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
With an approximate production of 1.5 million tons annually, Norway remains as the world’s biggest producer of Atlantic salmon. Marine aquaculture sludge constitutes a major side stream from the aquaculture sector, which represents nutrients loss as well as a contributing factor to eutrophication of the ocean. Despite its elevated salt and sulphur concentrations, the high energy density of marine aquaculture sludge indicates its suitability as a substrate for biogas production. The microbial community driving anaerobic digestion represents a complex mixture of symbiotic relationships between bacteria and methanogenic archaea. Here, we investigate the microbial dynamics as well as reactor performance of two lab-scale reactors running solely on marine aquaculture sludge, from which we achieved continuous biogas production from reactors running on 100% marine aquaculture sludge. Hydraulic retention time was decreased from 20 to 4 days to determine the reactor’s maximum tolerable organic loading rate. Performance measurements, such as gas production and acid composition, pH and buffer capacity was observed. Initial microbial community analysis through 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed a low diversity, yet specialized halotolerant microbial community during anaerobic digestion of marine aquaculture sludge. To broaden this knowledge, we employed a metagenome-centric metaproteomic approach, aiming to further elucidate the relationship between reactor performance measurements and changes in microbial community structure and activity in biogas reactors running on marine aquaculture sludge when subjected to reduced hydraulic retention time. Overall, our study aims to assess both the opportunities and limitations of using marine aquaculture sludge as a substrate for biogas production.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Erlend Hustad Honningdalsnes Erik Stensrud Marstein Helge Bonesmo Dag Lindholm Jonathan Rizzi Heine Nygard RiiseAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Tsegay Teame Einar Ringø Hongwei Yang Ran Zhang Yalin Yang Chao Ran Yuanyuan Yao Qianwen Ding Meiling Zhang Guoxing Nie Demin Zhang Xiangli Tian Lidong Wu Huiying Luo Wei Zhang Rolf-Erik Olsen Jihong Liu Clake Yuling Tao Zhen Zhang Zhigang ZhouAbstract
The composition of fish gut microbiota has direct implications for aquaculture productivity as alterations in these microbes profoundly affect several physiological functions of the fish. Nowadays, aquaculture feeding strategies increasingly shift from animal-derived diets toward more sustainable plant-based diets; understanding how the influence of a specific dietary component on fish gut microbiota has become increasingly important. Furthermore, the advancement of microbial genome sequencing technologies provides more comprehensive information on the effects of various dietary components on the gut microbiota of fish. Changes in these macronutrients and micronutrients can disrupt the eubiosis, gradually leading to dysbiosis by selectively enriching microbial guilds with distinct metabolic capacities, ultimately affecting the host-microbial interaction, gut homeostasis, and overall fish health. Mostly, animal-derived proteins and marine oils often favour the growth of bacteria that can metabolize proteins and lipids, whereas plant-based proteins support the growth of bacteria that can ferment complex carbohydrates to produce beneficial metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids. Feed additives are important to modulate the gut microbiota of fish via enhancing the abundance of beneficial bacterial species. Therefore, formulating aquafeeds by targeting on promoting the growth of beneficial gut microbiota and assessing the value of feed ingredients via considering the gut homeostasis indices seems useful. This review upgrades our knowledge on how dietary components interact and regulate the gut microbiota, ultimately influencing overall fish performance. Designing next-generation aquafeeds and developing precision nutrition for the fish and their microbiota using advanced omics and artificial intelligence technologies to develop climate-resilient fish farming is crucial.
Authors
Nora Røhnebæk Aasen Sybil A. Herrera-Foessel Silius Mortensønn Vandeskog Therése Bengtsson Mulatu G. Dida Isak Drozdik Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Egill Gautason Jaroslaw S. Grodek Hrannar S. Hilmarsson Ortrud Jäck Janne Kaseva Antti Laine Alex Lenkoski Morten Lillemo Min Lin Anne Marthe Lundby Shirin Mohammadi Per Jarle Møllerhagen Markku Niskanen Rodomiro Ortiz Maxie Skalshøi Anna G. Þórðardóttir Maria ThorkildsenAbstract
We present a harmonized database of national variety trials and official Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) trials from the five Nordic countries, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Finland, focusing on three key crops for that region: spring barley (Hordeum vulgare), red clover (Trifolium pratense), and potato (Solanum tuberosum). Yield is the primary phenotypic trait reported. The location of each trial is also reported, which enables analysis of how weather variability impacts crop performance. Climate change will have a substantial impact on agriculture, requiring the development of new crop cultivars adapted for resilience to future stresses. Developing a new crop cultivar is a decades-long process, therefore climate change considerations must already be incorporated into breeding programs. National breeding programs have typically involved field trials in a single country, which has functioned satisfactorily during periods of stable climate variability. However, it is widely acknowledged that when field trial information across borders is made available, it can significantly aid plant breeding programs. Here, we present a pan-Nordic multi-environment database that consolidates national trial data and data from VCU trials for spring barley, red clover, and potato. The database harmonizes information on yield across diverse environments, enabling comparative analyses and cross-regional assessments. By providing a unified resource for the Nordic region, this dataset supports the development of more resilient crop varieties and facilitates data-driven breeding strategies under changing climatic conditions.
Authors
Jørgen A.B. MølmannAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Abdul Ghafoor Nizamani Geir Torgersen Magdalena EdvardsenAbstract
Green walls are increasingly integrated into building envelopes, but their long-term operation depends on maintaining both living and technical components. This study examines maintenance practices, operating-cost evidence and post-installation responsibility for building-integrated green-wall systems in Norway. An exploratory multiple-case study used six built green-wall projects, four semi-structured interviews with professionals in maintenance, supply, municipal practice and research, and case-specific documentation supplemented by relevant standards, certification and policy material. Operational requirements varied substantially between systems and settings. Exposed outdoor systems followed a marked seasonal cycle involving irrigation shutdown, spring recommissioning, vegetation maintenance and system inspection, whereas the indoor case operated year-round. Across the documented cases and interview examples, maintenance frequencies ranged from approximately every two weeks to one or two scheduled visits per year. Wall-specific cost data were limited and heterogeneous, and operating figures could not be compared reliably per square metre because service scope, access requirements, system complexity, scale and seasonal workload differed between projects. Interviews further indicated that practical operating knowledge often remained with suppliers and specialist providers while longer-term responsibility shifted towards owners and building operators. Maintainable access to technical components, usable operation and maintenance documentation, monitoring arrangements and post-installation service were therefore important during the transition to routine operation. The findings indicate that maintainability is partly determined by decisions made during design and procurement. Irrigation design, seasonal operation, maintenance access, expected operating requirements and transfer of technical knowledge should therefore be considered alongside installation requirements.
Authors
Susanne Zazzera Bjørn Arild Hatteland Silje Maria Midthjell Høydal Ieva Rozite-Arina Inger Elisabeth MårenAbstract
Land-use changes and agricultural intensification have been attributed as the main anthropogenic drivers of declines in insect pollinators. Anthropogenic coastal heathlands are one of the ecosystems that have suffered the most from these intensifications, as traditional management practices have discontinued and only 10% of last century´s coastal heathlands remain. We collected data during the field season of 2022 on pollinator communities with emphasis on bumblebees, in two different habitat types: open and degenerate heathlands in an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Western Norway. Here, we aim to get an insight into how pollinator communities may change as more heathlands are left without active management practices like prescribed burning and livestock grazing. Species composition varied between the two habitat types. Degenerate heathlands typically had a higher abundance of some relatively common species in Norway, like B. pratorum, while the red-listed species B. muscorum was recorded exclusively in open heathlands. B. jonellus was more abundant in degenerate sites despite being known to forage on Ericaceae. This may be due to an additional floral diversity and nesting/over-wintering sites here compared to the open sites. Further research should explore potential impacts of landscape characteristics like fragmentation and land-use change on the abundance and diversity of pollinators in heathlands.
Authors
Marit Jørgensen Ragnhild Borchsenius Ellen Elverland Frøydis Gillund Khaled Murad Agha Kauê de Sousa Ievina SturiteAbstract
A stable supply of high-quality forage is essential for the economic sustainability of milk and meat production, the most important agricultural sectors in Norway. Successful forage production relies on selecting species, cultivars, and seed mixtures suited to the diverse agroecological conditions, which vary widely in latitude and altitude. Climate change modifies production boundaries unpredictably. Without on-farm performance data, there is a risk of recommending new varieties or seed mixtures that underperform in farmers' fields. To address this, we propose the tricot method: a participatory, large-scale, and cost-effective testing approach where farmers test new seed mixtures directly in their fields. This approach involves many farmers in conducting small, simple experiments. Each trial consists of an incomplete block with three options out of the total ten options in the trial. Farmers evaluate these options based on predetermined criteria using digital tools. These mini trials, combined with data on management, climate, and soil, are collected into the ClimMob software, which performs statistical analyses and provides feedback. When all data are aggregated, this approach can provide robust statistical results on optimal seed mixtures for various local conditions. This method also strengthens collaboration between researchers, advisors, and farmers, contributing to more sustainable and resilient agricultural practices.
Authors
Marit Jørgensen Ragnhild Borchsenius Ellen Elverland Frøydis Gillund Khaled Murad Agha Kauê de Sousa Ievina SturiteAbstract
No abstract has been registered