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
Authors
Fatemeh Noroozi Morteza Daneshmand Paolo FioriniAbstract
Motion planning algorithms have seen considerable progress and expansion across various domains of science and technology during the last few decades, where rapid advancements in path planning and trajectory optimization approaches have been made possible by the conspicuous enhancements brought, among others, by sampling-based methods and convex optimization strategies. Although they have been investigated from various perspectives in the existing literature, recent developments aimed at integrating robots into social, healthcare, industrial, and educational contexts have attributed greater importance to additional concepts that would allow them to communicate, cooperate, and collaborate with each other, as well as with human beings, in a meaningful and efficient manner. Therefore, in this survey, in addition to a brief overview of some of the essential aspects of motion planning algorithms, a few vital considerations required for assimilating robots into real-world applications, including certain instances of social, urban, and industrial environments, are introduced, followed by a critical discussion of a set of outstanding issues worthy of further investigation and development in future scientific studies.
Authors
Bjørn Arild Hatteland Rafael De Andrade Moral Gunnhild Jaastad Gaute Myren Endre Bjotveit Irén Lunde Sekse Karin Westrum Nina TrandemAbstract
BACKGROUND Integrated pest management (IPM) has a long history in fruit production and has become even more important with the implementation of the EU directive 2009/128/EC making IPM mandatory. In this study, we surveyed 30 apple orchards in Norway for 3 years (2016–2018) monitoring pest- and beneficial arthropods as well as evaluating fruit damage. We obtained growers’ diaries of pest management and used these data to study positive and negative correlations of pesticides with the different arthropod groups and damage due to pests. RESULTS IPM level had no significant effects on damage of harvested apples by arthropod pests. Furthermore, damage by arthropods was mainly caused by lepidopteran larvae, tortricids being especially important. The number of insecticide applications varied between 0 and 3 per year (mean 0.8), while acaricide applications varied between 0 and 1 per year (mean 0.06). Applications were often based on forecasts of important pest species such as the apple fruit moth (Argyresthia conjugella). Narrow-spectrum insecticides were commonly used against aphids and lepidopteran larvae, although broad-spectrum neonicotinoid (thiacloprid) insecticides were also applied. Anthocorid bugs and phytoseiid mites were the most abundant natural enemies in the studied orchards. However, we found large differences in abundance of various “beneficials” (e.g., lacewings, anthocorids, parasitic wasps) between eastern and western Norway. A low level of IPM negatively affected the abundance of spiders. CONCLUSION Lepidoptera was found to be the most important pest group in apple orchards. Insecticide use was overall low, but number of spray applications and use of broad-spectrum insecticides varied between growers and regions. IPM level did not predict the level of fruit damage by insects nor the abundance of important pests or most beneficial groups in an apple orchard. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Abstract
Climate change can have an influence on rainfall that significantly affects the magnitude frequency of floods and droughts. Therefore, the analysis of the spatiotemporal distribution, variability, and trends of rainfall over the Mahi Basin in India is an important objective of the present work. Accordingly, a serial autocorrelation, coefficient of variation, Mann–Kendall (MK) and Sen’s slope test, innovative trend analysis (ITA), and Pettitt’s test were used in the rainfall analysis. The outcomes were derived from the monthly precipitation data (1901–2012) of 14 meteorology stations in the Mahi Basin. The serial autocorrelation results showed that there is no autocorrelation in the data series. The rainfall statistics denoted that the Mahi Basin receives 94.8% of its rainfall (821 mm) in the monsoon period (June–September). The normalized accumulated departure from the mean reveals that the annual and monsoon rainfall of the Mahi Basin were below average from 1901 to 1930 and above average from 1930 to 1990, followed by a period of fluctuating conditions. Annual and monsoon rainfall variations increase in the lower catchment of the basin. The annual and monsoon rainfall trend analysis specified a significant declining tendency for four stations and an increasing tendency for 3 stations, respectively. A significant declining trend in winter rainfall was observed for 9 stations under review. Likewise, out of 14 stations, 9 stations denote a significant decrease in pre-monsoon rainfall. Nevertheless, there is no significant increasing or decreasing tendency in annual, monsoon, and post-monsoon rainfall in the Mahi Basin. The Mann–Kendall test and innovative trend analysis indicate identical tendencies of annual and seasonal rainfall on the basin scale. The annual and monsoon rainfall of the basin showed a positive shift in rainfall after 1926. The rainfall analysis confirms that despite spatiotemporal variations in rainfall, there are no significant positive or negative trends of annual and monsoon rainfall on the basin scale. It suggests that the Mahi Basin received average rainfall (867 mm) annually and in the monsoon season (821 mm) from 1901 to 2012, except for a few years of high and low rainfall. Therefore, this study is important for flood and drought management, agriculture, and water management in the Mahi Basin.
Authors
Yeqing Li Shasha Yu Xingru Yang Yijing Feng Liming Dong Yi Zhang Lu Feng Mahmoud Mazarji Junting PanAbstract
In the anaerobic digestion (AD) process, the effects of humic acid (HA) derived from different feedstocks on AD are influenced by the variations in their structural composition and oxygen-containing functional groups. Thus, clarifying the structural differences of HA obtained from different feedstocks is crucial for understanding their impact on AD. In this study, the structure of five humic acids (HAs) derived from liquid digestate, food waste, silage corn straw, lignite and commercial HA, and their effects on AD were investigated. The study found that HA from food waste had more carboxyl groups, while straw-derived HA had more phenolic hydroxyl groups. Both types of HA had higher aromaticity and humification degree and showed significant inhibition effect on AD. HA from food waste had an average methanogenic inhibition rate of 43.5 % with 1 g/L HA added. In addition, commercial HA and HA derived from lignite had similar functional group types and aromaticity, with an average methanogenic inhibition rate of about 20 %. The study revealed that HAs with more carboxyl groups exhibited greater effectiveness in inhibiting AD, thereby confirming the influence of HA structures derived from different feedstocks on AD. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the mechanism of HA effect on AD and offers guidance for future research focused on enhancing AD efficiency.
Authors
Margaret Nyaboke Nyang'au Komivi S. Akutse Khamis Fathiya Miriam Karwitha Charimbu Solveig HaukelandAbstract
Potato Cyst Nematodes (PCN) (Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida Woll.) are quarantine pests of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) worldwide capable of causing significant yield loss and difficult to manage with conventional methods. The study explored the diversity of antagonistic fungi associated with PCN obtained from soil samples collected in Nyandarua and Nakuru Counties in Kenya and their effect on PCN egg viability and hatching was also evaluated. Twelve fungal isolates from five genera were isolated and characterized using morphological and molecular techniques. The twelve isolates were Trichoderma asperellum (4), T. hamatum, T. breve, T. atrobruneum, Amanita basiorubra, Setophoma terrestris (2), Penicillium chrysogenum and Clonostachys rosea. The most abundant isolate was Trichoderma spp. with 58 % occurrence. The effect of seven of the isolates on PCN eggs showed that T. breve and P. chrysogenum reduced egg viability by 41 % and 34 %, respectively while T. asperellum and T. breve reduced their hatching by 50 % on average. Trichoderma atrobrunneum, T. hamatum, and A. basiorubra also reduced the PCN egg viability by 27 % on average. These fungal isolates could provide a potential tool for PCN management in potato production systems for improved yields. However, further studies are warranted to validate these findings under greenhouse and field conditions. A more comprehensive bioprospecting survey for PCN associated antagonistic fungi needs to be extended to other potato growing regions to explore further cyst pathogens.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Camille S. Delavaux Thomas W. Crowther Constantin M. Zohner Niamh M. Robmann Thomas Lauber Johan van den Hoogen Sara Kuebbing Jingjing Liang Sergio de-Miguel Gert-Jan Nabuurs Peter B. Reich Meinrad Abegg Yves C. Adou Yao Giorgio Alberti Angelica M. Almeyda Zambrano Braulio Vilchez Alvarado Esteban Alvarez-Dávila Patricia Alvarez-Loayza Luciana F. Alves Christian Ammer Clara Antón Fernandéz Alejandro Araujo-Murakami Luzmila Arroyo Valerio Avitabile Gerardo A. Aymard Timothy R. Baker Radomir Bałazy Olaf Banki Jorcely G. Barroso Meredith L. Bastian Jean-Francois Bastin Luca Birigazzi Philippe Birnbaum Robert Bitariho Pascal Boeckx Frans Bongers Olivier Bouriaud Pedro H. S. Brancalion Susanne Brandl Roel Brienen Eben N. Broadbent Helge Bruelheide Filippo Bussotti Roberto Cazzolla Gatti Ricardo G. César Goran Cesljar Robin Chazdon Han Y. H. Chen Chelsea Chisholm Hyunkook Cho Emil Cienciala Connie Clark David Clark Gabriel D. Colletta David A. Coomes Fernando Cornejo Valverde José J. Corral-Rivas Philip M. Crim Jonathan R. Cumming Selvadurai Dayanandan André L. de Gasper Mathieu Decuyper Géraldine Derroire Ben DeVries Ilija Djordjevic Jiri Dolezal Aurélie Dourdain Nestor Laurier Engone Obiang Brian J. Enquist Teresa J. Eyre Adandé Belarmain Fandohan Tom M. Fayle Ted R. Feldpausch Leandro V. Ferreira Markus Fischer Christine Fletcher Lorenzo Frizzera Javier G. P. Gamarra Damiano Gianelle Henry B. Glick David J. Harris Andrew Hector Andreas Hemp Geerten Hengeveld Bruno Hérault John L. Herbohn Martin Herold Annika Hillers Eurídice N. Honorio Coronado Cang Hui Thomas T. Ibanez Iêda Amaral Nobuo Imai Andrzej M. Jagodziński Bogdan Jaroszewicz Vivian Kvist Johannsen Carlos A. Joly Tommaso Jucker Ilbin Jung Viktor Karminov Kuswata Kartawinata Elizabeth Kearsley David Kenfack Deborah K. Kennard Sebastian Kepfer-Rojas Gunnar Keppel Mohammed Latif Khan Timothy J. Killeen Hyun Seok Kim Kanehiro Kitayama Michael Köhl Henn Korjus Florian Kraxner Diana Laarmann Mait Lang Simon L. Lewis Huicui Lu Natalia V. Lukina Brian S. Maitner Yadvinder Malhi Eric Marcon Beatriz Schwantes Marimon Ben Hur Marimon-Junior Andrew R. Marshall Emanuel H. Martin Olga Martynenko Jorge A. Meave Omar Melo-Cruz Casimiro Mendoza Cory Merow Abel Monteagudo Mendoza Vanessa S. Moreno Sharif A. Mukul Philip Mundhenk María Guadalupe Nava-Miranda David Neill Victor J. Neldner Radovan V. Nevenic Michael R. Ngugi Pascal A. Niklaus Jacek Oleksyn Petr Ontikov Edgar Ortiz-Malavasi Yude Pan Alain Paquette Alexander Parada-Gutierrez Elena I. Parfenova Minjee Park Marc Parren Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy Pablo L. Peri Sebastian Pfautsch Oliver L. Phillips Nicolas Picard Maria Teresa T. F. Piedade Daniel Piotto Nigel C. A. Pitman Irina Polo Lourens Poorter Axel Dalberg Poulsen Hans Pretzsch Freddy Ramirez Arevalo Zorayda Restrepo-Correa Mirco Rodeghiero Samir G. Rolim Anand Roopsind Francesco Rovero Ervan Rutishauser Purabi Saikia Christian Salas-Eljatib Philippe Saner Peter Schall Dmitry Schepaschenko Michael Scherer-Lorenzen Bernhard Schmid Jochen Schöngart Eric B. Searle Vladimír Seben Josep M. Serra-Diaz Douglas Sheil Anatoly Z. Shvidenko Javier E. Silva-Espejo Marcos Silveira James Singh Plinio Sist Ferry Slik Bonaventure Sonké Alexandre F. Souza Miscicki Stanislaw Stanislaw Miscicki Jens-Christian Svenning Miroslav Svoboda Ben Swanepoel Natalia Targhetta Nadja Tchebakova Hans ter Steege Raquel Thomas Elena Tikhonova Peter M. Umunay Vladimir A. Usoltsev Renato Valencia Fernando Valladares Fons van der Plas Tran Van Do Michael E. van Nuland Rodolfo M. Vasquez Hans Verbeeck Helder Viana Alexander C. Vibrans Simone Vieira Klaus von Gadow Hua-Feng Wang James V. Watson Gijsbert D. A. Werner Susan K. Wiser Florian Wittmann Hannsjoerg Woell Verginia Wortel Roderik Zagt Tomasz Zawiła-Niedźwiecki Chunyu Zhang Xiuhai Zhao Mo Zhou Zhi-Xin Zhu Irie C. Zo-Bi Daniel S. MaynardAbstract
Determining the drivers of non-native plant invasions is critical for managing native ecosystems and limiting the spread of invasive species1,2. Tree invasions in particular have been relatively overlooked, even though they have the potential to transform ecosystems and economies3,4. Here, leveraging global tree databases5,6,7, we explore how the phylogenetic and functional diversity of native tree communities, human pressure and the environment influence the establishment of non-native tree species and the subsequent invasion severity. We find that anthropogenic factors are key to predicting whether a location is invaded, but that invasion severity is underpinned by native diversity, with higher diversity predicting lower invasion severity. Temperature and precipitation emerge as strong predictors of invasion strategy, with non-native species invading successfully when they are similar to the native community in cold or dry extremes. Yet, despite the influence of these ecological forces in determining invasion strategy, we find evidence that these patterns can be obscured by human activity, with lower ecological signal in areas with higher proximity to shipping ports. Our global perspective of non-native tree invasion highlights that human drivers influence non-native tree presence, and that native phylogenetic and functional diversity have a critical role in the establishment and spread of subsequent invasions.
Authors
Shelemia Nyamuryekung'e Glenn Duff Santiago Utsumi Richard Estell Matthew M. McIntosh Micah Funk Andrew Cox Huiping Cao Sheri Spiegal Andres Perea Andres F. CibilsAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Arne Stensvand Nan-Yi Wang Vinh Hong Le Claudio Dias Da Silva Jr Belachew Asalf Tadesse Chloé Grieu William W. Turechek Natalia A. PeresAbstract
Powdery mildew, caused by the ascomycete Podosphaera aphanis, is an important disease of strawberry. A slightly modified version of a method using steam thermotherapy to rid diseases and pests from strawberry transplants was tested against strawberry powdery mildew. Experiments took place in Norway and Florida, with potted strawberry plants heavily infected with the fungus. Aerated steam treatments of the plants were carried out as follows: a pre-treatment with steaming at 37 °C for 1 h was followed by 1 h at ambient temperature before plants were exposed to steaming at 40, 42, or 44 °C for 2 or 4 h in Norway and 44 °C for 4 h in Florida. Following steaming, plants from the different treatments and the untreated control were kept apart and protected from outside contamination of powdery mildew by growing them in closed containers with over-pressure. On steamed plants, hyphae of P. aphanis were dead and without any new spore formation after treatments, independent of temperature or exposure time; however, up to 99% of the area infected with powdery mildew prior to treatments contained actively sporulating lesions on non-steamed plants. None of the new leaves formed after steaming had powdery mildew, whereas more than half of the new leaves on non-treated plants were infected by P. aphanis. This investigation clearly indicates that steam thermotherapy can eradicate powdery mildew from strawberry transplants, and this can be achieved at lower temperatures and exposure times than previously reported for other pathogens.