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
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) cultivated in open fields is an important crop in Norway due to its economic and societal value. Strawberry fields are usually kept for three years mainly in a mated-row system and adequate control of weeds and runners in strawberry beds is crucial to obtain a high yield. Due to the withdrawal of diquat, strawberries producers urgently need new solutions for controlling of runners and weeds in their fields. Two trials were conducted in one- and two-year-old strawberry fields. Seven alternative strategies in 4 treatment times, 2 pre-harvest (late spring, early summer) and 2 post-harvest (late summer, autumn) were tested: 1) hot water at 3 L m-2 preceded by mowing x 4 (late spring, early and late summer, early autumn), 2) hot water at 6 L m-2 x 4 (times as previous), 3) pelargonic acid at half dose (5.44 kg a.s. ha-1) x 2 (late spring, early summer) and pyraflufen-ethyl at 0.01 kg a.s. ha-1 x 2 (late summer, early autumn), 4) pelargonic acid at half dose (5.44 kg a.s. ha-1) x 2 (times as previous) and carfentrazone-ethyl at 0.02 kg a.s. ha-1 x 1 (late summer) and pyraflufen-ethyl at 0.05 kg a.s. ha-1 x 1 (early autumn), 5) mixture of pelargonic acid at full dose (10.9 kg a.s. ha-1) and alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate at 0.01 kg a.s. ha-1 x 1 (late spring) and mixture of acetic acid 10% at 25 kg a.s. ha-1 and paraffin oil at1 kg a.s. ha-1 x 3 (early and late summer, early autumn), 6) acetic acid 10% at 25 kg a.s. ha-1 x 4 (late spring, early and late summer, early autumn), 7) mixture of acetic acid 10% at 25 kg a.s. ha-1 and paraffin oil at 1 kg a.s. ha-1 x 4 (as previous). Hot water (about 80 C, 0.1 bar) was applied with a commercial machine (Heatweed Technologies, Norway) and a lawnmower was used for mechanical mowing. Visual assessments of the percentage of ground covered by living vegetation (weeds and runners) and a number of runners between strawberry rows were used to estimate efficacy. Percent damage of the culture was recorded after all spraying times. The last assessment in early October, i.e. about 3 weeks after the last application of the treatments showed a promising effect of hot water alone or combined with mechanical mowing (0-9% total cover of weeds and runners) against runners and weeds. Mowing with a lawnmower enhanced the effect of hot water. Effectivness of bioherbicides were generally weak and the addition of adjuvants did not improve them. The post-harvest treatments with pyraflufen-ethyl (0.01 kg a.s. ha-1 x 2) showed a promising effect on runners and the effect appeared to be durable. Repeated hot water treatments seems to be a good alternative to herbicides against runners and weeds.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
This study evaluates the effectiveness of various peat-free and peat-reduced growing media on the growth and yield of tomatoes and carrots, with the aim to develop sustainable alternatives to traditional peat-based substrates in horticulture. Thirty different growing media mixtures were tested, incorporating materials such as wood fiber, compost, biochar, bio-ash, and struvite, with the goal of identifying viable alternatives to peat. The experiments were conducted in greenhouse conditions, and the performance of these mixtures was assessed based on yield and overall vitality of tomato and carrot plants. The results revealed that fully peat-free mixtures generally underperformed compared to peat-based references. However, some peat-reduced mixtures with 30% peat in combination with wood fiber, compost, struvite or bio-ash demonstrated promising results. Bio-ash and struvite were evaluated as phosphorus sources, with findings suggesting that both materials can enhance substrate fertility when combined with appropriate nitrogen fertilizers. The effect of biochar was not very pronounced in general. Moreover, the addition of biochar was associated with a disappearance of plant-available nitrogen from the growing media, which likely contributed to its limited effectiveness in improving crop performance. The study underscores the continual challenge of completely phasing out peat in growing media for horticulture but highlights the potential of reducing it greatly and integrating more sustainable materials such as wood fiber and recycled materials such as compost, bio-ash and struvite. The results suggest that with further refinement, specific combinations of these materials could be developed into optimized substrate mixtures for sustainable horticultural practices without compromising productivity.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Eva BrodAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Michel VerheulAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Tomasz Leszek WoznickiAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Jørgen A.B. MølmannAbstract
Orientering om kontrollerte forsøk med kålrot og klimafaktorers påvirkning på spisekvalitet