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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.

2001

Abstract

The paper gives a brief overview of the background, history and main results of forest fertilization experiments on mineral soils in Norway. Positive results of initial phosphorus (P) fertilization on survival and growth of Norway and Sitka spruce have only been achieved in the coastal districts of western Norway. Other elements have seldom given any significant effect.In young and old stands of Norway spruce and Scots pine nitrogen (N) fertilization with 150 kg N ha-1 usually gave increment increases in the range of 1-2 m3 ha-1 yr-1, for a period of 6-8 yrs after application. Given individually, no other element has proved stimulating to stem growth in a similar way. In young Norway spruce stands P has often given additional growth response when given together with N. Liming has been shown to have no or negative effects on tree growth. Fertilization experiments have changed from being management orientated towards addressing the problems of possible nutrient imbalances.

Abstract

Materials and Methods: In the field, fresh samples were obtained from different sources. Lake samples were collected from Lake Årungen, which is located in Ås. Stream samples were collected from Ås and Birkenes in southern Norway. All the samples were filtered in the field through 0.45 um membrane filters using syringes. Then the samples were fractionated through Bond Elut SCX cartridges connected to a portable vacuum pump, based on the method of Wickstrøm et al. (2000). A portion of the sample was passed immediately through the cation exchange cartridge. After the fieldwork another portion of the sample was taken to the laboratory where the same fractionation procedure was applied. These two fractions were then analysed for non-labile aluminium. A portion of the unfractionated sample was also analysed for total dissolved aluminium. An additional laboratory fractionation with a time lag was also applied to observe storage effects. Subsequent determination of total elements was done using ICP-AES. Transport, pretreatment and storage can also have an effect on the pH and organic matter concentration of the samples and, through this, on the equilibrium between different Al fractions. To evaluate pH differences prior to analysis, pH values were also measured in the field and in the laboratory. DOC was also determined. Differences between fractionation in the field and fractionation in the laboratory: In this study, non-labile fractions of Al were compared instead of the labile fractions of Al (which can be removed from solution on passage through cation exchange column) that are believed to have the greatest toxic effect on organisms.

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Abstract

In 1996, 7000 ha of pine forests were defoliated by the pine looper Bupalus piniaria in south-western Sweden.The susceptibility of trees of different defoliation classes (0, 30, 60, 90 and 100% defoliation) to beetle-vectored blue-stain fungi was tested in inoculation experiments.Forty and 120-year-old Scots pine trees were inoculated with `single\", i.e. a few inoculations of Leptographium wingfieldii and Ophiostoma minus, two blue-stain fungi associated with the pine shoot beetle Tomicus piniperda. The young trees were also \"mass\" inoculated with L. wingfieldii at a density of 400 inoculation points per m2 over a 60 cm stem belt.Host tree symptoms indicated that only trees with 90100% defoliation were susceptible to the mass inoculation.Single inoculations did not result in any consistent differences in fungal performance between trees of different defoliation classes, regardless of inoculated species or tree age class.Leptographium wingfieldii produced larger reaction zones than O. minus, and both species produced larger lesions in old than in young trees.As beetle-induced tree mortality in the study area occurred only in totally defoliated stands, mass inoculations seem to mimic beetle-attacks fairly well, and thus seem to be a useful tool for assessing host resistance.As even severely defoliated pine trees were quite resistant, host defence reactions in Scots pine seem to be less dependent on carbon allocation than predicted by carbon-based defence hypotheses.

Abstract

In this study we have investigated whether the defensin-like gene spi 1, isolated from Norway spruce, contributes to quantitative disease resistance and is a suitable candidate for utilisation in Norway spruce breeding programmes. The following questions have been raised: (1) Can the putative defense gene, spi 1, improve the defense towards microbial pathogens in a model plant species, tobacco? (2) Is it possible to produce transgenic plants of Norway spruce that overexpress spi 1 and are less susceptible to the pathogenic fungus Heterobasidion annosum? Compared to control plants, tobacco plants expressing spi 1 under an enhanced CaMV 35S promoter permitted less growth of the bacterial pathogen Erwinia carotovora. Embryogenic cultures of Norway spruce were transformed with a similar construct. The general phenotype of regenerated transgenic plants was normal, although it was difficult to maintain certain sublines in culture owing to poor initial growth. Among the transformed plants those with the highest content of SPI 1 displayed reduced fungal growth in the sapwood after inoculation with H. annosum. In conclusion, the spi 1 gene increases resistance in both homologous and heterologous systems.