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.
2008
Authors
Jan Stenlid Åke Olson Kerstin Dalman Magnus Karlsson Mikael Brandström Karl Lundén Carl Gunnar Fossdal Matteo Garbelotto Frederick AsiegbuAbstract
Heterobasidion annosum s.l. causes a devastating root rot in conifer plantations and natural forests throughout the northern hemisphere. The genome sequencing of H. annosum will provide the first comprehensive genetic information on a plant pathogenic homobasidiomycete allowing for new insights into plant-microbe interactions with trees, in particular conifers. It is important to broaden the taxonomic base for understanding the mechanisms of plant-microbe interactions, studying genes and proteins involved, and identifying pathogenicity determinants. Comparative genomics of plant pathogens with a gradient of taxonomic relatedness to H. annosum will help to understand the evolution of such factors. The project involves resequencing of several species in the H. annosum species complex including pathogenic and non-pathogenic species. Comparisons can also be made with fungi with different nutritional relations to plants; necrotrophic, biotrophic and mycorrhizal mutualist. The project integrates genetic approaches e.g QTL mapping with comparative genomics. Data bases generated on genes under positive selection in the sequenced genomes will be compared with candidate genes derived from published QTL mapping and EST-projects but also known pathogenicity factors in other pathosystems.
Authors
Lone Ross Gobakken Mats WestinAbstract
Modified wood has potential for above ground use, but surface treatment might be a request in such applications. Three coating systems were applied on furfurylated Scots pine, acetylated Scots pine, heat treated Scots pine, oil heat treated Scots pine, heat treated Norway spruce, and eight reference wood substrates and exposed outdoors to evaluate their ability to resist surface mould. Samples of the surface were taken for fungal identification to examine any relationship between treatment and fungal species. Both water-borne and solvent-borne coatings with various fungicides were included and the test was carried out according to EN 927-3. The degree of mould growth mainly varied with time and type of paint. Of the modified wood substrates furfurylated Scots pine had the lowest degree of mould growth and acetylated pine had the highest after 3.5 years. A brown semi-transparent acrylic paint had the lowest degree of mould growth after year 1, year 2.5 and year 3.5. Larch heartwood, copper-organic preserved pine and pine heartwood performed best as wood substrates. No differential patterns in susceptibility to various fungal species were detected on the surface of the coated wood substrates Aureobasidium pullulans was the dominating species on all the wood substrates.
Authors
Nina Hovden Sæther Øystein Havrevoll Odd VangenAbstract
Possible differences in gross and net feed balance and feed efficiency between two cattle breeds were studied. The “old” Black Sided Trønderfe and Nordlandsfe (STN) breed has hardly been selected for production traits the last decades due to a small population (800) while and the modern Norwegian Red (NR) breed (230 000) has been bred according to a modern breeding programme with genetic improvements in milk, growth, health and fertility. The study was done on lactating cows in three indoor feeding periods; ten cows in each breed group, fed roughage ad-lib and an adjusted level of concentrates. Feed intake, milk yield and -quality were recorded every week, and live weight was recorded every month. The gross energy balance was defined as energy intake subtracted by energy in produced milk, while the gross energy efficiency was computed by dividing energy in produced milk by energy intake. At the net energy level it was adjusted for energy loss or release from body tissue gain or loss. The results show that in spite of the large difference in production level, there were no breed differences in energy balance, neither at the gross nor at the net level. However, the NR was significantly more efficient when comparing gross feed efficiency, but there were no breed differences in net feed efficiency.
Abstract
The European pine sawfly Neodiprion sertifer is a widely distributed defoliator of pines that can cause substantial growth losses over extensive areas. It attacks most species of twoneedle pines in its distribution area, and have occasional short-lived outbreaks that may cover up to 200.000 ha. In Norway we have had outbreak populations in the eastern part of the country since 2004, and in an ongoing research project we are evaluating aerial application of the Neodiprion sertifer nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NsNPV) to control Neodiprion sertifer....
Authors
Paal KrokeneAbstract
Combined bark beetle-fungus attacks are a key factor in conifer ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere, where they regularly cause massive tree mortality. Central to the success of the bark beetle-fungus complex is the fact that bark beetles are among the few insects that are capable of breaching the potent anatomical and chemical defenses of healthy tree stems.....
Abstract
Seed production in Norway spruce (Picea abies) seed orchards may be severely reduced by insects attacking cones and seeds. Insects in several orders and genera are responsible for the damage, and at present there are no effective and environmentally acceptable control options. Studies in Sweden have shown promising results with spraying Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki x aizawai) against species of Lepidoptera, but for other pests other control methods must be developed....
Abstract
Pine Wood Nematode (PWN, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) is the causal organism of Pine Wilt Disease (PWD), the worst forest pest of Japan. In Europe PWN is known to exist in Portugal. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) is concerned about the plant health risks and the consequences to the society if PWN should establish in Norway. Mattilsynet needs a scientific assessment of the proposed measures in a contingency plan for PWN. Mattilsynet also needs the risks connected with recent spread of PWN in Portugal to be evaluated before possible changes can be made in the current phytosanitary policy of Norway. On this background Mattilsynet requested a pest risk assessment of PWN from the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (Vitenskapskomiteen for mattrygghet, VKM). To answer the request, VKM commissioned a draft pest risk assessment report from the Norwegian Institute for Agricultural Sciences and Environmental Research (Bioforsk). A working group appointed by VKM’s Panel on Plant Health (Panel 9) has been involved during Bioforsk’s work on the report. VKM’s Panel 9 has used the report as a basis for VKM’s opinion. The current document answers Part 1 of Mattilsynet’s request, and was adopted by Panel 9 on a meeting 3rd September 2008. VKM’s Panel 9 gives the following main conclusions of the risk assessment: The PRA area of this assessment is Norway. PWN is not known to occur in Norway. With present trade pattern the probability of entry of PWN into Norway is expected to be high. The most probable pathway for entry of PWN into Norway would be wood packaging material (WPM). The probability that PWN will establish and spread in Norway is considered as high. With regard to the so-called Pest Free Areas (PFAs) of Portugal, the criteria given in ISPM No. 4 (FAO 1995) for establishing and maintaining PFAs have not been met, and the data available is not sufficient to confirm the existence of PFAs. Acceptance of untreated conifer wood from all parts of Portugal will result in a very high probability of entry and a high probability of establishment and spread of PWN and its vector to Norway. Uncertainty factors: To the best of our knowledge PWN is absent from the PRA area. The beetle M. sutor is regarded as a potential vector or PWN, but this has so far not been demonstrated in nature. The currently low vector densities may retard establishment of the PWN and PWD, but it will probably not stop establishment in a longer perspective. Lack of information on the dynamics of PWN populations in cool climates complicates estimates of the spread of the nematode and PWD. Custom routines may fail in their detection of PWN. Import of a seemingly harmless material might therefore pose an unknown risk. WPM follows consignments of all kinds and is a good example of a hazardous material, which often escapes plant health inspections. Detailed assessments of economic consequences of a possible establishment and spread of PWN in Norway, the effects of global warming and other climate changes on the probability for PWD outbreaks, and the effect of possible phytosanitary measures, will be given in Part 2.
Authors
Mari Mette TollefsrudAbstract
Norway spruce (Picea abies), a conifer of the boreal forest, is one of the ecologically and economically most important forest tree species in Europe. It is naturally distributed into two disjunct ranges, one northern and one southern. In this thesis, genetic variation in Norway spruce populations has been investigated to obtain a comprehensive understanding of how its genetic structure has been shaped by Quaternary climate changes, hybridization with Siberian spruce (P. obovata), present-day ecological marginality and adaptive changes. Recently compiled fossil records of Norway spruce have moreover been used for inference of glacial refugia and the direction of migration routes. In Paper I, we combine fossil pollen data with a dataset of the maternally inherited, seed-dispersed mitochondrial (mt) marker nad1 obtained from 369 populations (4876 trees) to infer glacial refugia, postglacial colonization routes and the genetic consequences of range contractions and expansions. The combined data suggest that Norway spruce survived in at least seven refugial areas from which it expanded in the Holocene. These were the Russian plains, south-eastern Alps, southern Bohemian Massif including its southern foreland, northern Dinaric Alps, northern Carpathians, southern Carpathians and south-west Bulgarian mountains. Siberian spruce survived the last glacial maximum east of the Ural Mountains, separated from the refugia of Norway spruce (Paper III). Genetic diversity in Norway spruce showed an overall decrease from the oldest regions towards the younger regions. The different refugia had, however, contrasting genetic structuring and there were large differences in the genetic patterns along the different colonization routes. In the Alps, for example, diversity decreased over very short distances, whereas diversity in northern Europe was maintained over large distances. In Paper II we obtained a deeper insight into the genetic structuring of the northern European populations by analyzing nuclear microsatellite variation. Very little differentiation was revealed across the northern European range, manifesting high levels of past and present gene flow. Despite little differentiation, the microsatellite structure corroborated the mtDNA-based hypothesis of expansion out of one large Russian refugium along two separate migration routes, one northwestern route through Finland into northern Scandinavia and one southwestern route across the Baltic Sea to southern Scandinavia. In the south, microsatellite diversity was largely maintained from east to west, suggesting that pollen flow has efficiently counteracted the loss of diversity following colonization. Towards the northern climatic margin, nuclear microsatellite diversity decreased and inbreeding increased, probably due to smaller effective population size and more limited pollen production in the north, promoting mating among relatives. In Paper III, we investigated genetic differentiation between Norway spruce and Siberian spruce with mtDNA and chloroplast (cp) DNA markers. Chloroplast DNA is paternally inherited and spread with both seeds and pollen. We found two main genetic groups with both types of markers, corresponding to the two species and associated with separate refugia west (Norway spruce) and east (Siberian spruce) of the Ural Mountains. The Ural Mountains do not constitute a major barrier to gene flow. mtDNA haplotypes of Norway spruce were found east of the Ural Mountains, and extensive paternal introgression from Siberian spruce to Norway spruce was suggested across the Ural Mountains. Extensive pollen flow is in agreement with the homogenization observed in both the chloroplast (Paper III) and the nuclear (Paper II) gene pool of northern European Norway spruce. Pollen flow mainly occurs from Siberian spruce to Norway spruce, and Siberian spruce thus disperses westwards through paternal introgression. With the mtDNA marker nad1, it is possible to trace the origin of central European and northern European trees with a simple assay. In Paper IV, we determined the origin of trees in Norway spruce plantations. This was done prior to a greenhouse experiment recording the timing of terminal bud set of seedlings of different origins. We found that seedlings of central European origin from seeds produced in Norway had on average a bud set more similar to local Norwegian seedlings than to central European seedlings from seeds produced in central Europe. This suggests that the progenies of trees of central European provenances growing in Norway may have a rapid adaptation to the northern climate. Norway spruce thus not only has a fast and extensive migratory capacity but also a fast adaptative capacity, which may facilitate its altitudinal migration as climate warming proceeds.
Abstract
Achieving multifunctionality on a parcel of land, or in a landscape as a whole, requires a delicate balance between the different functions. This is particularly so when one of the desired functions is agricultural production. This paper examines the special challenges involved when cultural landscapes are protected by law. Norwegian `Landscape Protection Areas` are intended to preserve the landscape character of special landscapes. Ideally these landscapes should preserve ecological functions, whilst at the same time allowing for recreation and tourism, and the economic returns to ensure continued use of the landscape in the future. Balancing these functions is fraught with difficulties. The former agricultural systems that shaped these cultural landscapes may no longer be viable from the perspective of food production, and biodiversity is notoriously bad at paying for itself. Are the farmers that own the land willing to take on new roles as landscape managers rather than food producers? And who will pay for this? We present results of a questionnaire to farmers that own or manage farmland in Landscape Protection Areas. Of the 893 respondents, almost a quarter claimed that their farm business had been negatively affected by landscape protection. Niche products or alternative income possibilities had not been realised. We found a generally negative attitude towards municipal authorities and 24 % of respondents were strongly against the establishment of new Landscape Protection Areas, even if the State paid compensation for their economic loss. Based on results of the study we suggest that major improvements to the protection system could be made simply by improving communication between management authorities and farmers and involving farmers in making management plans.
Authors
Igor A. Yakovlev Daniel Kwaku A. Asante Carl Gunnar Fossdal Jouni Partanen Olavi Junttila Øystein JohnsenAbstract
The initiation of growth and dormancy represents critical ecological and evolutionary trade-offs between survival and growth in most perennial plants and represents one of the most basic adaptations of trees to their environment. It is likely that they regulates differently: apical bud set and dormancy induction regulates by perception of short-day signal, but bud burst regulates mostly by temperature signals. We tried to dissect these processes on phenotypical and molecular levels. Seedlings for dormancy analysis were grown under long day (LD = continuous light) and short day (SD = 12 h night) conditions. We have prepared two SSH cDNA libraries, forward and reverse, representing genes predominantly expressed in plants after short day (SD) treatment (going to bud set) and continue growing at LD. Subtracted libraries had been partially sequenced for candidate genes seeking. Annotation reveals considerable differences in studied transcriptomes. More than 50% of contigs in LD library were represented by photosynthesis related genes and just nearly 6% in SD library. High differences were found in RNA synthesis and RNA processing, protein degradation, defense and transporting genes and also in transposable elements. Each library contains large number of unknown genes (mostly in SD). So obtained subtracted libraries is a good source of candidate genes, differently expressed during regulation of bud set. Bud burst initiation was studied on grafts from 15- and 30-year old Norway spruce within 3 time-points during autumn in natural (outdoor) and “forcing” (1 week, 12 h light and 20°C constant) conditions using earlier developed candidate genes (Yakovlev et al., 2007). We used quantitative RT–PCR to study the expression patterns of 58 chosen genes related for bud set and 34 genes – for bud burst. By the experiment conditions we could study only delayed genes and constitutively expressed early genes. Among the candidate genes found, the most interesting ones were the transcription factors, calcium censors, signaling, cold- and water stress related genes. The putative role of the studied genes in development regulation bud set and bud burst is discussed.