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
Hadush Tsehaye Beyene Leif Sundheim Arne Tronsmo May Bente Brurberg Dereje Assefa Anne Marte TronsmoAbstract
Fusarium verticillioides is the most common fungal pathogen of maize in Ethiopia. Many strains of this pathogen produce fumonisin myotoxins that are harmful to human and animal health. This study was conducted to determine the fumonisin-producing ability of isolates of F. verticillioides isolated from maize kernels collected from different maize- growing areas of the country. Eighty F. verticillioides isolates were grown on autoclaved maize cultures for one month, and the fumonisin content was quantified using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). All the 80 isolates evaluated were able to produce detectable levels of total fumonisins in the maize culture with values ranging from 0.25 to 38.01 mg of the toxin per kg of culture material (fungal biomass and maize kernels). The mean levels of total fumonisins produced by the F. verticillioides isolates were not significantly (p>0.05) different among maize growing areas, however, the total fumonisins levels produced by isolates obtained from the same area as well as agroecological zones were wide-ranging. The results indicate that the majority (57.5%) of the F. verticillioides isolates associated with maize grains in Ethiopia produced total fumonisins >4 mg/kg, while 35% of the isolates produced total fumonisins <2 mg/kg. The widespread occurrence of higher fumonisin-producing strains across all maize-growing areas in Ethiopia indicates a possible food safety risk. Thus, efforts should be made to prevent the spread of this fungus with good agronomic practices and to implore all possible ways to avoid maize contamination with fumonisin both in the field and in storage.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Fuad Gasi Naris Pojskić Belma Kalamujić Stroil Oddmund Frøynes Milica Fotirić Akšić Mekjell MelandAbstract
In order to determine the pollinizer success rates between twelve apple cultivars in 2021 and 2022, 671 apple embryos were collected from 19 different orchards in Ullensvang (southwestern Norway) and Svelvik (southeastern Norway). Genomic DNA was extracted from the collected embryos and, afterward, a genetic characterization with 15 polymorphic microsatellite markers was conducted. An identical set of markers was also used on all twelve mother cultivars, as well as on six crabapple pollinizers, which were found in the investigated orchards. The obtained molecular data enabled paternity analyses to be performed with the objective of assigning a male parent to each embryo. The paternity analyses identified pollen donors for all, except for 3% of the embryos. In most cases, it was possible to identify the most successful pollinizers for each cultivar, with ‘Aroma’ and ‘Discovery’ being the most efficient pollen donors overall. Tree abundance seems to be a major factor in pollinizer success, while semi-cross-compatible characteristics represent a hindrance. Only 7% of the analyzed embryos were determined to have been fertilized by pollinizers outside the orchard, confirming the significance of pollinizer proximity for efficient pollination.
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) can be used as a stand-alone process or integrated as part of a larger biorefining process to produce biofuels, biochemicals and fertiliser, and has the potential to play a central role in the emerging circular bioeconomy (CBE). Agricultural residues, such as animal slurry, straw, and grass silage, represent an important resource and have a huge potential to boost biogas and methane yields. Under the CBE concept, there is a need to assess the long-term impact and investigate the potential accumulation of specific unwanted substances. Thus, a comprehensive literature review to summarise the benefits and environmental impacts of using agricultural residues for AD is needed. This review analyses the benefits and potential adverse effects related to developing biogas-centred CBE. The identified potential risks/challenges for developing biogas CBE include GHG emission, nutrient management, pollutants, etc. In general, the environmental risks are highly dependent on the input feedstocks and resulting digestate. Integrated treatment processes should be developed as these could both minimise risks and improve the economic perspective.
Authors
Divina Gracia P. RodriguezAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
This chapter describes the work performed within the Sinograin II project on implementation of new precision nitrogen management technologies in three regions of North China. Each of the analyzed regions represents a different crop and scale of a farming system: large-scale rice farming system in Heilongjiang province, medium-scale maize farming system in Jilin province, and small-scale wheat farming system in the North China Plain. A village was selected in each region to represent the agricultural practices and current nutrient and crop management strategies of the tested region. Moreover, the initial regional optimum crop management, the current agricultural extension, as well as the precision nitrogen technologies implemented in the respective regions are described. During the course of the project, a number of novel tools and strategies for precision nitrogen management were developed for the respective regions and published in scientific papers. This chapter reviews and discusses the selected findings and indicates directions of the upcoming research.
Authors
Kuan Wang Bin Jiao Marit Almvik Fengshou Dong Xinglu Pan Xiaohu Wu Jun Xu Xingang Liu Yongquan ZhengAbstract
This study applied comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOF-MS) for the analysis of 100 pesticides (77 organophosphorus and 23 organochlorines) in six typical plant matrices with high protein, starch, acid, or oil content. Different sorbents were evaluated in the clean-up step of the QuEChERS method, and optimized sorbent combinations were obtained for each individual matrix. Good linearity of the calibration curves of matrix-matched was obtained (R2 ≥ 0.9853). The mean recoveries and relative standard deviations at fortification levels of 10 and 50 μg/kg ranged from 72.6 to 117.5 and 0.1 to 19.9%, respectively. Phenolic antioxidants, glycosides, phosphorus esters, linoleic acid, unsaturated fatty acids, and other interferences in the individual plant matrix were identified. The results demonstrated that GC × GC-TOF-MS is helpful in the separation of the co-eluted pesticides and the identification of interferences in complex plant matrices.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
This paper explores the utilisation of gauge rainfall and satellite-based precipitation product (SPP)-TRMM3B42, to develop IDF curves for the Fiji Islands. The study compares the application of remote sensing data against rain gauge (RG) data for two main stations, Nadi and Nausori (1991 to 2020). The accuracy of SPPs is evaluated through statistical analysis, employing continuous and categorical evaluation indices. The results indicate that TRMM3B42 tends to overestimate light precipitation and underestimate heavy rainfall in low elevations when compared to rain gauge data. Rainfall intensities derived from satellite data exhibit relative changes within ± 10%. This study also performs future projections. Two greenhouse emission scenarios, Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) 2–4.5 and 5–8.5, are employed for IDF curve projection. The analysis reveals that changes in IDF curves are more pronounced for short-duration rainfall as compared to high-duration rainfall. Additionally, higher emission scenarios demonstrate greater changes compared to lower scenarios. These findings emphasise the importance of accounting for climate change and future projections in designing urban infrastructure, particularly considering potential urban expansion and human settlements. This study helps in solving design problems associated with urban runoff control and disposal where knowing the rainfall intensities of different return periods with different durations is vital.
Authors
Aurelie Wilfart Vincent Baillet Lorraine Balaine Xabier Díaz de Otálora Federico Dragoni Dominika Joanna Krol Joanna Frątczak-Müller Anna Rychła Divina Gracia P. Rodriguez James Breen Vasileios Anestis Cathal Buckley Habtamu Alem Wilfried Winiwarter Nouraya Akkal-Corfini Barbara AmonAbstract
Growing awareness of global challenges and increasing pressures on the farming sector, including the urgent requirement to rapidly cut greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, emphasize the need for sustainable production, which is particularly relevant for dairy production systems. Comparing dairy production systems across the three sustainability dimensions is a considerable challenge, notably due to the heterogeneity of production conditions in Europe. To overcome this, we developed an ex-post multicriteria assessment tool that adopts a holistic approach across the three sustainability dimensions. This tool is based on the DEXi framework, which associates a hierarchical decision model with an expert perspective and follows a tree-shaped structure; thus, we called it the DEXi-Dairy tool. For each dimension of sustainability, qualitative attributes were defined and organized in themes, sub-themes, and indicators. Their choice was guided by three objectives: (i) better describe the main challenges faced by European dairy production systems, (ii) point out synergies and trade-offs across sustainability dimensions, and (iii) contribute to the identification of GHG mitigation strategies at the farm level. Qualitative scales for each theme, sub-theme, and indicator were defined together with weighting factors used to aggregate each level of the tree. Based on selected indicators, a list of farm data requirements was developed to populate the sustainability tree. The model was then tested on seven case study farms distributed across Europe. DEXi-Dairy presents a qualitative method that allows for the comparison of different inputs and the evaluation of the three sustainability dimensions in an integrated manner. By assessing synergies and trade-offs across sustainability dimensions, DEXi-Dairy is able to reflect the heterogeneity of dairy production systems. Results indicate that, while trade-offs occasionally exist among respective selected sub-themes, certain farming systems tend to achieve a higher sustainability score than others and hence could serve as benchmarks for further analyses.