea-cages, through lifting or lowering of cage nets. Physiological processes regulate the level of gas in the closed swim bladders of cod and thus the ability of cod to control their buoyancy. Rapid net lifting may cause positive buoyancy, leading to barotrauma, while net lowering may lead to negative buoyancy and alter cod behaviours. We tested how groups of farmed cod responded immediately after lifting events from 5 different start depths equivalent to 40% pressure reductions, and how long they took to return to pre-lifting pressure levels. In addition, we tested immediate responses and recovery times to cage lowering events equivalent to 100– 300% pressure increases. Trials were conducted with 100 cod of 1.1–1.7 kg in a 63 m3 sea-cage at the lower (5 °C) and upper (16 °C) water temperature limits experienced during culture. Swimming behaviours were measured at fixed intervals before and after cage lifting or lowering, and a feeding test was used to assess appetite. In general, lifting events increased swimming speeds 1.5–4 times and tail beats 2–3 times and fish swam with an average −14° head-down angle, indicating positive buoyancy. The depth before lifting affected the immediate response as the fish became more active after lifting events from shallow compared to deeper depths. Appetite levels decreased for about 2 h after cage lifting, independent of temperature or start depth. The overall recovery time of 8 h after lifting did not depend upon start depth or temperature. Lowering events appeared to cause negative buoyancy. Swimming speeds (1.3–2.3 times) and tail beat frequencies (1.4–2.3 times) increased immediately after cage lowering, and cod swam with an average 30° head-up swimming angle. Neither pressure level nor temperature affected this immediate response. Time to recover to neutral buoyancy for 300% pressure increases took 42–90 h, but only 18–34 h for 100% pressure increases. We conclude that a 40% pressure reduction is an upper limit for lifts of healthy farmed cod. Secondary lifts should not be done until at least 10 h after the first lift. Cage lowering should be done slowly to avoid potentially stressful crowding of negatively buoyant fish on the cage bottom, especially at low temperatures.

To document

Abstract

Roseroot, Rhodiola rosea, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Crassulaceae. The rhizomes of 95 roseroot clones in the Norwegian germplasm collection were analysed and quantified for their content of the bioactive compounds rosavin, salidroside, rosin, cinnamyl alcohol and tyrosol using HPLC analysis. All five bioactive compounds were detected in all 95 roseroot clones but in highly variable quantities. The ranges observed for the different compounds were for rosavin 2.90-85.95mgg-1, salidroside 0.03-12.85mgg-1, rosin 0.08-4.75mgg-1, tyrosol 0.04-2.15mgg-1 and cinnamyl alcohol 0.02-1.18mgg-1. The frequency distribution of the chemical content of each clone did not reflect a certain geographic region of origin or the gender of the plant. Significant correlations were found for the contents of several of these bioactive compounds in individual roseroot clones. A low, but not significant correlation was found between AFLP markers previously used to study the genetic diversity of the roseroot clones and their production of the chemical compounds. The maximum level of rosavin, rosin and salidroside observed were higher than for any roseroot plant previously reported in literature, and the roseroot clones characterized in this study might therefore prove to be of high pharmacological value.

Abstract

Chlorine - one of the most widespread elements on the Earth - is present in the environment as chloride ion or bound to organic substances. The main source of chloride ions is the oceans while organically bound chlorine (OCl) comes from various sources, including anthropogenic ones. Chlorinated organic compounds were long considered to be only industrial products; nevertheless, organochlorines occur plentifully in natural ecosystems. However, recent investigations in temperate and boreal forest ecosystems have shown them to be products of biodegradation of soil organic matter under participation of chlorine. It is important to understand both the inorganic and organic biogeochemical cycling of chlorine in order to understand processes in the forest ecosystem and dangers as a result of human activities, i.e. emission and deposition of anthropogenic chlorinated compounds as well as those from natural processes. The minireview presented below provides a survey of contemporary knowledge of the state of the art and a basis for investigations of formation and degradation of organochlorines and monitoring of chloride and organochlorines in forest ecosystems, which has not been carried out in the Czech Republic yet.

Abstract

A copula of brightly coloured blue craneflies were photographed in Finnmark, northern Norway. The species is identified as Tipula (Beringotipula) unca Wiedemann, 1817, and the blue colour is hypothesised to result from a blatant infection with an invertebrate iridovirus (IIV). It is the first report of a naturally occurring putative IIV infection in adult craneflies.

Abstract

Two female and two male cultivars have previously been released as a result of clone evaluation at Bioforsk Nord Holt. Selection criteria have been number of pistils or stamens per flower, number of flowers and number of shoots per m2. Currently a new group of clones are evaluated with the aim of finding new cultivars for release. The clones are collected from different parts of Norway, as well as from England and Spitsbergen. Preliminary results from harvesting 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 indicate good production potential for a couple of the tested clones. In addition to prior selection criteria based on berry yield, the levels of total anthocyanins and total phenols have been analyzed. This includes studies on the role of female clone, male pollinator and temperature on berry quality.

Abstract

Le gel printanier peut etre dommageable pour les semis de Picea abies (L.) Karst. nouvellement plantes si leur rythme de croissance n'est pas suffisamment adapte aux conditions climatiques de la station forestiere. Les objectifs de cette etude consistaient a determiner de quelle facon le debourrement et la resistance au gel printanier sont influences par un traitement de jours courts (JC) appliques a differents moments et avec differents regimes de temperature durant la periode de formation des bourgeons. A la suite d'un entreposage hivernal, la resistance au gel a ete evaluee apres une, trois et cinq semaines dans des conditions de forcage. Le traitement JC a avance le debourrement comparativement aux semis temoins. Par comparaison, le moment du traitement et les differentes temperatures ont eu peu d'effet sur le debourrement. Le traitement JC a augmente la resistance au gel des aiguilles d'un an pendant la periode de desendurcissement. Applique tot, le traitement JC a augmente la resistance au gel des aiguilles d'un an et le diametre au collet comparativement a une application plus tardive. Il est important que la periode de noirceur atteigne une duree critique lorsque le traitement JC prend fin pour eviter une deuxieme eclosion des bourgeons. Des temperatures basses a la suite du traitement JC ont augmente la resistance au gel des aiguilles et diminue celle de la tige. Les effets contraires de la temperature sur differents tissus vegetaux demontrent l'importance d'examiner differents tissus apres des essais de gel-degel. Spring frost may result in detrimental damage in newly planted Picea abies (L.) Karst. seedlings if their growth rhythm is not sufficiently adapted to the climatic conditions on the forest site. The aims of this study were to evaluate how bud break and spring frost hardiness were influenced by short-day (SD) treatments with different timing and different temperature regimes during bud formation. Following winter storage, frost hardiness was tested after 1, 3 and 5 weeks in forcing conditions. The SD treatment advanced bud break compared with the control seedlings. In comparison, the effects of timing and the different temperatures on bud break were small. The SD treatment improved frost hardiness in first-year needles during dehardening. The early SD treatment resulted in improved frost hardiness in first-year needles and greater root collar diameter compared with later SD treatment. To avoid a second bud flush, it is important that a critical night length is attained when the SD treatment terminates. Low temperatures following the SD treatment resulted in increased hardiness of the needles and decreased hardiness of the stems. The contrasting effect of temperature in different plant tissues demonstrates the importance of examining different tissues following freezing tests.