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.
2025
Authors
Jana Špulerová Debbie Bartlett Alexandra Kruse Hannes Bürckmann Sebastian Eiter Mateja Šmid Hribar Drago Kladnik Zdeněk Kučera Jakub Melicher Sophia Philipp Kerstin Potthoff Hans Renes Michael Roth Maurizia SiguraAbstract
Traditional orchards are one of the most well-known examples of multifunctional farming. They have a long history of providing different fruits and combining various other agricultural activities, such as extensive animal farming, with cultural significance that reflect the different regional landscapes of Europe. Objectives This study investigates the extent of traditional orchards and addresses their cultural significance and their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals in the context of multifunctional agricultural landscapes. Method The presented work combines an expert survey conducted in ten EUCALAND network member countries by means of both a standardised and a more detailed questionnaire to compare and summarize the situation of traditional orchards in these countries. Results The results show that traditional orchards are diminishing on the European scale but still have huge significance in many regions. Provisioning ecosystem services, such as fruit production, are valued in terms of disease resistance and genetic diversity which is likely to be of increasing importance in the context of future climate change and concerns over food security. The most important drivers for maintaining traditional orchards appears to be based on cultural ecosystem services and the benefits they provide to society, including the preservation of traditions and regional identity, attractive places for recreation, aesthetic appreciation, inspiration for artists. The examples of best practices from the contributing countries all reveal the close connection of these orchards to local communities and to often specific traditional knowledge. Conclusion The presented review of the current situation for these important components of the agricultural landscape as well as country-specific management characteristics has the potential to inspire other countries to maintain their traditional orchards.
Abstract
Access to reliable spatial data is a prerequisite for successful spatialplanning. The Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) providesdata about land cover and land use. The utilization of CLMS inspatial planning in Poland and Norway is affected by awareness,data accessibility, alignment with planning needs, and collabora-tion between CLMS providers and spatial planners. The utilizationcould be improved by appointing national authorities to supportadaption, documentation and standardisation, ensure data avail-ability in national language and adjusted to national legal require-ments. This can for example be done through an adjustment of thealready established National Collaboration Program (NCP).
Authors
Zahra Bitarafan Wiktoria Kaczmarek-Derda Rafael De Andrade Moral Pierre-Adrien Rivier Therese With Berge Christian AndreasenAbstract
Weed seeds are potential contaminants of composts derived from biowastes. We assessed the effect of steam treatment alone and in combination with composting on the mortality of barnyardgrass [ Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.] seeds in a biowaste substrate consisting of a mixture of onion ( Allium spp.) waste (60%), horse ( Equus spp.) manure (20%), and wood shavings (20%). In the first study, seeds of six populations of E. crus-galli exposed to temperatures ranging from ca. 60 to 99 C followed by a 3-min residence time exhibited a decline in seed germination from approximately 25% to 0%. The E. crus-galli populations varied greatly in germinability and responded differently to high temperatures. Samples with lower germinability as assessed in controls were killed at lower temperatures than samples with higher initial germinability. However, to ensure an almost 100% kill of all seeds in the populations, a mean temperature of 100 C was necessary. In another study, seed germination was assessed after steaming the biowaste mixture to a mean temperature of about 60 C and subsequently composting. A short steaming period of the biowaste mixture at approximately 60 C before composting was unnecessary, as all composted seed samples, including the non-steamed control seeds, died during the composting process.
Authors
Rasmus Bang Stine Samsonstuen Bjørn Gunnar Hansen Mario Guajardo Hanne Møller Jon Kristian Sommerseth Julio C. Goez Ola FlatenAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Jana Spulerova Deborah Bartlett Alexandra Kruse Hannes Bürckmann Sebastian Eiter Mateja Smid Hribar Drago Kladnik Zdenek Kucera Jakub Melicher Sophia Philipp Kerstin Potthoff Hans Renes Michael Roth Maurizia SiguraAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Yinghua Yin Shufang Guo Qiyu Xu Jian Liu Hongyuan Wang Yanhua Zhuang Zhen Wang Lingling Hua Hongbin Liu Limei ZhaiAbstract
Optimizing manure use and reducing chemical fertilizers are crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. However, optimal manure redistribution for cropland yield, nitrogen emissions, and greenhouse gas benefit remains unclear at large spatial scales. Here, we employed genetic algorithms and meta-analysis to obtain an optimal substitution rate for major crops in China. This could reduce synthetic nitrogen use and reactive nitrogen pollution by 13.3 and 2.0 Tg, cut ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions by 15.6% and 16.2%, and lower nitrogen runoff and leaching by 32.9%. The yield of eight major upland crops could be increased by 2.0-19.5%. The strategy involves relocating about 255 million pig equivalents, with 32.3% moved across provinces, mainly from central to northern and northeastern China. An estimated US$6.1 billion investment in livestock relocation could yield US$25.9 billion in benefits.
Abstract
Water quality degradation is a major issue in Mediterranean regions, but identifying the key natural and human drivers remains challenging, requiring large–scale studies for meaningful synthesis and comparison. This study analyzed a vast Mediterranean dataset spanning 89,015 across 15 Iberian river basins along a climate gradient (cooler-wetter north to warmer-drier south), 3 decades, 3441 stations, 19 parameters, and 15 million observations. It is the first study of this scale in the region, utilizing custom scripts for automated data compilation and processing. The study revealed an evident north–to–south water quality decline, with rising electric conductivity, pH, total suspended solids, nitrogen, phosphorus, organic carbon, and sulphate, alongside reduced dissolved oxygen and transparency. This pattern correlated with the latitudinal climate gradient and intensified agriculture in the south (Pearson correlation coefficient: 0.1 to 0.53; Spearman's rank correlation coefficient: 0.17 to 0.56), while increased forest cover had a mitigating effect (Pearson: −0.50 to −0.07; Spearman: −0.51 to −0.10). Multidecadal trend analysis revealed a shift around 2005 with most parameters decreasing, except for nitrate and phosphate, which rose likely due to the 2004/05 drought reducing river dilution and expanded irrigated agriculture, especially in Alentejo with the Alqueva reservoir. These findings are crucial for guiding future national management actions and pollution reduction initiatives in Mediterranean regions, aligning with the European Commission's “European Green Deal” that targets a 50 % reduction in nutrient losses to make agriculture more environmentally sustainable, and also provide a valuable reference to many other regions with similar challenges for water quality management.
Authors
Mahmoud Rajabi Sanaz Vajedian Ryan Smith Neil Grigg Hossein Nahavandchi Mehdi GoliAbstract
Abstract Surface displacement caused by natural and anthropogenic activities poses a significant risk to subsurface pipelines, particularly in areas experiencing subsidence. Stress and strain induced by deformation can lead to pipeline buckling and potential vulnerability. This study applies a multidisciplinary approach integrating interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) deformation analysis, well data, and geological context to assess the risk to oil and gas pipelines in Iran’s Qazvin plain. The focus is on evaluating the impact of an unconfined aquifer, which has a lower risk of subsidence compared to a confined aquifer, on pipeline infrastructure. We analyzed multitemporal Sentinel-1 data collected between 2014 and 2021. Our findings reveal that 2,400 km 2 of the study area is experiencing subsidence with vertical rates reaching up to 14 cm/year with an average S k {S}_{{\rm{k}}} , or skeletal storage value of 0.04. We explore the reasons for this unexpectedly high subsidence, finding that compressible unconfined aquifers with historically low water levels are also at risk for significant inelastic, or permanent, subsidence. We also evaluate pipeline profiles, which show spatial subsidence, much higher than typically seen in unconfined aquifers, with variations of up to 1 m, indicating long-term risks to the infrastructure. This study demonstrates the potential of InSAR techniques in assessing the risk to critical infrastructure, such as oil and gas pipelines, in regions with land deformation due to groundwater withdrawal. Our approach underscores the importance of continuous monitoring and offers valuable insights for addressing the challenges posed by subsidence on pipeline infrastructure.