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.
2012
Forfattere
Roar Linjordet John Morken Zehra ZenginSammendrag
No abstract has been registered
Sammendrag
No abstract has been registered
Forfattere
Marianne BechmannSammendrag
No abstract has been registered
Sammendrag
No abstract has been registered
Sammendrag
No abstract has been registered
Sammendrag
No abstract has been registered
Sammendrag
In order to detect the efficiency of the nitrogen (N2) fixation in clover-grass leys in northern climate conditions, we studied how soil compaction affects growth and N2 -fixation of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) under contrasting growth conditions. A pot experiment was carried out under controlled climatic conditions in the phytotron at Holt (Tromsø). Sandy soil was compacted to two levels, 60% and 85% of the standard degree of compactness (SDC). Four seedlings of white clover plants or timothy (Phleum pratense L.) were carefully planted in each pot. Timothy was used as reference plant. The plants were placed at 15 ºC for twelve weeks and subjected to 18 or 24 h daylight. The 15N isotope dilution method was used to assess N2 -fixation. Results suggest that 24 h daylight increased white clover biomass production as compared to 18 h daylight and favoured leaf and stolon production significantly more at 85% of SDC than at 60% of SDC. However, for white clover plants grown at 18 h day length higher compactness reduced the root development. On average, white clover derived 44-58% of its total N from N2 -fixation grown at 60% of SDC and 46-47% at 85% of SDC, regardless of light conditions. The N2 -fixation was somewhat higher at 24 h day length only under the low soil compaction level.
Forfattere
Roman Gebauer Daniel Volařík Josef Urban Isabella Børja Nina Elisabeth Nagy Toril Eldhuset Paal KrokeneSammendrag
Conifer needles are extraordinarily variable and much of this diversity is linked to the water transport capacity of the xylem and to xylem conduit properties. However, we still know little about how anatomical characteristics influence the hydraulic efficiency of needle xylem in different parts of the crown. In this study we evaluated needle function and anatomy in Norway spruce families exposed to different light conditions. We measured tracheid and needle characteristics of sun-exposed and shaded current-year needles in two experimental plots: a control plot and a thinned plot with 50% reduction in stand density. Sun-exposed needles had a larger tracheid lumen area than shaded needles, and this was caused by a larger maximum tracheid lumen diameter, while the minimum lumen diameter was less plastic. Sun-exposed needles had also higher theoretical hydraulic conductivity than shaded needles. Thinning leads to increased radiation to the lower branches, and presumably exposes the upper branches to stronger water stress than before thinning. Thinning affected several needle parameters both in sun-exposed and shaded needles; tracheid lumens were more circular and minimum tracheid lumen diameter was larger in the thinned plot, whereas maximum tracheid lumen diameter was less plastic on both plots. This study demonstrates that needle xylem structure in Norway spruce is clearly influenced by the light gradient within the tree crown.
Sammendrag
No abstract has been registered
Forfattere
Annika Höjer Steffen Adler Stig Purup Hansen-Møller Jens Martinsson Kjell Håvard Steinshamn Anne-Maj GustavssonSammendrag
Phytoestrogens are hormone-like substances in plants that can substantially influence human health (positively or negatively), and when fed to dairy cows are transferred to their milk. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of varying the botanical composition and regrowth interval of legume-grass silage on silage and phytoestrogen intake and milk phytoestrogen concentrations. In one experiment, 15 Swedish Red dairy cows were fed two- or three-cut red clover-grass silage (designated R2 and R3, respectively), or two-cut birdsfoot trefoil-grass silage (B2). In a second experiment, 16 Norwegian Red dairy cows were fed short-term ley silage with red clover (S3) or long-term ley silage with white clover (L3), and the effects of supplementation with α-tocopherol were also tested. There were high concentrations of formononetin and biochanin A in all silage mixtures with red clover (R2, R3, and S3). The milk concentration of equol was highest on diet R2 (1,494 μg/kg milk). Due to metabolism of biochanin A, genistein and prunetin, their concentrations in milk and the apparent recovery were low. Coumestrol was only detected in silage mixtures S3 and L3, and its milk concentration was low. Concentrations of secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol were higher in silage mixtures B2 and L3, those with legume species other than red clover and the highest grass proportions. B2 also resulted in higher enterolactone concentration than the other diets (226 μg/kg milk). Lengthening the regrowth interval increased the intake of secoisolariciresinol and decreased recovery of lignans. Feeding long-term ley silage resulted in higher lignan milk concentrations, but lower isoflavone milk concentrations than feeding short-term ley silage. The apparent recovery of all phytoestrogens except prunetin was highest on B2, indicating that condensed tannins (present in the birdsfoot trefoil) affect rumen metabolism. There was no effect of α-tocopherol supplementation on milk concentrations of any of the measured phytoestrogens. There were variations in milk concentrations of phytoestrogens, especially of equol, among cows, which could not be explained by variations in diet composition or phytoestrogen intake. The results show that milk phytoestrogen concentration is strongly influenced by silage botanical composition and management, but questions regarding phytoestrogen metabolism remain to be answered.