98024 research outputs found
Sort by
Exploring the RUSLE-based structural sediment connectivity approach for agricultural erosion management
Get PDFModels play a crucial role in guiding agricultural erosion management, though their incorporation of sediment connectivity and management strategies varies. This study evaluated the RUSLE/IC/SDR model’s potential for simulating agricultural erosion management at both the field scale and across two catchments. We tested the model’s ability to simulate erosion management measures at a high spatial resolution (2 m × 2 m) across diverse topographies, assessed whether incorporating sediment connectivity improves RUSLE-based erosion management planning within catchments, and explored its capacity to tailor measures based on local connectivity characteristics. Our findings showed significant variability in sediment sources and connectivity. The simulation of no-till and buffer strip measures effectively demonstrated their varying effectiveness across fields and catchments. At the catchment scale, erosion management planning that incorporates sediment connectivity through the RUSLE/IC/SDR approach did not contribute to significant additional sediment delivery reduction compared to using RUSLE alone. However, at the field scale, RUSLE/IC/SDR offered improved opportunities for tailoring erosion management measures to local sediment connectivity characteristics. These simulations highlight both the potential and limitations of RUSLE/IC/SDR, advancing our understanding of its application for erosion management. In conclusion, while RUSLE/IC/SDR represents a valuable extension of RUSLE, further research is needed to fully realize its practical applications. Nonetheless, it shows promise for high-resolution simulation of sediment connectivity and erosion management at the field scale, across large catchments and regions.202
Pure wild forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus) or hybrids? A whole-genome sequencing approach to solve the taxonomical status
Get PDFIn Finland, the geographic distribution of domestic reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) and Finnish wild forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus) partly overlap in the vicinity of the southern border of the reindeer herding area. Additionally, domestic reindeer are occasionally kept as pets within the distribution range of the wild forest reindeer. Hybridisation of these two subspecies is one of the major threats for the wild forest reindeer population. Concerns about potential hybridisation served as the catalyst also for this study, which we aimed to clarify the taxonomic status of presumed wild forest reindeer individuals intended as founder individuals for a reintroduction project. To do this, we resequenced genomes of four Rangifer tarandus individuals with unknown taxonomical status and investigated their ancestries by comparing the genomic data with the existing resequenced data of the Finnish domestic reindeer and Finnish wild forest reindeer. The genetic relationship investigations indicated that all individuals we analysed were pure wild forest reindeer, making them suitable as founder individuals for the reintroduction project. Thus, our study provided critical knowledge for practical conservation action, where it was essential to recognise each individual’s origin. In the future, it will also offer novel insights into the spread of native wild forest reindeer to new geographic regions in Finland. For subsequent studies, additional resequenced genomic data of Rangifer individuals will be needed to develop an ancestry information marker panel of single nucleotide polymorphisms for rapid and cost-effective identification of hybrid individuals of these subspecies.202
Lisää kotimaista lihaa risteytyshiehojen teuraspainojen nostolla
Get PDFLehtiartikkeli (Rinnakkaistallennusluvan asianumero: 515/12 05 01 02/2022)202
PaLAR3 genotype variability for enhanced resistance against Heterobasidion parviporum in Norway spruce: Insights into allelic frequencies, disease response, and the role of mycoviruses
Get PDFHeterobasidion parviporum is a destructive forest pathogen causing root and stem rot of Norway spruce (Picea abies) in northern hemisphere. Previous research has suggested that a gene form of PaLAR3 that encodes for the leucoanthocyanidin reductase enzyme, may increase resistance to H. parviporum in Norway spruce, whether heterozygous or homozygous. Our experiment was initially focused on testing this assertion with materials from the Finnish Norway spruce breeding program, comprising 52 full-sib families. Additionally, we investigated the influence of mycoviruses on the growth of H. parviporum. The frequencies of the three PaLAR3 genotypes AA, AB, and BB were 64%, 30%, and 6%, respectively. We found no significant differences in the necrotic response to H. parviporum between the homozygous (BB) and heterozygous (AB) genotypes vs. the homozygous (AA) genotype across the two fungal strains tested, suggesting the gene is rather ineffective as a marker for overall H. parviporum resistance. The two H. parviporum strains used in the study showed significantly different necrosis responses from the control. Mycovirus infection in H. parviporum strains led to a significant reduction in lesion width in phloem and sapwood. Furthermore, the growth of the fungus was notably restricted when hyphae hosted mycoviruses, indicating a high potential of mycoviruses to reduce fungal growth and necrosis development.202
Metsien hiilensidonta, metsätalouden vesistökuormitus ja monimuotoisuus : Tukimahdollisuuksia metsänomistajalle (2. painos)
Get PDFMetsä toimii kasvaessaan tehokkaana hiilinieluna ja sitoo merkittävän osan Suomen kasvihuonekaasupäästöistä. Ilmakehässä olevan hiilidioksidin sitoutuminen metsiin on suoraan suhteessa metsien kasvuun. Metsänomistajalle hiilensidonta ja monimuotoisuuden suojelu markkinaehtoisesti voivat olla tapa laajentaa ansaintamahdollisuuksia omasta metsästään. Tähän esitteeseen on koottu tämän hetken yleistietoa metsien hiilensidontaan ja päästövähennyksiin liittyvistä mahdollisuuksista sekä aiheeseen liittyvistä metsätalouden tuista. Mukana on myös tietoa ja linkkejä ekologisen kompensaation mahdollisuuksista ja mm. hiilikaupan keskeisistä käsitteistä.202
Impact of pre-harvest UVC treatment on powdery mildew infection and strawberry quality in tunnel production in Nordic conditions
Get PDFPreharvest UVC radiation treatment has emerged as a promising alternative to chemical plant protection methods in plant production systems for preventing fungal diseases. In our study, three strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) cultivars were subjected to nightly UVC treatment (20 s, 0.02 kJ/m²) delivered through LED technology (with a peak at 276 nm) within polytunnel conditions in Central Finland. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the UVC treatment in inhibiting powdery mildew (caused by Podosphaera spp.), as well as to assess its impact on crop yield, fruit quality, firmness, volatile organic compound (VOC) profile, and leaf properties across two consecutive growing seasons. The UVC treatment successfully suppressed the growth of powdery mildew in all three tested strawberry cultivars throughout the experiment, without causing any visible damage to the leaves. The UVC treatment led to an increase in the crop yield of marketable fruits without affecting their size. The impact on fruit quality varied, depending on the specific cultivar, sampling time, and the year under consideration. Fruit firmness following 2–3 days of refrigeration improved due to the UVC treatment. Our findings suggest that UVC treatment can alter the fruit's VOC profile, either directly or indirectly through disease management, affecting its aroma. These findings emphasize the diverse advantages of UVC treatment in enhancing disease resistance and enhancing specific fruit attributes. This suggests the potential for integration of UVC treatment into plant production systems, particularly in tunnel cultivation within Nordic conditions, as a promising approach to improve overall crop management strategies.202
Improving a dynamic farm level model by coupling empirically estimated pre-crop values with crop rotation optimization
No full textThe dominance of cereal-based rotations in Finnish agriculture contributes to adverse environmental impacts, and shifting towards diversified cropping systems has been minimal. Since economic viability and profit motives are strong among farmers, there is a need for analysis tools investigating profitability of agronomically feasible, diversified cropping systems and rotations. While there is consensus on pre-crop effects, their impact is unclear and often overlooked in decision-making. We integrate recent empirically estimated pre-crop values into farm models to assess their influence on land use and farm economy and use dynamic optimization to solve the economically optimal crop rotations. The results show that including empirically estimated pre-crop values improves on subjective expert estimates of pre-crop effects and can eliminate the need for additional rotational constraints. Utilizing pre-crop effects consistently over time may lead to significant economic gains. This approach can contribute to sustainable agriculture by encouraging diversification and resilience, even amidst changing climates or novel crops.202