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.
2026
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Misganu Debella-Gilo Diress Tsegaye Richard Adade Deo D. Shirima Belachew GizachewAbstract
Remote sensing is essential for mapping mangrove forest ecosystems, yet accuracy and spatial resolution remain limited, particularly in Africa, where mangroves are fragmented, reference data and cloud-free images are scarce. The state-of-the-art of mangrove forest mapping relies on native-resolution imagery using machine learning. This study evaluates deep learning methods using aggregated multi-date satellite imagery to improve mangrove mapping and national-scale area estimation. Super-resolution and semantic segmentation techniques were applied to Sentinel-2 (S2) and Sentinel-1 (S1) images, with training data derived from field observations and high-resolution drone and satellite imagery. Coastal regions of Tanzania and Ghana were used as representative study areas for eastern and western Africa, respectively. Results show strong classification performance, with S2 imagery alone achieving an Intersection over Union (IoU) of 85.8%. Adding S1 provided modest gains (IoU 86.3%), while super-resolution significantly improved the accuracy (IoU 88.5%). The combined super-resolved S2 and S1 dataset yielded the highest performance (IoU 89.2%). Wall-to-wall mapping and statistically rigorous validation and area estimation produced accurate results with quantified uncertainty. Tanzania showed high consistency (F1 = 96%; 1207 km2, 95% CI [1151.7, 1263]), while Ghana exhibited slightly higher uncertainty (F1 = 92%; 92.6 km2, 95% CI [87.5, 97.7]). Integrating deep learning with multi-date, multi-sensor fusion and super-resolution enables accurate mangrove mapping and area estimation for improved coastal management and restoration.
Abstract
Solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) offers a promising route for treating lignocellulosic biomass, yet challenges remain regarding process stability, limited understanding of microbial dynamics under leachate recirculation, and insufficient integration of digestate valorization pathways. This study investigated the thermophilic co-digestion of coffee husk (CH) with avocado and flower wastes at proportions of 90:5:5 (CH + 10%) and 80:10:10 (CH + 20%) on a dry weight basis, using a leachate-recirculated SS-AD system for biogas production, while the resulting digestate was utilized for bio-briquette. The 20% co-substrate mixture (CH + 20%) produced the highest methane yield at 263 mL CH4 g−1 VS, representing a 40% improvement over mono-digested CH. The recirculated leachate maintained relatively stable pH (7.6–8.1), supported hydrolysis and prevented volatile fatty acid buildup, thereby maintaning methanogenic activity. Microbial analysis indicated that the enrichment of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria fermenters, together with Methanosarcina-dominated acetoclastic‑hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, improved system stability during the co-digestion process. The BMP tests demonstrated that CH + 20% showed the highest methane production at 390 NmL CH₄ g−1 VS. The digestate generated from SS-AD was subsequently valorized into bio-briquettes, producing calorific values of 16.4–17.1 MJ kg−1 and improved mechanical properties that meet solid biofuel standards. This integrated approach enhances overall energy recovery from biomass residues, demonstrating the effectiveness of leachate-recirculated SS-AD for circular bioresource management.
Authors
Dammen, Maren VedvikAbstract
Veterinære parasittmidler er avgjørende for god dyrehelse og lønnsomhet i dyreproduksjonen. Samtidig kan de utgjøre en økotoksikologisk risiko, ettersom de ofte skilles ut umetabolisert og fortsatt er biologisk aktive i miljøet. Konsentrasjonene i avføring overstiger ofte giftighetsterskler for ikke-målarter, som for eksempel gjødselbiller. I tillegg gjør mangelen på lett tilgjengelige data om bruken av slike midler i Norge, og om deres nedbrytning under nordiske klimaforhold, risikovurderinger krevende. Hovedmålet med denne oppgaven var å vurdere de potensielle miljørisikoene knyttet til bruk av parasittmidler i Norge. Dette ble gjort ved å undersøke hvordan tilførselsmåte (spiking vs. naturlig utskillelse), temperatur, og varmkompostering påvirker nedbrytningshastigheten, uttrykt som halveringstid (DT50). Tre eksperimenter (A, B og C) ble gjennomført, og disse omfattet 11 ulike parasittmidler fra gruppene isoxazoliner, benzimidazoler og makrosykliske laktoner. Analysene ble utført ved hjelp av en modifisert QuEChERS-protokoll og LC-MS/MS. Metodevalideringen som ble gjort i Eksperiment A, viste ingen betydelige forskjeller i nedbrytningshastighet mellom ivermectin tilført via naturlig utskillelse fra hest og ved spiking. Dette gir støtte til bruk av spiking som en gyldig eksperimentell metode. Eksperiment B undersøkte nedbrytning i en blanding av jord og gjødsel ved tre temperaturer (6 °C, 12 °C og 20 °C) over 100 dager, for å representere typiske norske jordtemperaturer. Studien viste at nedbrytningen nesten stoppet opp ved lave temperaturer. Ved 6 °C var den estimerte halveringstiden for flere midler over 10 000 dager, noe som indikerer at de forblir stabile i miljøet gjennom vinterhalvåret. I Eksperiment C viste varmkompostering seg å være et effektivt virkemiddel. Halveringstiden for ivermectin ble redusert til 28 dager under varmkomposteringsforhold, sammenlignet med 56 dager i jord ved 20 °C. Lotilaner ble også nesten fullstendig nedbrutt under de samme forholdene, med en DT50 på 1 dag. Oppgaven gir også de første estimatene for halveringstid (DT50) i jord for afoxolaner, lotilaner og praziquantel. Resultatene indikerer at parasittmidlenes persistens i nordisk klima sannsynligvis er underestimert, fordi nedbrytningen er tilnærmet stanset i store deler av året, fra oktober til april. Varmkompostering fremstår som en lovende strategi for å redusere den økotoksikologiske risikoen før gjødsel spres på jordbruksarealer. Resultatene understreker behovet for systematisk overvåking av både bruk og resistensmønstre for å kunne foreta risikovurderinger i fremtiden.
Authors
Heidi Udnes Aamot Shiori Koga Katherine Ann Gredvig Nielsen Ulrike Böcker Guro Brodal Ruth Dill-Macky Anne Kjersti Uhlen Ingerd Skow HofgaardAbstract
The breadmaking quality of wheat depends on the viscoelastic properties of the dough, largely determined by gluten quality. The latter is influenced by wheat genetics and environmental factors. To identify whether fungal infection can compromise gluten quality, greenhouse-grown spring wheat was inoculated with Fusarium graminearum or Fusarium avenaceum at flowering. Grain harvested at maturity was analysed for fungal infection (concentration of fungal DNA), thousand-grain weight (TGW), size distribution of glutenin polymers (proportion of un-extractable polymeric proteins, %UPP), gluten-degrading protease activity, and viscoelastic properties of gluten (maximum resistance towards stretching [RMAX] and extensibility). Fusarium graminearum caused severe infections, and strong negative correlations were observed between F. graminearum-DNA and TGW, %UPP and RMAX. Significant reductions in %UPP and RMAX were observed even when only 10% of the flour-blend originated from infected grain. The degradation of gluten proteins was attributed to both enzymatic activity and disrupted grain maturation. In contrast, F. avenaceum infections were less severe, with only slight reductions in TGW, %UPP, and RMAX, though signs of gluten-degrading enzyme activities were observed in the most infected samples. In summary, F. graminearum significantly compromised gluten quality through protein degradation and reduction in the proportion of large glutenin polymers. While F. avenaceum had a lesser impact on gluten quality, the risk of compromised grain entering the food chain may be greater than with F. graminearum, as neither F. avenaceum nor its associated mycotoxins are regulated. These findings highlight the importance of further research on how fungal infection influences the breadmaking quality of wheat.
Authors
Linn Vassvik Anders Nielsen Michael Garratt Bjørn Arild Hatteland Joseph Chipperfield Erik Trond AschehougAbstract
In 1968 Free published a paper titled "Dandelion as a competitor to fruit trees for bee visits", and since then mwoing the understory vegetation has been common practice in apple orchards. However, Free's study only included honeybees, and recent research shows that apple flowers need a diverse pollinator community for optimal quality and yield. Wild bees need a diverse floral diet to survive, raising the following questions: Do wild bees also prefer dandelions over apple flowers? And will dandelions compete with apple flowers when all pollinators are considered?
Authors
Susanna Simovaara Jani Kurunsaari Ilona Peltoniemi Nina Sipari Laura Jaakola Pauliina PalonenAbstract
Postharvest light treatments can enhance anthocyanin accumulation in berry fruit, but the extent to which these responses depend on developmental stage at harvest remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the effects of blue, red, and wide-spectrum white light applied for 7 or 14 days to cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) fruit harvested at the green, white, and turning stages. Anthocyanin accumulation was strongly influenced by harvest maturity and light spectrum. Blue light induced the greatest anthocyanin accumulation in fruit harvested at the green and white stages and was accompanied by increased expression of the late anthocyanin biosynthetic genes ANS (anthocyanidin synthase) and UFGT (UDP-glucose:flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase). In turning-stage fruit, all light treatments enhanced anthocyanin accumulation relative to darkness. Changes in skin color closely mirrored anthocyanin accumulation across treatments. Metabolite profiling further revealed contrasting responses among phenolic subclasses: anthocyanins responded strongly to postharvest illumination, whereas proanthocyanidins were influenced primarily by harvest maturity and showed limited responsiveness to light treatments. Flavonols exhibited intermediate, compound-specific responses. In contrast, total phenolics, soluble solids, and titratable acidity were only minimally affected by postharvest illumination and largely followed developmental trends. Ethylene evolution was stimulated by all light treatments in green fruit, showed a transient increase under blue light in white fruit, and was unaffected in turning fruit. These findings demonstrate that the effects of postharvest spectral illumination on cranberry fruit are strongly dependent on harvest maturity and differ among flavonoid subclasses. The Authors This is an open access article under the CC BY license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Abstract
Apple is the third most grown fruit worldwide and relies on pollinator visits to increase both fruit quality and yield. Apple, like many other crops, flowers for a short and intensive period, making the collection of high-quality data on pollinator visits challenging and time-consuming when relying on traditional human observations. We therefore tested whether cameras can be used to increase data collection on pollinator visits to apple flowers, and the advantages and limitations camera-based observations has compared to manual observations. Cameras were deployed in five apple orchards in Eastern Norway during apple flowering. Each camera was positioned facing a selection of flowers, on which manual observations were also conducted. Cameras took a photo every minute from sunrise (04:30) to sun set (22:00), and manual observations were conducted twice a day, between 08:00-13:00, and 13:00-19:00, with each observation lasting five minutes. All bees visiting a flower were recorded and classified as honeybees, bumblebees, or solitary bees. Flower phenology was also recorded daily. Preliminary results show that cameras detected almost twice as many bee visits as manual observations. In addition, cameras captured visitation across all hours of the day, throughout the entire flowering period, providing detailed temporal and spatial information on bee activity and phenology. Our study provides valuable insights that cameras are a powerful tool to collect information on pollinator visits to apple flowers, enabling more comprehensive and temporally resolved datasets than traditional observations. Such improvements in data quality are essential for advancing applied pollination research and for informing management strategies aimed at sustaining crop yields under increasing environmental and agricultural pressures.
Authors
Magda KarloAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Brett Kevin Sandercock Martin Malmstrøm Eva Bonsak Thorstad Anders Nielsen Paul Ragnar Berg Anders Bryn Kjetil Hindar Lars Robert Hole Johanna Järnegren Kyrre Kausrud Lawrence R. Kirkendall Erlend Birkeland Nilsen Gaute VelleAbstract
VKM assessed the potential risks to biodiversity in Norway associated with the import and release of biocontrol agents for management of house flies and stable flies in poultry farms, pig or sheep barns, cattle feedlots, and horse stables. Effective control of filth flies requires repeated releases of up to one million mass-reared individuals, but recent permits have restricted releases to lower numbers. Risk assessments were completed for the dump fly Hydrotaea aenescens, the parasitoid wasps Spalangia cameroni, S. endius, Nasonia vitripennis, Muscidifurax raptor, M. raptorellus and M. zarapator, and the hister beetle Carcinops pumilio. Nasonia vitripennis is a native species in Norway, C. pumilio is a non-native species that is widely established in Norway, and S. cameroni occurs on pig farms in southern Norway. Hydrotaea aenescens and M. raptor have been detected in low numbers, whereas S. endius, M. raptorellus and M. zaraptor have not been reported in Norway. The biological control agents are generalist predators and parasitoids that could affect native species through six impact mechanisms from the Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa: competition, predation, hybridization, disease transmission, parasitism, and indirect effects. No impacts on native biodiversity have been documented where the non-native species occur in Norway or elsewhere. The potential for establishment and spread is low because the non-native species are associated with manmade habitats, have poor dispersal ability, and are warm-adapted species unlikely to cope with cold winters. Mitigation measures can reduce risks during import from commercial suppliers and releases in farms and stables, whereas surveillance programs could detect unexpected changes in insect communities. VKM concludes that the risks to native biodiversity in Norway are likely to be low from use of these biocontrol agents for management of pest flies in animal production facilities.