Marit Almvik
Research Scientist
Attachments
CV Marit AlmvikBiography
Abstract
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Authors
Marianne Stenrød Marit Almvik Ole Martin Eklo Anne Louise Gimsing Roger Holten Kai Künnis-Beres Mats Larsbo Linas Putelis Katri Siimes Inara Turka Jaana Uusi-KämppäAbstract
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Authors
Marit Almvik Randi Bolli Agnethe Christiansen Ole Martin Eklo Roger Holten Paulien Mulder Gunvor Senneset Marianne StenrødAbstract
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Authors
Christophe Moni Eva Farkas Claire Coutris Hanna Marika Silvennoinen Anders Aas Marit Almvik Liang Wang Kathinka Lang Xingang Liu Marianne StenrødAbstract
Biochar and pesticides are likely to be increasingly used in combination in agricultural soils, yet their combined effects on climate change mitigation remain unexplored. This study presents an 8-month incubation experiment with different soil types (silt loam and sandy loam), biochars (corncob and corn stem), and pesticides (with and without a pesticide mixture), during which CO2 production from soil organic matter (SOM) and biochar mineralisation was monitored using isotopic methods. A comprehensive modelling approach, describing all mineralisation results over the entire incubation with a reduced set of parameters, was employed to isolate the effects of biochar, pesticides, and their interactions across soil types and carbon pools, and captured the dynamic effect of biochar on SOM mineralisation. Over 99.5% of biochars remained inert after 8 months, confirming the role of biochar as a carbon sequestration technology. Biochar addition showed higher SOM stabilisation potential in soil with high clay content compared to soil with low clay content. This suggests that biochar amendment should be considered carefully in clay-depleted soils, as it could result in a loss of native SOM. Corn stem biochar, characterised by high surface area and low C/N ratio, demonstrated higher SOM stabilisation potential than corncob biochar with low surface area and high C/N ratio. Pesticide application reduced SOM mineralisation by 10% regardless of soil and biochar types. Finally, the interaction between corncob biochar and pesticides further reduced SOM mineralisation by 5%, while no interactive effect was observed with corn stem biochar. These findings highlight the importance of considering biochar-pesticide interactions when evaluating the impact of biochar amendments on native SOM stability.
Authors
Linn Fenna Groeneveld Oksana Bekkevold Trond Bergskås Martin Linkogel Cord Luellmann Marit AlmvikAbstract
Regulatory bodies aim to protect consumers from harmful substances. The use of certain antibiotics is prohibited in food-producing animals in the EU due to their potential detrimental effects on humans. Among these are nitrofuran antibiotics, which degrade rapidly so that their metabolites are used as markers in screening for their illegal use. The use of one metabolite, semicarbazide (SEM), as a marker for detecting the antibiotic nitrofurazone, has been criticized due to the many pathways it can be formed by and its natural occurrence in some food items. A recent change in the reference point of action (RPA) for SEM, as stated in Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1871, due to a reassessment of sensitivity of the analyses, poses a problem for the export of heather honey in Norway. Norwegian heather honey seems to exceed the lowered RPA in numerous cases. Here we show that Norwegian heather honey samples, but not polyfloral ‘summer’ honey samples from the same hives, contain SEM. The simplest explanation for the demonstrated pattern is a natural source of SEM in heather honey, not the use of a banned antibiotic. Based on our results, we propose that an exception to the EU regulation should be added, exempting heather honey derived from Calluna vulgaris unless other nitrofurans or their metabolites are found together with SEM.
Authors
Live Lingaas Nesse Kristin Forfang Jannice Schau Slettemeås Snorre Hagen Marianne Sunde Abdelhameed Elameen Gro Skøien Johannessen Marianne Stenrød Girum Tadesse Tessema Marit Almvik Hans Geir EikenAbstract
The abundance and diversity of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in agricultural landscapes may be important for the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment. The aim of this study was to apply screening methods for ARB and ARGs to investigate the impact of farming on the prevalence of AMR in a country with low antibiotic usage. We have analyzed samples (n = 644) from soil and wild terrestrial animals and plants (slugs, snails, mice, shrews, earthworms, and red clover) collected over two years in agricultural fields accompanied by nearby control areas with low human activity. All samples were investigated for the occurrence of 35 different ARGs using high-throughput quantitative PCR (HT-qPCR) on a newly developed DNA array. In addition, samples from the first year (n = 415) were investigated with a culture-based approach combined with whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to identify antimicrobial-resistant E. coli (AREC). ARGs were detected in 59.5% of all samples (2019 + 2020). AREC, which was only investigated in the 2019 samples, was identified in 1.9% of these. Samples collected in the autumn showed more ARGs and AREC than spring samples, and this was more pronounced for organic fields than for conventional fields. Control areas with low human activity showed lower levels of ARGs and a lack of AREC. The use of livestock manure was correlated with a higher level of ARG load than other farming practices. None of the soil samples contained antibiotics, and no association was found between AMR and the levels of metals or pesticides. High qualitative similarity between HT-qPCR and WGS, together with the positive controls to the validation of our 35 ARG assays, show that the microfluid DNA array may be an efficient screening tool on environmental samples. In conclusion, even in a country with a very low consumption of antimicrobials by production animals, our results support the hypothesis of these animals being a source of AREC and ARGs in agricultural environments, primarily through the use of manure.
Division of Environment and Natural Resources
TerraNordica: Nordic Partnership for Soil Health and Agroecology
Soil health and Ecosystem Services (ES) are assessed through measuring carefully selected physical, chemical, and biological soil indicators related to dynamic soil properties, and compare these to thresholds or standard values that separate healthy from unhealthy conditions.
Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health
REKORN: Can regenerative cultivation methods contribute to reduce the risk of fungal diseases in cereals?
Regenerative agriculture is referred to as a bridge between organic and conventional agriculture and has received increased attention in recent years. Regenerative agriculture focuses on soil health and cultivation measures that can stimulate soil life and plant growth. An improvement in soil health is visualized, among other things, in increased carbon storage in the soil, limited soil compaction and increased microbiological diversity. The methods used to improve soil health within cereal cultivation may include crop rotation, reduced tillage, intercropping, use of catch crops and surface composting where plant residues are mixed into the top-soil layer.
Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health
Green crop protection: Cruciferous plants as a green alternative to chemical pesticides in cereals
Cereal plants infested with plant pathogenic fungi or nematodes may have reduced grain quality and yield. These diseases can partly be controlled by using chemical pesticides. The purpose of this project is to identify "green" methods to mitigate plant pathogenic fungi and nematodes in cereals, as an alternative to chemical pesticides.