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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.

2022

Abstract

Increased interest in plant-based food in Norway is creating a demand for more locally produced raw material. In addition, the feed industry has the goal to reduce its dependency on imported protein and use more nationally produced plant proteins. In a preliminary research project funded by the Research funding for the Agriculture and the Food industry (FFL/JA) we are investigating the potential for cultivating quinoa, buckwheat, lentils, chickpea, lupin and soya in Southern Norway. While some of these crops have been grown on a very small scale, we lack knowledge about cultivation under Norwegian conditions. These six crops can be cultivated with the same equipment as cereals; thus, they represent interesting candidates to be included in a cereal rotation. Two fields were established in Agder and Innlandet in spring 2021. Two cultivars of each crop, selected for their earliness, were sowed at two different sowing dates between 24th April and 21st May. Soya was sown only once. Pesticides and herbicides were not applied in the trials. Growth stages were recorded every week. A demonstration field was sown in Vestfold with one sowing date per crop between 23rd April and 1st June. All of the crops were harvested between 25th August and 4th November in Agder. The trial in Innlandet was harvested between 15th September and 27th October. However, chickpeas and one cultivar of soya were not ripe in November and were not harvested. The field in Vestfold was harvested between 1st September and 2nd December (after swathing for the latest). Weeds and length of the growing season were the two main challenging parameters impacting yields in 2021. Quinoa was most affected by weeds while chickpeas and soya could not be harvested in all three locations. Both lentils, buckwheat and lupin showed a potential in the three regions in 2021, while soya could be a candidate in the most southern area. Similar field trials are repeated in 2022.

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Abstract

Commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency, this report presents methodologies for estimating annual numbers of animals and enteric methane emissions for pigs. The methodologies are designed for the Norwegian national inventory of GHG emissions (NIR) and are dynamic, reflecting the effects of progress in genetics and management of the pork production. The data sources for the proposed methodologies are the register for deliveries of carcasses to Norwegian slaughterhouses available from Statistics Norway, and the Norwegian litter recording system (Ingris) of the Norwegian meat and poultry research centre (Animalia).

Abstract

Through the joint project Climate Smart Agriculture, the agricultural sector in Norway have successfully implemented the whole-farm models HolosNor models as farm advisory tools for milk, beef, pig, sheep, poultry, and crop production. The HolosNor modes are empirical models based on the methodology of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change with modifications to Norwegian conditions. The models estimate direct emissions of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) from on-farm livestock production and includes indirect emissions of N2O and CO2 associated with inputs used on the farm in addition to including soil carbon balance through the ICBM model. The digital GHG Calculator automatically collects data from sources the farmer already uses for farm management, such as herd recording systems, manure planning systems, farm accounts, concentrate invoice, dairy, slaughterhouse, in addition to site-specific soil and weather data. Based on the collected data, both total emissions from the production and emission intensities for the different products are estimated. The emission intensities are shown by source relative to a reference group consisting of farms with the same type of production and production volume. Using the GHG Calculator, the farmers have the unique opportunity to have tailor-made mitigation plans to reduce emissions from the farm trough certified climate advisors. Participation and results from the GHG Calculator will be presented in addition to experiences from implementation of a GHG model as a farm advisory tool for commercial farms.

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Abstract

Soil compaction (SC) is a major threat for agriculture in Europe that affects many ecosystem functions, such as water and air circulation in soils, root growth, and crop production. Our objective was to present the results from five short-term (<5 years) case studies located along the north–south and east–west gradients and conducted within the SoilCare project using soil-improving cropping systems (SICSs) for mitigating topsoil and subsoil SC. Two study sites (SSs) focused on natural subsoil (˃25 cm) compaction using subsoiling tillage treatments to depths of 35 cm (Sweden) and 60 cm (Romania). The other SSs addressed both topsoil and subsoil SC (˃25 cm, Norway and United Kingdom; ˃30 cm, Italy) using deep-rooted bio-drilling crops and different tillage types or a combination of both. Each SS evaluated the effectiveness of the SICSs by measuring the soil physical properties, and we calculated SC indices. The SICSs showed promising results—for example, alfalfa in Norway showed good potential for alleviating SC (the subsoil density decreased from 1.69 to 1.45 g cm−1) and subsoiling at the Swedish SS improved root penetration into the subsoil by about 10 cm—but the effects of SICSs on yields were generally small. These case studies also reflected difficulties in implementing SICSs, some of which are under development, and we discuss methodological issues for measuring their effectiveness. There is a need for refining these SICSs and for evaluating their longer-term effect under a wider range of pedoclimatic conditions.