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.
2017
Authors
Mekjell Meland Frank Maas Clive KaiserAbstract
Tunnel production of sweet cherry results in higher yields of larger fruit than in the open. When cherry trees were grown under tunnels in Norway, fruit cracking was higher in a year when soils were saturated and when 20 ppm gibberellic acid was applied at straw color. In this study we evaluated the effect of soil moisture on fruit cracking under tunnels. In 2013, a trial on mature 'Sweetheart'/'Colt' trees growing under high tunnels was initiated. Each plot consisted of 8 trees, spaced 2×4 m apart with 'Lapins' as guard trees. Experimental design was a split-plot design with or without 20 ppm GA3 application at straw color; and three drip irrigation regimes (zero, deficit and full based on evapotranspiration). During the season, soil water content was monitored weekly. Due to unfavorable weather conditions during bloom time, crop loads were lower than normal. Average fruit sizes were large and GA3 application at yellow straw color resulted in small increases in average fruit diameter and fruit weight with all three irrigation treatments. Fruit cracking was very variable and occurred almost exclusively at the distal side of fruit and not on the stem side. GA3-treated fruit cracked slightly more than untreated fruit. There were no differences in fruit cracking due to irrigation scheme.
Authors
Gary Dobson Gordon J. McDougall Derek Stewart Miguel Ángel Cubero Reijo O. KarjalainenAbstract
The effects of juice matrix and pasteurization on the stability of total phenols and especially total and indi- vidual anthocyanins were examined in black currant (BC) juice and mixtures with apple, persimmon, and peach juices at 4 °Cand20°C. Total phenol content decreased in all juices at both temperatures but there was a trend to lower levels in unpasteurized over pasteurized juices. Differences in the decline of total anthocyanins between pasteurized and unpasteurized juices varied according to the juice type and the storage temperature. At 4 °C storage, anthocyanins declined in all juices according to pseudo 1st-order kinetics and there were only small differences in the rates between pasteurized and unpasteurized juices. However, at 20 °C, although pasteurized and unpasteurized BC juices and pasteur- ized mixed juices followed pseudo 1st-order kinetics, there was a different pattern in unpasteurized mixed juices; a rapid initial decline was followed by a slowing down. The effect of the added juice on anthocyanin decline was also different at either temperature. At 4 °C, the anthocyanins decreased faster in mixed juices than BC juice alone, but at 20 °C, at least in pasteurized mixed juices, the decline was similar or even slower than in BC juice; there were only small differences among the 3 mixed juices. At 20 °C, in pasteurized and unpasteurized BC juices, the rate of decrease was essentially the same for all 4 individual anthocyanins but in the mixed juices the 2 glucosides decreased significantly faster than the 2 rutinosides.
Authors
Alice Budai Lucia Calucci Daniel Rasse Line Tau Strand Annelene Pengerud Daniel Wiedemeier Samuel Abiven Claudia ForteAbstract
Infrared and 13C solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies and benzene polycarboxylic acids (BPCA) analysis were used to characterize the structural changes occurring during slow pyrolysis of corncob and Miscanthus at different temperatures from 235 °C to 800 °C. In the case of corncob, a char sample obtained from flash carbonization was also investigated. Spectroscopic techniques gave detailed information on the transformations of the different biomass components, whereas BPCA analysis allowed the amount of aromatic structures present in the different chars and the degree of aromatic condensation to be determined. The results showed that above 500 °C both corncob and Miscanthus give polyaromatic solid residues with similar degree of aromatic condensation but with differences in the structure. On the other hand, at lower temperatures, char composition was observed to depend on the different cellulose/hemicellulose/lignin ratios in the feedstocks. Flash carbonization was found to mainly affect the degree of aromatic condensation.
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Abstract
Matching high performing varieties of legumes with effective symbiotic N-fixing bacteria can potentially enhance production volumes and economic returns when cultivating grain legumes. We investigated whether field inoculation with local or introduced Rhizobia to six different varieties of faba bean improved growth, nitrogen (N) fixation and protein content in a field experiment in Southern Norway. In 2016, a full factorial experiment featuring three inoculation treatments (a mixture of four morphotypes of Rhizobia isolated from locally grown faba bean, a mix of two efficient and well documented Rhizobium strains from Latvia, and a non-inoculated control treatment) and six faba bean (Vicia faba) genotypes (Agua Dulce, Bauska, Jõgeva, Gloria, Julia, Lielplatones) was set up in an experimental field with sandy loam soil with no recent legume culture history (>10 years). At late flowering/early pod formation stage we quantified N fixation of the crop using the N-15 natural abundance method, using weeds from the same plots as reference plants. We also assessed morphological and phenological characters, seed yields and protein levels at plant maturity. Clear differences were observed, and detailed results from this study will be presented at the conference (analyses are still pending). This research is a part of the EU FP7 project Eurolegume.
Abstract
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No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Invasion of annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) is a major concern on red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) putting greens. Our objective was to determine the effect of three seasonal fertilizer distribution treatments on red fescue turf quality and annual bluegrass encroachment. The experiment was conducted over 2 yr on a USGA-specified putting green at NIBIO Turfgrass Research Center Landvik, Norway (58° N). A complete liquid fertilizer was applied weekly for an annual nitrogen input of 11 g m−2 in all treatments. In the FLAT rate treatment, the weekly fertilizer rate was 0.45 g N m−2 wk−1 from 5 May to 28 September. The FALL+ treatment received 0.68 g N m−2 wk−1 from 11 August to 28 September and 0.23 g N m−2 wk−1 from 5 May to 21 June, whereas the SPRING+ treatment was the opposite. The SPRING+ fertilization resulted in significantly better turf quality and significantly less annual bluegrass than the two other treatments in the second year of the study. The FALL+ fertilization gave higher quality ratings in the fall and early spring, but this effect came at the expense of more annual bluegrass. In conclusion, we recommend a fertilizer regime with the highest input from early May until midsummer to produce red fescue putting greens with the highest possible turfgrass quality and minimal encroachment by annual bluegrass.
Authors
Mette Thomsen Hugh Riley Grethe Iren Andersen Borge Per Lea Marit Rødbotten Gunnar BengtssonAbstract
Swede is known as a healthy vegetable with a high content of vitamin C. However, very few studies have worked with the aim to evaluate how varieties, soil type and fertilizer interact and affect quality in swede. In the present study two varieties of swedes (‘Vige’ and ‘Vigod’) were grown on peat, loam and sand, with three levels of K (0, 120, 240 kg ha-1) and N fertilizer (0, 80, 160 kg ha-1). Low to moderate levels of N gave highest saleable yield, highest content of vitamin C and lowest content of nitrate. Peat soil gave highest saleable yield, lowest soluble solids and vitamin C and highest nitrate content. Soluble solids and vitamin C were negatively correlated with total root yield. Sandy soil gave lowest saleable yield, sweetest taste and lowest nitrate content. Contents of total, aliphatic, indole and individual glucosinolates, on dry matter basis, were highest on peat. N fertilization increased the content of most glucosinolates, whereas K affected glucobrassicin at the highest N level. Progoitrin was lowest in roots grown on sand, and was affected by N level and variety on sand and loam soils. Consumers preferred ‘Vigod’, which had the highest intensity of sweetness, although ‘Vige’ had more vitamin C and less nitrate.