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
Authors
Jennifer Duringer Gene Pirelli Nicole Anderson Carolyn YoungAbstract
Many varieties of tall fescue and perennial ryegrass are infected with a fungal endophyte that can be toxic to livestock. Learn how they affect livestock and how to provide safe forage.
Authors
Martina Gonzalez Mateu Amber D. Moore Nicole Anderson Elizabeth Verhoeven Jennifer M. Moore Kristin M. TrippeAbstract
Abstract Background and aims Perennial grass seed systems may promote soil organic carbon (SOC) storage through continuous plant cover, reduced tillage, and straw residue retention, yet few studies have explored the effects of field management practices on SOC stocks. Methods We measured SOC stocks (0–30 and 30–100 cm depth), particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon (POM and MAOM), microbial community structure, and plant biomass across 24 tall fescue seed fields of varying stand ages (2–20 years) and straw management practices (straw retention vs removal) in Oregon, USA. Results While SOC stocks did not differ among treatments at either depth, stand age and straw retention altered plant and biomass, and SOC partitioning. Specifically, older stands exhibited higher total field-level C (SOC + plant biomass) due to greater root inputs, while straw retention increased the proportion of POM in the topsoil. Together, stand age and straw retention shifted community composition and increased microbial biomass. Total PLFAs were positively correlated with %POM and soil respiration, indicating that straw retention can drive rapid C turnover. When compared to nearby land uses, tall fescue seed fields had lower topsoil C stocks than natural grasslands but higher than arable crops, underscoring the C storage potential of these systems. Conclusions Our results indicate that stand age and straw management altered SOC dynamics primarily through changes in microbial biomass and labile SOC inputs. Maintaining older perennial stands with straw retention can support higher belowground inputs and foster a larger microbial community, potentially enhancing aspects of soil health beyond SOC accumulation.
Authors
Hasriani Ayu Lestari Fahrurrozi Izzuddin Wahyu Purbiantoro Yanti Inneke Nababan Zaenal Arifin Siregar Hikmaturrohmi Hikmaturrohmi Eka Sunarwidhi Prasedya Michael RoledaAbstract
The ice-ice disease (IID) impacting the commercially important eucheumatoid seaweed Kappaphycus striatus is characterized by thallus bleaching (whitening), softening, and subsequent disintegration of the affected tissue. The occurrence of IID is thought to be stress-related release of dissolve organic carbon exudates that are utilized as substrate for microbial growth. The presence of pathogenic bacteria can subsequently induce IID manifestations that can jeopardize crop health. In this study, we investigated the role of pathogenic bacteria isolated from diseased green cultivar of K. striatus in inducing IID symptoms in healthy non-axenic brown cultivar of the same species under controlled laboratory conditions. Healthy branches of K. striatus were exposed to four distinct bacterial strains: three isolated from the diseased K . striatus ( Vibrio brasiliensis strain A8, V . brasiliensis strain B2 and V . chemaguriensis strain V1) and a positive control Cytobacillus solani strain-V2. Over a period of ten days, routine administration of each bacterium was conducted during the daily renewal of the filtered seawater medium. The occurrence of symptoms, i.e., typical of IID infection, was observed in samples subjected to additional bacterium but not under the control condition with natural microbiome. Our findings suggest that the presence of pathogenic bacteria, even under non-stressful laboratory conditions, can induce IID disease syndrome with various manifestations, including the development of wounds, abrasions, thallus bleaching, and fragmentation. The samples infected with the positive control C. solani strain-V2 exhibited the most severe bleaching at 80%, followed by V. brasiliensis strain-A8 at 60%, while V. brasiliensis strain-B2 and V, chemaguriensis strain-V1 both induced 50% thallus bleaching.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Kristina Bringedal Gedde Georgios Triantafyllidis Alessio Miatto Lone Ross Lizhen Huang Daniel Beat MuellerAbstract
Abstract The building sector accounts for a significant share of global material stocks and embodied greenhouse gas emissions. Material intensity (MI), defined as construction materials per unit floor area, is a key metric for understanding resource use and environmental performance. Existing approaches estimate MI for specific building types and cohorts but rarely explore additional factors that influence the structural element requirements. This study refines traditional methods by incorporating building geometry, number of floors, geographical context, construction methods, and regulatory changes, using Norwegian residential buildings as a case study. We focus on stud use in exterior walls to understand how their MI (kg/m 2 ) varies across buildings. Our correlation analysis reveals that construction year (ρ = 0.69) and energy efficiency standards (ρ = 0.51) are associated with higher MI of studs while building length shows a notable negative correlation (ρ = –0.38). Timber stud MI increases with footprint complexity and number of floors but decreases as building length and floor area grow. Snow load further contributes to increased stud MI. Studs' MI also varies across periods, reflecting changes in regulations and construction practices. These findings enhance our understanding of material use drivers in timber structures and provide a foundation for developing more nuanced building stock models to improve resource efficiency assessments and support targeted climate mitigation strategies.
Abstract
Abstract Incidence of the spruce gall adelgid ( Adelges abietis ; “spruce gall aphid” sensu common usage) was assessed as presence/absence in Norway spruce trials in Norway. The trial series comprised a long-term provenance test, a short-term provenance test (36 provenances), three diallel populations (10×10, 10×10, 9×9), a 10×10 factorial cross (100 families), and a clonal test (40 clones). Substantial genetic variation in gall incidence was observed among provenances, among families, and among clones within families. Provenances transferred from low- to mid-elevation Central Europe exhibited higher gall incidence than Nordic and Baltic origins, whereas high-elevation Central European material showed lower incidence. Family-level variation was detected in both natural-population diallels and breeding-population factorial material; a strong agreement was observed between family and derived clone performance (family–clone r ≈ 0.91). Variance-component analyses indicated predominantly additive genetic control, with additional non-additive effects in some crosses. Corresponding narrow-sense heritability estimates were low to moderate (≈ 0.06–0.22). Site effects were evident, with higher expression associated with greater vigor on fertile soils in some trials. Overall, the results indicate that selection for reduced galling is feasible and that provenance choice and site fertility should be considered in deployment and climate-adaptation strategies.
Authors
Lampros LamprinakisAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Nicole P. Anderson Thomas G. Chastain Jing ZhouAbstract
Abstract Seed moisture content (SMC) is the most reliable indicator of seed maturity and the optimal harvest timing in grass seed crops. Current SMC testing methodologies used in grass seed crops are slow or inaccurate, making it difficult to make timely harvest decisions. Harvesting too early can result in low seed weight and poor seed germination. Delaying harvest past the point of physiological maturity reduces seed yield by increasing losses due to shattering. Our objective was to validate the feasibility of using portable near‐infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) as a field‐based alternative to the oven method for determining SMC in cool‐season grass seed crops. Eight cool‐season grass species were used in field testing of the portable NIRS sensor over eight harvest seasons. Daily testing of SMC began when grass seed crops were at Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt and Chemische Industrie (BBCH) growth stage 69 and continued until windrowing. Seed samples were collected from each crop by cutting ∼40 inflorescences, then stripping the seeds into airtight containers until ready for estimation of SMC with a portable NIRS sensor, using SMC measurement by laboratory air‐oven (130°C) as the reference method. The SMC estimates made by the portable NIRS sensor were predictive of the actual SMC determined by the oven reference method across all eight grass species. These SMC predictions by the sensor closely followed the seasonal loss of SMC as the seed matured. Spring agronomic practices (mowing, plant growth regulators, foliar fungicides, and nitrogen fertilization) did not influence NIRS predictions of SMC compared with untreated controls. The portable NIRS sensor is a promising tool for determining harvest timing in grass seed crops by using predicted SMC values.
Authors
Aline Roma Tomaz Rattan Lal William Ramos da Silva Thiago Inagaki Aline dos Santos Correia Felipe José Cury Fracetto Giselle Gomes Monteiro Fracetto Clever Briedis Débora Marcondes Bastos Pereira Milori Abelardo Antônio de Assunção Montenegro Ademir de Oliveira FerreiraAbstract
In semiarid regions, soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and soil organic matter (SOM) pools are often low due to limited biomass input and inadequate management. This study evaluated SOC stocks and SOM fractions in a forage cactus–sorghum intercropping system irrigated with treated sewage water under diverse mulch in the northeastern Brazilian semiarid. The experiment followed a randomized split-plot block design with four replicates. Main plots included four irrigation levels (0, 80, 100, and 120 % of sorghum evapotranspiration (ETc)), and split plots comprised two mulch treatments: no mulch (NM) and mulch (WM) with 8 Mg ha−1 of sabi grass, spiny burrgrass, and goosegrass. Soil samples were collected at 0–0.10, 0.10–0.20, and 0.20–0.40 m depths in three sorghum cuts to determine labile SOM fractions: hot water-extractable C (HWEO-C), potassium permanganate-oxidizable C (POX-C), and particulate organic C (POC). In addition, SOC stocks and humic substances (HS), including humin (HU), fulvic acid (FA), and humic acid (HA), were determined at the end of the experiment. Intercropping system productivity was also evaluated. The highest SOC, POC, POX-C, and HWEO-C stocks occurred in 80WM and 100WM treatments, especially in HS, with HU as the dominant component. SOC in the HU fraction exceeded that in native vegetation soils, with threefold increases at 0–0.10 m and six-to sevenfold increases in deeper layers. Soils without irrigation, regardless of mulch, exhibited lower C storage, underscoring the importance of water management. Combining reclaimed water irrigation and mulching enhanced SOC accumulation, particularly in stable humic fractions, boosted carbon sequestration and crop productivity, and fostered sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture in semiarid tropical regions.