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.
2025
Authors
Nina Johansen Hans Geir Eiken Simeon Rossmann May Bente Brurberg Monica Skogen Marta Bosque Fajardo Borghild Glorvigen Toril Sagen Eklo Finn-Arne Haugen Snorre Hagen Erik LysøeAbstract
Several aphid species pose serious treats to potato crops by causing direct damage to the plants and/or indirectly by transmitting viruses. Different morphological forms and phenotypic plasticity among aphids complicates taxonomy and identification and thus makes targeted pest management in potatoes challenging. To obtain an overview of aphids frequenting potato fields in Norway, we investigated seasonal and annual changes in aphid populations in five potato fields (58–64 °N) over a three-year period (2016–2018), using yellow pan traps. In total 2218 of the 6136 collected aphids were identified by traditional barcoding, meaning sequencing a ~ 650 fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene. This revealed 137 different species, of which 111 were identified at the species level. The remaining were identified only to the genus level, indicating potential novel species. The southernmost sampling location yielded the highest number of species and individual counts, although no clear correlations to climate factors (temperature/precipitation) was observed. Of the 111 species identified, at least 39 are potential vectors of potato virus Y (PVY) and nine species may also transmit potato virus A (PVA). Knowledge on virus vector and non-vector aphid abundance and phenology have the potential to improve pest management of potato cultivation.
Authors
Marius Filomeno Maurstad Iris Bea Ramiro Jan Philip Øyen Andy Sombke Sebastian Büsse Pedro Gabriel Nachtigall Kjetill Sigurd Jakobsen Eivind Andreas Baste UndheimAbstract
Abstract Venom has independently evolved across many lineages, yet relatively few have been studied in detail, particularly among insects. Of these, Neuroptera (lacewings, antlions and relatives) remain largely unexplored, despite being widespread with agriculturally important groups such as green lacewings. While adults are non-venomous, neuropteran larvae are ferocious predators that use pincer-like mouthparts to inject paralysing and liquefying venom to subdue and consume their prey. Here, we provide a comprehensive investigation of the venom system in Neuroptera by integrating a high-quality genome, long-read transcriptomes spanning all life stages, microCT-reconstruction of venom glands, tissue-specific expression analyses, venom proteomics, and functional assays of the common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea. We provide a re-description of the neuropteran venom system, demonstrate the venom’s insecticidal and cytotoxic activity, and show the venom comprises diverse toxin gene families and is richer and more similar to the venom of antlions than previously proposed. We show that this toxin arsenal is the result of a multitude of evolutionary events that include co-option, recruitment following gene duplication, diversification of toxin-paralogs by gene duplication, and functional innovation of new paralogs through both small structural and large architectural changes. In addition, we find that alternative splicing of toxin genes is an important contributor to the biochemical arsenal, which is a mechanism rarely documented among venomous animals. Our results demonstrate how multiple genomic and evolutionary mechanisms together contribute to the emergence and evolution of a complex molecular trait, and provide new insights into the evolution of venom in insects.
Abstract
In Norway, the spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) has been monitored for several decades. By tracking beetle population levels, the monitoring program can alert forest owners about rising risks of forest damage so they can take preventive measures. In 2025, trap catches of the spruce bark beetle in southern Norway remained at a moderate level compared to the average for all the years with monitoring. Beetle numbers decreased in five of the 12 counties included in the Norwegian bark beetle monitoring program (Akershus including Oslo, Østfold, Vestfold, Telemark, and Sør-Trøndelag) and remained stable in one county (Buskerud). The six counties with increasing trap catch either showed a moderate increase (Oppland and Hedmark) or an increase from very low levels (Aust-Agder, Vest-Agder, Nord-Trøndelag, and Nordland). The 2025 monitoring season started with slightly warmer and drier conditions than normal in May in Southeastern Norway, favoring early bark beetle flight in this region. In contrast, cool and wet weather in Mid- and Northern Norway delayed beetle flight and led to very low trap catches in the first two trapping periods. In July, temperatures rose across the whole country, with extreme drought developing in parts of Mid- and Northern Norway. This contributed to high trap catches in the third trapping period in the three northernmost counties (Sør-Trøndelag, Nord-Trøndelag and Nordland). The highest trap catches in 2025 were recorded in Telemark, Buskerud, and Oppland, where beetle numbers remained high compared to the long-term average. Several municipalities in these counties exceeded the trap catch threshold for moderate risk of bark beetle damage, and Sør-Aurdal, Etnedal, and Tokke also exceeded the high-risk threshold. As in 2023 and 2024, the highest trap catches were concentrated in regions of Southeastern Norway that were heavily affected by a major windthrow in November 2021. In the two municipalities that were hit the hardest by the 2021 storm, Sør-Aurdal and Etnedal, trap catches continued to increase in 2025 and reached very high levels. A temperature-based development model suggests that by September 30, conditions were warm enough for the beetles to complete two generations in areas along the southeastern coast and in low-lying inland valleys. However, the model results do not necessarily mean that two generations actually occurred in the field.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Sonja I. Kimmel Matthias Schumacher Michael Spaeth Markus Sökefeld Oyebanji O. Alagbo Alicia Allmendinger Dionisio Andujar Therese With Berge Reiner Braun Sergiu Cioca Parasca Jessica Emminghaus Ioannis Glykos Pavel Hamouz Adam Hruška Michael Merkle Georg Naruhn Gerassimos G. Peteinatos Bahadir Sin Roland GerhardsAbstract
Effective weed management is crucial in the critical period of sugar beet production, but often lacks sustainability and environmental protection. Recent advancements in sensor-based weed control systems have rendered the latter a realistic prospect, which demands detailed analyses, especially under suboptimal field conditions. The present study analysed six robotic-assisted weed control systems (RAWS) in three experiments on sugar beets in 2024, conducted under dry soil and high weed pressure. The experiments included sensor-based inter-row and intra-row hoeing, spot- and band-spraying and were compared to a broadcast herbicide treatment and an untreated control. Weed control efficacy (WCE) in the intra- and inter-row areas, as well as weed species composition and crop plant damage, were assessed after treatment. The data show that intra-row WCE of two hoeing robots (Farming GT® and Robovator®) equipped with selective intra-row blades achieved up to 80%, which was higher than the broadcast herbicide control with 67% WCE. In the inter-row area, Farming GT® robotic hoeing and ARA® spot-spraying resulted in more than 90% WCE, which was equal to the broadcast herbicide application. Weed species composition was not affected by the different RAWS. Crop plants were affected by all hoeing treatments with maximum non-lethal burial rates of 33%. The highest lethal uprooting of crop plants occurred after Farming GT® robotic hoeing, at 5.5% overall. The results demonstrate the great potential of robotic weeding to replace broadcast herbicide applications.
Authors
Monica Sanden Eirill Ager-Wick Johanna Eva Bodin Nur Duale Kristian Prydz Volha Shapaval Tage Thorstensen Anne-Marthe Ganes Jevnaker Ville Erling SipinenAbstract
Genetically modified soybean MON 94637 was developed through Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation of soybean tissue to express Cry1A.2 and Cry1B.2 proteins conferring resistance to lepidopteran (order of butterflies and moths) pests. The scientific documentation provided in the application for soybean MON 94637 is adequate for risk assessment, and in accordance with EFSA guidance on risk assessment of genetically modified plants for use in food or feed. The VKM GMO panel does not consider the introduced modifications in soybean MON 94637 to imply potential specific health or environmental risks in Norway, compared to EU-countries
Other presentation – Project ‘PresiHøstkorn’ (Precision spraying in winter wheat)
Therese With Berge
Authors
Therese With BergeAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Björn Ringselle Trond Børresen Anneli Lundkvist Kjell Mangerud Øystein Skagestad Torfinn Torp Theo Verwijst Lars Olav BrandsæterAbstract
Abstract It is essential to reduce pesticide and tillage use in agricultural systems, but better alternatives for controlling perennial weeds are needed. The horizontal and vertical root cutters can fragment the roots and rhizomes of perennial weeds with minimal disturbance to the soil and vegetation cover. However, there is a lack of studies on how the root cutters affect multiple perennial weed species, and their effect on soil and nutrient losses. To fill this gap, three multi-year experiments in plowed systems were conducted in Norway and Sweden to study whether the roots cutters can control multiple perennial weed species as effectively as more intensive tillage methods (Experiments 1-2), without increasing soil and nutrient losses (Experiment 3). Overall, the more intensive tillage methods tested (rotary tiller, disc harrow, stubble harrow) did not provide significantly better perennial weed control than the horizontal root cutter. In Experiment 1, the horizontal root cutter reduced Sonchus arvensis and Elymus repens shoot biomass by 52% and 80%, respectively, compared to an untreated control. In Experiment 2, the horizontal root cutter reduced Cirsium arvense shoot numbers by 71% compared to the untreated control but failed to reduce E. repens . Horizontal root cutter treatment depth (7 vs. 15 cm) did not affect control efficacy. The horizontal root cutter treatment did not increase soil, water or nutrient losses compared to the untreated control, and resulted in 60% less soil and 52% less phosphorous losses than disc harrowing. Treatments with the vertical root cutter had 40% less E. repens and 22% less S. arvensis shoot biomass than treatments without the vertical root cutter. This manuscript is the first to show the true potential of the root cutters in plowed systems in northern Europe and their ability to control of multiple perennial weed species with low risk of soil and nutrient losses.
Authors
Kristian Nikolai Jæger Hansen Benedikte Watne Oliver Zahra Bitarafan Inger Sundheim Fløistad Christian Andreasen Lars Olav BrandsæterAbstract
Background: Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier and Levier) is a perennial herbaceous plant that can grow to a height of 2-5 m. A single flowering plant can produce more than 20,000 seeds. It is one of Europe’s most widespread and problematic invasive alien species and a severe threat to native biodiversity. Glyphosate is widely used to control H. mantegazzianum. Decades of intensive herbicide spraying have led to environmental pollution, prompting a need to explore new methods to supplement or replace glyphosate. Objective: Non-chemical methods to control H. mantegazzianum were tested and compared with glyphosate application. Methods: In two infested locations in southeast Norway, we compared the efficacy of glyphosate applications with a combination of mechanical cutting of the flowering stem of H. mantegazzianum and hot water treatment (80 °C). Hot water or glyphosate was supplied by foliar application or injection into the root crown. Results: The best method to reduce cover and the number of H. mantegazzianum rosettes and seedlings was achieved with two foliar applications of glyphosate. Cutting the flowering stem and injecting hot water into the root crown was almost as efficient as glyphosate application. Cutting and foliar applications of hot water had the weakest efficacy. Despite the best control and significant growth of grasses after glyphosate treatment, relatively high percentage of bare soil remained in the plots afterwards, increasing the risk of erosion. Conclusions: Cutting and injection of hot water in the root crown may be a viable alternative to glyphosate application in areas where herbicides are undesirable.