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.
2026
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
The soil-borne oomycete Phytophthora cactorum causes crown rot, a major disease of the allo-octoploid strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch., 2n = 8× = 56) that limits cultivation worldwide. Resistance to P. cactorum is a highly desirable trait but is typically quantitative and moderately heritable. A better understanding of the genetic basis of resistance to crown rot is essential for developing durable crown rot-resistant cultivars. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using multi-locus models on 100 wild strawberry accessions from South and North America. The accessions were genotyped using the Axiom™ 50 K strawberry SNP array and mapped to the F. × ananassa cv. Royal Royce v. 1.0 reference genome. Testing for resistance to P. cactorum revealed a wide range of phenotypes. A single genetic marker, AX-184528282, located on chromosome 7B, was strongly associated with resistance to P. cactorum and explained 53% of the observed phenotypic variation. This marker was present in several highly resistant exotic Fragaria accessions that represent potential donors for introgression of favorable alleles into modern strawberry cultivars. In addition, several strong candidate resistance genes were identified within the 2 Mb genomic region surrounding the significant marker. This study advances understanding of resistance to P. cactorum in strawberry and identifies genetic resources that can accelerate the development of crown rot-resistant cultivars through marker-assisted breeding.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Nhat Strøm-Andersen Julia Szulecka Markus M. Bugge Ellen-Marie ForsbergAbstract
The sustainability transitions literature suggests that individual firms struggle to move toward sustainability unless the broader socio-economic system also evolves. Despite firms' willingness to change, existing systemic challenges often impede their progress. This paper employs paradox theory to address this struggle and examines how firms balance economic and societal concerns in their transition from business thinking to sustainability thinking. Based on a qualitative case study of the food industry's collaboration initiatives on food waste reduction and prevention in Norway, the study identifies the systemic challenges and sustainability paradoxes that the industry faces. We find that the firms' efforts to reduce food waste collide with established food industry agreements, standards, business strategies, regulations, and agricultural policies, impeding a systemic and structural transformation of the industry. The paper discusses how the food industry may navigate these challenges collectively and draws implications for the sustainability transitions literature. Primarily, the conclusions signal a need for governance and incentive structures at the system level beyond the action space of individual firms, and secondarily, illustrate how such governance approaches to sustainability transitions are sector-specific and geographically embedded.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Dafni Foti Stephen Amiandamhen Eleni Voulgaridou Elias Voulgaridis Costas Passialis Stergios AdamopoulosAbstract
Abstract This study investigated the incorporation of various waste materials including wastepaper, Tetra Pak, wood chips and scrap tire fluff into flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum and cement mortar matrices to produce sustainable composite materials. Four distinct composite types based on the waste materials were developed and evaluated for selected properties including thermal and acoustic insulation. The proportion of the waste materials was varied between 10 and 40 vol% of the base matrix. The compressive strength of the filled gypsum composites was in the range of 4.17–10.39 N/mm² while the pure gypsum was 11.38 N/mm². The addition of the wastes in gypsum composites reduced compressive strength by about 10% for the best recipe and as large as 60% for the worst combination. However, the measured strength still exceeds the strength of typical gypsum wallboard with a compressive strength of about 3–4 N/mm² for whole-board crushing tests and it is much lower for point loads. The normal-incidence sound absorption coefficient indicated that the waste-filled samples absorbed around 80% of the incident sound energy between 2000 and 3000 Hz, comparable to some commercial acoustic foams. The results highlight the potential of utilising these waste-based composites in environmentally friendly construction applications. Depending on the waste type and matrix used, the results revealed trade-offs between multi-functional performance and sustainability benefits.
Abstract
Potato field management in Europe is already optimized for high production and tuber quality; however, numerous environmental challenges remain if the industry is to achieve “green economy” targets, such as less resources utilized, and less nitrate leached to the environment. Strategic co-scheduling irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilization might increase resource use efficiency while minimizing reactive losses such as nitrate leaching. This study aimed to quantify the combined effect of irrigation and N fertilization on potato production, growth, and resource use efficiencies. A field experiment was conducted from 2017 to 2019 on a coarse sandy soil in Denmark, with a drought event occurring in 2018. Full (Ifull, maximized), deficit (Idef, 70–80 % of Ifull) and low irrigation treatments (Ilow, minimized amount to keep crop survival), each under full (Nfull, maximized) and variable (Nvar, variable amount according to the crops’ needs) N fertilization were applied. The analyses results show that Ilow limited potato growth under a drought-heat event; otherwise, potato growth was comparable between Ifull and Idef treatments, with 31–32 % higher irrigation efficiency (IE) under Idef than under Ifull. Nitrate leaching was variable and not significantly different among the treatments, being in general 9–13 % lower under Idef in absolute terms than under Ifull. Unexpectedly, outcomes from Nvar were statistically lower compared to those from Nfull. Radiation use efficiencies (RUEs) from Ilow and Nvar were significantly lower than from Ifull and Idef (14–19 %), and from Nfull (9–11 %). N use efficiencies (NUE) were comparable between N fertilization treatments but significantly different among different irrigation treatments. Overall, this study confirms that Idef is the best irrigation strategy. Future efforts should focus on developing improved approaches for detecting in-season crop N status and further quantifying N requirements, as well as promoting the co-scheduled management of irrigation and N fertilization. Remote sensing approaches have great potential to assist with this.
2025
Authors
Thiago InagakiAbstract
This presentation examines how organo-mineral associations (OMAs) are affected by climate differences, and how they contribute to carbon persistence and enhance soil quality across different regions. The talk will combine results obtained from micro- to field-scale studies in natural and agricultural environments, showing relationship between OMAs, microorganisms, and soil structure.
Authors
Lone PolletAbstract
Although community supported agriculture (CSA) is generally considered a potent alternative to the globalized food system, the capacity of CSA farms to foster community support in agriculture has been questioned due to low engagement of members at the farm and high member turnover rates. In this study, I consider the case of member-driven CSA farms and explore the potential of this CSA model to increase member engagement in CSA farming. Using an inductive, phenomenon-first approach to research, I compare the cases of four Norwegian member-driven CSA farms to describe how they engage members at the farm and explore the factors influencing member engagement. The on-farm participant observation, focus group interviews with farm coordinators and members survey revealed that Norwegian member-driven CSAs significantly engage members in all aspects of the farm operations. Yet, the differences observed between cases showed that member engagement depend on the capacity of the farm to create the right conditions for collaboration. Although the member-driven model has the potential to increase member engagement in CSA farming, the preferences of members, the opinions and engagement of coordinators, the size of the farm, the number of years of operation and the external support received by the farm, are five factors that affect the capacity of the CSA farm to collaborate with members. Ultimately, this study concludes that achieving community engagement in member-driven CSAs depends less on their organizational model and more on the specific conditions that facilitate collaboration and member engagement.
Authors
Marthe Jordbrekk Blikra Tone Mari Rode Annelise Sabine Chapman Marit Gjerstad Dagbjørn Skipnes Danielle Gallagher Oisin Klinkenbergh Dag Einar Finne Florent Govaerts Dmitry Kechasov Dharm KapletiaAbstract
The C-FAARER CSA project was created with the overall aim of supporting marine innovators, entrepreneurs, and other pioneers in the Atlantic and Arctic Sea basin in transitioning towards the use of community-driven sustainable business models for regenerative ocean farming. The project previously defined regenerative ocean farming as “a form of marine venture that gives back more than it takes out, leaving nature in a better state that benefits future generations” (Kapletia et al., 2024). Community-driven regenerative ocean farming was defined as “concerned with creating a sustainable and mutually-beneficial balance between social, economic and environmental interests, providing renewable and systemic benefits to all who hold an interest in the future wealth of marine and coastal life.” This report provides the basis for Deliverable 4.1 within the Valorisation of the regenerative aquaculture products work package (WP4). Processing is a part of this WP, and processing technologies were included as an integral part of regenerative ocean farming since seaweed deteriorates rapidly post-harvest and needs rapid processing to maintain quality. Furthermore, the principles of community-driven regenerative ocean farming, as stated in Deliverable 1.1 (Kapletia et al., 2024), include the following (principle 3): “Farming and processing equipment is low impact, energy efficient, and suited for area/volume and environmental goals.” The objectives of WP4 are to assess the market potential of the downstream value chain and collaboratively identify and analyse potential applications, critically examine the dynamic relationship between production and processing, identify opportunities to increase value and reduce risk, and facilitate and explore the problem-opportunity space, where technological solutions may have a role to play in supporting valorisation. This deliverable presents case studies of members of the Norwegian Seaweed Association (NSA) in the context of their processing practices and product development. Within regenerative aquaculture, “products” include traditional products such as food, feed, and biostimulants. It can also be argued that other alternative revenue streams, like ecosystem services and social services, can also be considered “products”. This report takes a Case Study approach, in which ten semi-structured interviews with ten NSA seaweed businesses preceded follow-up consultations with a select few of these companies. A case study from outside the NSA was included as a comparison.