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.
2024
Abstract
Biochar modification is an effective approach to enhance its ability to promote anaerobic digestion (AD). Focusing on the physical properties of biochar, the impact of different particle sizes of biochar on AD of food waste (FW) at high organic loading rate (OLR) was investigated. Four biochar with different sizes (40–200 mesh) were prepared and used in AD systems at OLR 30 g VS/L. The research results found that biochar with a volume particle size of 102 μm (RBC-P140) had top-performance in promoting cumulative methane production, increasing by 13.20% compared to the control group. The analysis results of the variety in volatile acids and alkalinity in the system did not show a correlation with the size of biochar, but small size has the potential to improve the environmental tolerance of the system to high acidity. Microbial community analysis showed that the abundance of aceticlastic methanogen and the composition of zoogloea were optimized through relatively small-sized biochar. Through revealing the effect of biochar particle size on AD system at high OLR, this work provided theoretical guidance for regulating fermentation systems using biochar.
Abstract
Purpose The impact of winter moisture on root metabolism and root integrity has potential consequences for the geographical distribution of drought-adapted succulent species and for their long-term performance on green roofs. The interacting effects of soil characteristics and precipitation frequency on root mortality under winter conditions and the potential to grow new roots in spring were evaluated for six Sedum species under controlled conditions. Methods To test for the impact of soil moisture during winter on root regrowth potential in six Sedum species, we used a combination of two substrates with differing water-holding capacity and four contrasting watering regimes. Specially, for the fine and coarse substrates, total pore volume was 42 and 46 %, respectively, and maximum water-holding capacity (i.e. field capacity) was 0.50 and 0.33 kg water per L, respectively. The four watering treatments involved overhead watering to runoff (approx. 10 mm): once every second week, once a week, three times per week and three times per week with 1 cm standing water in trays from January to March 2019. Results It was found that winter soil moisture had no major impact on root mortality or root regrowth potential in spring. Root mortality was not affected by watering frequency and regrowth potential showed no directional response to increased watering frequency, although species-specific responses were involved. Root diameter did not differ between the substrates, but there were some differences between the species. Sedum rupestre had on average the thickest roots (0.17 mm), followed by S. acre, S. anglicum and S. sexangulare (0.15–0.16 mm), while S. album and S. hispanicum had the thinnest roots (0.12–0.13 mm). Moreover, effects of watering frequency on root mortality and regrowth potential were not influenced by soil water-holding capacity across species. We concluded that winter soil moisture had no negative effects on root performance within the range of treatments tested here. Conclusions Root response to transient waterlogging or moist but unsaturated soil may not be an important mechanism for determining the survival and distribution of temperate Sedum species during winter.
Authors
Ilona Knollová Milan Chytrý Helge Bruelheide Stefan Dullinger ... ... Jutta Kapfer --- ... Franz Essl John-Arvid Grytnes Vigdis VandvikAbstract
Aims We introduce ReSurveyEurope — a new data source of resurveyed vegetation plots in Europe, compiled by a collaborative network of vegetation scientists. We describe the scope of this initiative, provide an overview of currently available data, governance, data contribution rules, and accessibility. In addition, we outline further steps, including potential research questions. Results ReSurveyEurope includes resurveyed vegetation plots from all habitats. Version 1.0 of ReSurveyEurope contains 283,135 observations (i.e., individual surveys of each plot) from 79,190 plots sampled in 449 independent resurvey projects. Of these, 62,139 (78%) are permanent plots, that is, marked in situ, or located with GPS, which allow for high spatial accuracy in resurvey. The remaining 17,051 (22%) plots are from studies in which plots from the initial survey could not be exactly relocated. Four data sets, which together account for 28,470 (36%) plots, provide only presence/absence information on plant species, while the remaining 50,720 (64%) plots contain abundance information (e.g., percentage cover or cover–abundance classes such as variants of the Braun-Blanquet scale). The oldest plots were sampled in 1911 in the Swiss Alps, while most plots were sampled between 1950 and 2020. Conclusions ReSurveyEurope is a new resource to address a wide range of research questions on fine-scale changes in European vegetation. The initiative is devoted to an inclusive and transparent governance and data usage approach, based on slightly adapted rules of the well-established European Vegetation Archive (EVA). ReSurveyEurope data are ready for use, and proposals for analyses of the data set can be submitted at any time to the coordinators. Still, further data contributions are highly welcome.
Abstract
Introduction: Production of strawberries in greenhouses and polytunnels is gaining popularity worldwide. This study investigated the effect of reuse of coir and peat, two substrates commonly adapted to soilless strawberry production, as well as stand-alone wood fiber from Norway spruce, a promising substrate candidate. Methods: The experiment was performed in a polytunnel at NIBIO Apelsvoll, Norway, and evaluated both virgin substrates, as well as spent materials that were used in one or two years. Yield, berry quality and plant architecture of the strawberry cultivar ‘Malling Centenary’ were registered. In addition, chemical and physical properties of virgin and reused substrates were investigated. Results: While plants grown in peat and wood fiber had highest yield in the first year of production, the berry yield was slightly reduced when these substrates were utilized for the second and third time. However, yield was comparable to the yield level attained in new and reused coir. Interestingly, berries grown in wood fiber had a tendency to a higher sugar accumulation. This substrate also produced the highest plants. Stand-alone wood fiber was the substrate with the highest accumulation of nitrogen during the three consecutive production cycles. All three investigated materials revealed a trend for decreased potassium accumulation. Wood fiber is characterized by the highest percentage of cellulose, however after three years of production the cellulose content was reducedto the same levels as for coir and peat. Discussion: Implementation of wood fiber as a growing medium, as well as general practice of substrate reuse can be therefore an achievable strategy for more sustainable berry production.
Authors
Knut ØistadAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
C. Morgan-Davies G. Tesnière J.M. Gautier Grete H. M. Jørgensen E. González-García S.I. Patsios E.N. Sossidou T.W.J. Keady B. McClearn F. Kenyon G. Caja Lise Grøva M. Decandia L. Cziszter I. Halachmi C.M. DwyerAbstract
Small ruminant (sheep and goat) production of meat and milk is undertaken in diverse topographical and climatic environments and the systems range from extensive to intensive. This could lead to different types of welfare compromise, which need to be managed. Implementing Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) and other new or innovative technologies could help to manage or monitor animal welfare. This paper explores such opportunities, seeking to identify promising aspects of PLF that may allow improved management of welfare for small ruminants using literature search (two reviews), workshops in nine countries (France, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Norway, Romania, Spain, and the United Kingdom) with 254 stakeholders, and panels with 52 experts. An investigation of the main welfare challenges that may affect sheep and goats across the different management systems in Europe was undertaken, followed by a prioritisation of animal welfare issues obtained in the nine countries. This suggested that disease and health issues, feed access and undernutrition/malnutrition, maternal behaviour/offspring losses, environmental stressors and issues with agonistic behavioural interactions were important welfare concerns. These welfare issues and their indicators (37 for sheep, 25 for goats) were categorised into four broad welfare indicator categories: weight loss or change in body state (BWC), behavioural change (BC), milk yield and quality (MY), and environmental indicators (Evt). In parallel, 24 potential PLF and innovative technologies (8 for BWC; 10 for BC; 4 for MY; 6 for Evt) that could be relevant to monitor these broad welfare indicator categories and provide novel approaches to manage and monitor welfare have been identified. Some technologies had the capacity to monitor more than one broad indicator. Out of the 24 technologies, only 12 were animal-based sensors, or that could monitor the animal individually. One alternative could be to incorporate a risk management approach to welfare, using aspects of environmental stress. This could provide an early warning system for the potential risks of animal welfare compromise and alert farmers to the need to implement mitigation actions.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Lång Kristiina Daniël van de Craats Henri Honkanen Lars Elsgaard Rudi Hessel Hanna Kekkonen Tuula Larmola Jens Leifeld Poul Erik Lærke Andres Rodriguez Sanna Saarnio Junbin ZhaoAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Åsa Helena Frostegård Christer Magnusson Kjetil Klaveness Melby Nana Yaa Boahene Siamak Pour Yazdankhah Beatrix Alsanius Jorunn Børve Paal Krokene Mogens Nicolaisen Line Nybakken Johan A. Stenberg Iben Margrete Thomsen Sandra A.I. Wright May-Guri SæthreAbstract
Helse- og miljørisiko ved bruk av bakterien Psychrobacter sp. i plantevernmiddelet Nemaslug® Helserisikoen for mennesker ved bruk av Nemaslug® anses som lav, men man kan ikke utelukke risiko for svært infeksjonsutsatte pasientgrupper. Det er ingen bevis for helseproblemer som oppstår ved inntak av matvarer behandlet med Nemaslug®. Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø (VKM) har, på oppdrag fra Mattilsynet, utført en risikovurdering av bakterien Psychrobacter sp. som inngår i plantevernmiddelet Nemaslug®. Plantevernmiddelet Nemaslug®, som er godkjent for bruk i Norge siden 2005, inneholder nematoden Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita. Nematoden bærer en symbiotisk bakterie som fungerer som den aktive biokontrollorganismen ved å produsere giftstoffer som dreper snegler ved infeksjon. Bakgrunnen for oppdraget er at det ble avdekket at bakterien i Nemaslug® ikke er Moraxella osloensis, som den tidligere godkjenningen er basert på. Den er i stedet blitt identifisert som en art i bakterieslekten Psychrobacter, mest sannsynlig Psychrobacter faecalis, alternativt Psychrobacter pulmonis. Denne vurderingen skal danne grunnlag for Mattilsynets beslutning om hvorvidt Nemaslug® skal beholde sin godkjenning for bruk i Norge eller ei. Resultater Det er begrenset informasjon om helsefarene ved Psychrobacter sp. hos mennesker. Kunnskap om antibiotikaresistens og patogenisitet i slekten Psychrobacter er i stor grad mangelfull. Det er lite informasjon om forekomsten av Psychrobacter sp. i Norge. Potensialet for spredning og etablering av Psychrobacter sp. i miljøet under norske forhold vurderes som lavt. Risikoen Nemaslug® utgjør for ikke-målorganismer, spesielt bløtdyr, er usikker og krever videre forskning. Videre taksonomisk analyse og fullstendig genomsekvensering er nødvendig for å bekrefte artstilhørigheten til bakterien i Nemaslug®. Konklusjoner Selv om informasjonen om helsefarene knyttet til Psychrobacter sp. hos mennesker er begrenset, betraktes den generelt som et lavrisikopatogen. Helserisikoen for mennesker ved bruk av Nemaslug® anses derfor som lav, men risiko for pasientgrupper som er svært mottakelige for infeksjoner kan ikke utelukkes. Det er ingen bevis for helseproblemer som oppstår ved inntak av matvarer behandlet med Nemaslug®. Metode VKM har hentet data og informasjon fra søkeren via Mattilsynet og VKMs forrige rapport om Nemaslug®. Et grundig litteratursøk ble gjennomført for å innhente ytterligere relevant informasjon. Vurderingen er godkjent av VKMs faggruppe for plantehelse.