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With biodiversity loss as one of today's most pressing global problems, it is crucial to raise public recognition of this crisis and promote acceptance of conservation efforts. Plants, which typically struggle with low awareness ('plant blindness') and less emotional connection than animals with humans, are facing a special challenge. Promoting positive attitudes towards, and interest in, plants might provide the key to resolve this discrepancy. This study aims to differentiate attitudes and interest within the plant awareness framework while at the same time identify criteria for developing positive attitudes and interest towards plants in students. In a mixed-method approach, a questionnaire with closed and open items on attitudes and interest was developed and administered online to 179 students aged 9-19. Quantitative as well as qualitative results show that 'attitudes towards plants' can be differentiated from 'interest in plants'. Attitudes towards plants were positive, whereas interest in plants was rather low, with cultural and regulating ecosystem services acting as primary reasons for students' positive attitudes. These two components can be easily incorporated in botany teaching in order to promote plant awareness and increase knowledge about their crucial role in ecosystems and global climate, thus raising acceptance for conservation.

Insect herbivores can inflict substantial costs on plant reproductive success. Seed herbivory impacts directly by reducing the number of seeds and therefore the dispersal and reproductive potential of the plant. Fig trees, Ficus, provide keystone resources for tropical forests. The pollinating fig wasps develop inside figs, so consumption of unripe figs results in trees not only losing seeds but also their pollen dispersers. Selection to defend figs should therefore be strong. Seed herbivory is understudied in tropical forests and most data has been collected from fallen fruits. Here we use canopy sampling to identify fig-consuming larvae in central Panama and quantify both their consequences for the fig trees' reproductive success and the defensive value that ants provide against these larvae. Field surveys of 46 crops from nine fig species revealed that larvae could destroy up to 80% of figs on a tree. From seven Ficus species we barcoded (using COI) 51 individual fig consuming larvae (mainly Lepidoptera) that grouped into seven molecular operational taxonomic units. Lepidopteran larvae formed two feeding strategies, either stationary within a fig or tunneling between figs. Within the context of our study, stationary larvae were specialists whereas tunneling larvae were either specialists or generalists found on different Ficus species. Trees with ants had significantly fewer figs consumed by larvae (9% +/- 17% (mean +/- SD) for trees with azteca ants and 16% +/- 24% for trees with other ants) than did trees without ants (51% +/- 27%). Our results corroborate earlier findings that hosting ants can be an effective defensive mechanism for trees against seed herbivores or other antagonistic insects. Our study contributes to a wider body of research around the networks of insects associated with figs that highlights the importance of a multitrophic approach for understanding mutualism stability and persistence in the face of antagonism.

Some plants that invade environments outside their native range of distribution often face reproductive challenges such as limited pollinators and mates. Thus, the capacity to reproduce autonomously in the absence of pollinators or mates can facilitate establishment and spread of invasive plants. Here, we study the capacity of Solanum rostratum to reproduce through autonomous self-pollination. Although this plant is self-compatible, it strongly depends on visitation of buzzing bees to reproduce in its native range. We compared floral morphology, pollen: ovule ratios, reproductive phenology, and capacity for autonomous self-pollination of two populations of native distribution (Mexico) and another two populations of the invasive range (USA). We found a reduction in anther-stigma distance, pollen: ovule ratio, and plant height in invasive populations, as well as a shift to increased resource allocation to floral vs. vegetative structures and faster flowering compared to native populations. Importantly, invasive populations show a marked increase in the capacity to produce fruits autonomously (without pollen vectors). Our results suggest that the northern invasion of S. rostratum could have been facilitated by a shift in reproductive strategy from outcrossing to autonomous self-pollination.

Vi rör oss mot en framtid där en allt större andel av jordens befolkning bor i stadsområden, vilket medför ett antal utmaningar som kommer att behöva hanteras. Redan år 2050 förväntas närmare 70% av befolkningen bo i stadsområden, vilket kan jämföras med 1950 då samma siffra låg på 30%. Denna ökning innebär att grönområden kommer bytas ut mot bostäder, medan storleken på bostäder kommer minska och priserna på dem kommer stiga. Samtidigt blir de negativa effekterna av att inte omge sig med växter och natur allt större, och allt tydligare. Detta projekt inom Teknisk design vid Luleå tekniska universitet syftar att undersöka möjligheterna med att motverka dessa negativa effekter, genom att på ett hållbart sätt skapa förutsättningar för användaren att odla i hemmet.Genom att undersöka behov hos målgruppen och använda sig av en användarcentrerad designprocess, har en mängd olika kreativa designmetoder använts för att utforska lösningar och möjligheter. Detta har genom ett iterativt arbete skapat en större mängd olika lösningar som utvärderats av användare.Detta resulterade i ett koncept för att tillåta odling i hemmet genom att använda sig av vertikal hydroponisk odling, där biofil design använts som en röd tråd för att skapa ett välgörande och tilltalande formspråk., We are moving towards a future where an increasingly larger portion of the world’s population lives in urban areas, which entails a number of challenges that will need to be addressed. By the year 2050, it is expected that nearly 70% of the population will reside in urban areas, compared to 30% in 1950. This increase means that green spaces will be replaced by housing, leading to smaller-sized homes and rising prices. At the same time, the negative effects of not being surrounded by plants and nature are becoming more significant and evident.This project in Technical Design at Luleå University of Technology aims to explore the possibilities of mitigating these negative effects by creating sustainable opportunities for individuals to cultivate plants at home. By examining the needs of the target audience and employing a user-centered design process, a variety of creative design methods have been utilized to explore solutions and possibilities. Through an iterative process, a range of different solutions have been developed and evaluated by users.This has resulted in a concept that allows for home cultivation using vertical hydroponic farming

This study was developed together with Grönska Stadsodling 365. Grönska is vertical farming company that started in 2015 and has developed a large-scale vertical farm in Stockholm and modular vertical farms which are in place nationwide. Since the start, Grönska has worked to reduce the resource and energy demands in order to promote more sustainable food provisioning. This summary report provides a brief review of the environmental life cycle assessment conducted during 2022 with Grönska on their modular cabinet vertical farms, i.e. the GrowOff system. The work was conducted within the FORMAS project “Assessing and Improving the Sustainability of Urban Vertical farming Systems,” grant 2019-02049 in order to help Grönska identify hotspots and understand the sustainability of the offerings.

The Swedish authority for social protection and preparedness, MSB, believes that the self-sufficiency of the country must be strengthened in order to be prepared for a crisis. Presently, Sweden is only 50% self-sufficientwhich is very low compared to its neighboring countries; and it is worse the further north you go. One solution could be to increase the production of food, for example vegetables, but the number of greenhouse operations in Sweden are already dwindling due to the inhospitable climate, which makes it expensive to keep up all-year cultivations. Norrbotten, the northernmost part of Sweden, has the highest heat demand for greenhouses in the country. One option could be to set up operation in heavily insulated buildings and rely on artificial lighting, in so called plant factories. Though, these are expensive, electricity intensive and have generally lower yields. This report will cover the development, validation, and performance of a dynamic model of a new greenhouse concept, developed for subarctic climates. The greenhouse is meant to utilize the strengths of both glass houses and plant factories to optimize the profits for a year-round operation. This, to find an alternative solution to the self-sufficiency problem in the winter. In addition to this, the optimal glaze for the climate shell had to be determined and what type of lighting technology would be the most viable. The hybrid greenhouse is a gableroof greenhouse with insulated north, west and east walls designed for microgreen cultivation, Lactuca Sativa. The interesting part of the greenhouse is that it has a retractable insulation cover, of mineral wool, inside of the climate shell. This was meant to heavily insulate the greenhouse during the winter seasons, though it would not let any sunlight in. This meant that the hybrid greenhouse must rely on artificial lighting in the winter but will get a reduced heating demand. When the outdoor temperature rises and the sun becomes more visible,the

The pressure on current urban ecosystems is an ongoing problem as greenhouse gaseshave a negative impact on the climate but also on people around the world. As manycities are densely populated, it becomes difficult to introduce more greenery into citieswithout taking up a lot of space, for example by building parks. Therefore, vertical plantsystems placed on facades around the city can be a solution to mitigate the effects ofurban warming and help absorb carbon emissions. The aim of the study is to expandthe knowledge of plant façades with respect to carbon dioxide absorption. The studyexamines three key aspects, namely the economics of installation and maintenance, thelong-term sustainability of carbon absorption and the energy-saving potential of greenwall insulation.The different data collection methods used are literature studies and interviews withcontractors. Fytotextile on the modules was the material whose U-value was used forthe energy calculations; these are used by a company in Spain, Terapia Urbana. Theirquotes were also used for financial calculations to see the viability from an economicperspective.The study shows that the most suitable option for using plants on façades is to chooseresistant and fast-growing perennial plants that require little maintenance as these arethe most optimal for use on façades. The plant Flock Fist was recognized as a suitablespecies for implementation on green walls through various surveys and in-depthinterviews, due to its extended lifespan and inherent ease of maintenance. Analysesinvolving economic, energy and sustainability calculations show that the incorporationof green walls is economically unprofitable. However, in terms of sustainability andenergy efficiency, it appears to be a more practical and beneficial solution.The results show that installing plant façades on buildings can reduce energyconsumption and promote sustainability. The results also revealed that a building with400sqm of green façade can absorb the a

Cut flowers are products that have become a symbol of joy, sorrow and wealth. However, consumption contributes to various environmental problems, such as greenhouse gas emissions and leakage of nutrients and pesticides. This study aims to investigate the environmental impact of outdoor-grown cut flowers from a sustainability perspective in Sweden. The questions answered are which aspects of the cut flower lifecycle have the greatest environmental impact, what the cut flower growers think of the cut flower industry and its sustainability and how their work can become more sustainable. The study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with eight businesses that grow field-grown cut flowers and a literature review focusing on the environmental impact of cut flowers from a life cycle perspective. The results from the literature review show that the main environmental and climate aspects from a life cycle perspective are transport, heating through fossil fuels and the use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides. The results from the interviews show that challenges with the cut flower industry are origins of seeds, lack of knowledge and behavior and consumption patterns. Opportunities consist of growing demand, good quality and being able to offer a more sustainable product. Swedish field-grown cut flowers can be considered a sustainable alternative to imported ones due to shorter transport and the difference in the use of nutrients and chemicals. Although, more transparency, knowledge and collaboration will be needed in the industry for long-term sustainable development. Measures that can be implemented to promote the production and consumption of Swedish sustainable cut flowers are political incentives and possibly a certification or labeling.

Background: While the utilitarian crops grown in vicarage gardens in pre-industrial Sweden have been fairly well documented, our knowledge of plants cultivated for food among the peasants and crofters is limited. Nevertheless, garden vegetables and herbs played a much more important role in the diet of the rural population from a nutritional point of view than, say, wild plants, at least in the southern part of the country. This study aims to explore the importance of edible cultivated onions, Allium, and their various cultivars and old landraces that were once-and in some cases still are-grown in home gardens. Methods: This study is based on documentation collected from national surveys carried out by the Swedish National Programme for Diversity of Cultivated Plants (POM), and from an intense search for references to the cultivation and use of carious onions in the historic garden literature, herbals and ethnographic records found in responses to folklife questionnaires. Results: The rural population in pre-industrial Sweden cultivated various kinds of bulb onions. They are known under various folk names, although their taxonomic affiliation has been unclear. Many folk taxa have been classified and named by their use, while other names refer to the practices associated with the cultivation system. These onions were often described as especially well suited for storage over winter. Onions have had a wide range of uses in Sweden. In some parts of Sweden, onions were eaten during church service in order to keep the churchgoers awake. Several types of onion have commonly been used as condiments in pickled herring dishes, spreads, sauces, foods made of blood and offal, dumplings, meat dishes and soups. Garlic was used for medicinal and magical purposes, as well as for ethnoveterinary medicine. Onion skins have traditionally been used for dyeing eggs at Easter. Conclusion: Genetic diversity of vegetables and garden crops represents a critical resource to achieve and main

In the face of the rapidly dwindling carbon budgets, negative emission technologies are widely suggested as required to stabilize the Earth's climate. However, finding cost-effective, socially acceptable, and politically achievable means to enable such technologies remains a challenge. We propose solutions based on negative emission technologies to facilitate wealth creation for the stakeholders while helping to mitigate climate change. This paper comes up with suggestions and guidelines on significantly increasing carbon sequestration in coffee farms. A coffee and jackfruit agroforestry-based case study is presented along with an array of technical interventions, having a special focus on bioenergy and biochar, potentially leading to "negative emissions at negative cost. " The strategies for integrating food production with soil and water management, fuel production, adoption of renewable energy systems and timber management are outlined. The emphasis is on combining biological and engineering sciences to devise a practically viable niche that is easy to adopt, adapt and scale up for the communities and regions to achieve net negative emissions. The concerns expressed in the recent literature on the implementation of emission reduction and negative emission technologies are briefly presented. The novel opportunities to alleviate these concerns arising from our proposed interventions are then pointed out. Our analysis indicates that 1 ha coffee jackfruit-based agroforestry can additionally sequester around 10 tonnes of CO2-eq and lead to an income enhancement of up to 3,000-4,000 Euros in comparison to unshaded coffee. Finally, the global outlook for an easily adoptable nature-based approach is presented, suggesting an opportunity to implement revenue-generating negative emission technologies on a gigatonne scale. We anticipate that our approach presented in the paper results in increased attention to the development of practically viable science and technology-base, QC 20221007

Vertical farms have expanded rapidly in urban areas to support food system resilience. However, many of these systems source a substantial share of their material and energy requirements outside their urban environments. As urban areas produce significant shares of residual material and energy streams, there is considerable potential to explore the utilization of these streams for urban agriculture in addition to the possibility of employing underutilized urban spaces in residential and commercial buildings. This study aims to explore and assess the potential for developing more circular vertical farming systems which integrate with buildings and utilize residual material and energy streams. We focus on the symbiotic development of a hypothetical urban farm located in the basement of a residential building in Stockholm. Life cycle assessment is used to quantify the environmental performance of synergies related to energy integration and circular material use. Energy-related scenarios include the integration of the farm's waste heat with the host building's heating system and the utilization of solar PV. Circular material synergies include growing media and fertilizers based on residual materials from a local brewery and biogas plant. Finally, a local pick-up system is studied to reduce transportation. The results point to large benefits from integrating the urban farm with the building energy system, reducing the vertical farm's GHG emissions up to 40%. Synergies with the brewery also result in GHG emissions reductions of roughly 20%. No significant change in the environmental impacts was found from the use of solar energy, while the local pick-up system reduces environmental impacts from logistics, although this does not substantially lower the overall environmental impacts. However, there are some trade-offs where scenarios with added infrastructure can also increase material and water resource depletion. The results from the synergies reviewed suggest that proxim

Ultraviolet B (UV-B, 280 – 315 nm) and ultraviolet A (UV-A, 315-400 nm) radiation comprise small portions of the solar radiation but regulate many aspects of plant development, physiology and metabolism. Until now, how plants respond to UV-B in the presence of different light qualities is poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the effects of a low UV-B dose (0.912± 0.074 kJ m-2 day-1, at a 6 h daily UV exposure) in combination with four light treatments (blue, green, red and broadband white at 210 μmol m-2 s-1 Photosynthetic active radiation [PAR]) on morphological and physiological responses of cucumber (Cucumis sativus cv. ‘Lausanna RZ F1’). We explored the effects of light quality backgrounds on plant morphology, leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, epidermal pigment accumulation, and on acclimation ability to saturating light intensity. Our results showed that supplementary UV-B significantly decreased biomass accumulation in the presence of broad band white, blue and green light, but not under red light. UV‐B also reduced the photosynthetic efficiency of CO2 fixation (α) when combined with blue light. These plants, despite showing high accumulation of anthocyanins, were unable to cope with saturating light conditions. No significant effects of UV-B in combination with green light were observed for gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, but supplementary UV-B significantly increased chlorophyll and flavonol contents in the leaf epidermis. Plants grown under red light and UV-B significantly increased maximum photosynthetic rate and dark respiration compared to pure red light. Additionally, red and UV-B treated plants during with saturating light intensity showed an higher quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII), fraction of open PSII centres and electron transport rate and showed no effect on the apparent maximum quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) or non-photochemical quenching in contrast to solely red-light conditions, Funding Agencies:GUDP (Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries) Research center iFood Faculty for Business, Science and Technology at Örebro University Örebro University Vice Chancellor's strategic research programme on 'Food and Health'

Arionid slugs can be serious pests on horticultural and agricultural crops. Using slug movement barriers is a potentially effective method to control slug damage. We evaluated the performance of waterglass (sodium silicate) and copper foil as barriers against Arion vulgaris movement both in a controlled experiment and in a semi-field validation under natural conditions. We used strawberry fruits as baits behind the barriers and monitored slug movement and damage to the strawberries. In the controlled experiment, copper foil barriers delayed but did not prevent passage, whereas waterglass barriers completely hindered slugs from passing. Barrier width (3, 4 or 6 cm) did not affect the passability of the barriers. In the semi-field validation, there was no difference in slug damage events between pots with and without copper foil barriers. Waterglass barriers applied to the pots reduced slug damage events by 50 % compared with pots without a barrier. Using waterglass to hinder slug movement may prove to be a cost-effective method to control slug damage in horticulture without any adverse side effects on non-targeted organisms., This study was funded by Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry (KSLA) , grant number GFS2019-0050.

High efficacy LED lamps combined with adaptive lighting control and greenhouse integrated photovoltaics (PV) could enable the concept of year-round cultivation. This concept can be especially useful for increasing the production in the Nordic countries of crops like herbaceous perennials, forest seedlings, and other potted plants not native of the region, which are grown more than one season in this harsh climate. Meteorological satellite data of this region was analyzed in a parametric study to evaluate the potential of these technologies. The generated maps showed monthly average temperatures fluctuating from −20 °C to 20 °C throughout the year. The natural photoperiod and light intensity also changed drastically, resulting in monthly average daily light integral (DLI) levels ranging from 45–50 mol·m−2·d−1 in summer and contrasting with 0–5 mol·m−2·d−1 during winter. To compensate, growth room cultivation that is independent of outdoor conditions could be used in winter. Depending on the efficacy of the lamps, the electricity required for sole-source lighting at an intensity of 300 µmol·m−2·s−1 for 16 h would be between 1.4 and 2.4 kWh·m−2·d−1. Greenhouses with supplementary lighting could help start the cultivation earlier in spring and extend it further into autumn. The energy required for lighting highly depends on several factors such as the natural light transmittance, the light threshold settings, and the lighting control protocol, resulting in electric demands between 0.6 and 2.4 kWh·m−2·d−1. Integrating PV on the roof or wall structures of the greenhouse could offset some of this electricity, with specific energy yields ranging from 400 to 1120 kWh·kW−1·yr−1 depending on the region and system design.

Growing is a creative activity in lower school subject matter. It is an outdoor activity that creates movement. Gardening activities give favorable effects for the social teamwork in studentgroups and cultivation is a way to increase students' awareness of our food production. This argument exists in earlier studies that it is significant when school staff have motivated reasons to create school gardens. Of course, school gardens have always created problems. To get enough resources for management and lesson planning and to handle summer supervision presents in modern times as the largest obstacles for growing activities to work. Against this background, the purpose of this thesis is to find a way forward for gardening as a school activity that increases students' consciousness of sustainable food production. Forest gardening is a cultivation model within the Agro Forestry movement. Using literature study as a methodology, it is found that forest gardening principles can be applied to school gardening to solve the identified isues with cultivation in primary schools. Regarding forest gardening principles, one can create a cultivation that occupies a small area and recieves the ideal microclimate with an array of plants with different hights. This cultivation model lowers the work time required and the need for summer supervision. In addition, this cultivation gives the ecosystem increased biodiversity and carbon storage. Another advantage with this cultivation model is that through plant selection, one can control harvest times to spring and autumn, when students are in school. However, it appears that this cultivation model is knowledge- intensive during the construction phase and that it is a good idea to get outside help from an expert, for example, a gardener with expertise in forest gardening. A design proposal for lower school grades is also included, with a plant list and design plan that can be adapted and suited to schools., Odling är ett kreativt redskap i grundskolans ämnesundervisning. Det är en utomhusaktivitet som skapar rörelse. Trädgårdsaktiviteter ger gynnsamma effekter för det sociala samspelet i elevgruppen och odling är ett sätt att öka elevernas medvetenhet om vår matproduktion. Dessa argument framgår som betydelsefulla i tidigare studier där skolpersonal har motiverat sina skäl till att driva skolträdgårdar. Skolträdgårdar har dock i alla tider brottats med problem. Att få resurser att räcka till för skötsel och lektionsplanering och att klara av sommartillsynen, framträder i modern tid som de största hindren för att få odlingarna att fungera. Mot den bakgrunden är syftet med denna uppsats att söka en väg frammåt för skolträdgården, som är hållbar i skolornas verksamhet och som ökar elevernas medvetenhet om en miljömässigt hållbar matproduktion. Skogsträdgården är en odlingsmodell inom Agro Forestry rörelsen. Med litteraturstudie som metod undersöks här vilka av skogsträdgårdens principer som kan tillämpas i en skoltärdgård för att möta de identifierade problemen för odling inom grundskolan. Det framgår att man med idéer från skogsträdgården kan skapa en odling som tar en liten yta i anspråk och får ett gynsammt microklimat tack vare växter i olika höjdskickt. Odlingsmodellen kräver en låg skötselinsats i förhållande till skörd tack vare ståndortsanpassning, marktäckning, själförsörjning av näring och perenna grödor som tillsammans minskar behovet av bevattning och skötsel. Resultatet påvisar att man med hjälp av flera av skogsträdgårdens odlingsprinciper kan minska behovet av arbetstid och sommarlovsskötsel. Dessutom ger odlingen ekosystemtjänster som ökad biologisk mångfald och kollagring. Ytterliggare en fördel är att man med hjälp av växtval kan styra skördetiden till vår och höst, då eleverna är på plats i skolan. Det framkommer dock att odlingsmetoden är kunskapskrävande under anläggningsfasen och att det är en god idé att vid etableringen ta hjälp utifrån av exper

The cuticle is the most external layer that protects fruits from the environment and constitutes the first shield against physical impacts. The preservation of its mechanical integrity is essential to avoid the access to epidermal cell walls and to prevent mass loss and damage that affect the commercial quality of fruits. The rheology of the cuticle is also very important to respond to the size modification along fruit growth and to regulate the diffusion of molecules from and toward the atmosphere. The mechanical performance of cuticles is regulated by the amount and assembly of its components (mainly cutin, polysaccharides, and waxes). In tomato fruit cuticles, phenolics, a minor cuticle component, have been found to have a strong influence on their mechanical behavior. To fully characterize the biomechanics of tomato fruit cuticle, transient creep, uniaxial tests, and multi strain dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) measurements have been carried out. Two well-differentiated stages have been identified. At early stages of growth, characterized by a low phenolic content, the cuticle displays a soft elastic behavior. Upon increased phenolic accumulation during ripening, a progressive stiffening is observed. The increment of viscoelasticity in ripe fruit cuticles has also been associated with the presence of these compounds. The transition from the soft elastic to the more rigid viscoelastic regime can be explained by the cooperative association of phenolics with both the cutin and the polysaccharide fractions., QC 20220124

The Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) is the joint genebank and knowledge center for genetic resources in the Nordic countries. Our mission is to conserve and promote the sustainable use of genetic diversity among animals, forests and plants that are important for Nordic agriculture and forestry. NordGen PPP-report 2018-2020 provides a information about projects conducted within the framework of The Nordic Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for pre-breeding during the years 2018-2020.

The Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) is the joint genebank and knowledge center for genetic resources in the Nordic countries. Our mission is to conserve and promote the sustainable use of genetic diversity among animals, forests and plants that are important for Nordic agriculture and forestry. NordGen PPP-report 2018-2020 provides a information about projects conducted within the framework of The Nordic Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for pre-breeding during the years 2018-2020.

Plant nutritional quality can influence interactions between herbivores and their parasitoids. While most previous work has focused on a limited set of secondary plant metabolites, the tri-trophic effects of overall phenotypic resistance have been understudied. Furthermore, the joint effects of secondary and primary metabolites on parasitoids are almost unexplored. In this study, we compared the performance and survival of the parasitoid species Asecodes parviclava Thompson on wild woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) genotypes showing variation in resistance against the parasitoid’s host, the strawberry leaf beetle (Galerucella tenella L.). Additionally, we related the metabolic profiles of these plant genotypes to the tritrophic outcomes in order to identify primary and secondary metabolites involved in regulating plant potential to facilitate parasitism. We found that parasitoid performance was strongly affected by plant genotype, but those differences in plant resistance to the herbivore were not reflected in parasitoid survival. These findings could be explained in particular by a significant link between parasitoid survival and foliar carbohydrate levels, which appeared to be the most important compounds for parasitism success. The fact that plant quality strongly affects parasitism should be further explored and utilized in plant breeding programs for a synergistic application in sustainable pest management.

Solar ultraviolet (UV) light influences plant growth and metabolism. Whereas high doses of UV can be deleterious for plants, natural UV doses are important for morphogenesis in many plants species, including those used in horticulture. Greenhouses are widely used for horticultural production and common cladding materials strongly absorb UV. Thus, low amounts of UV may be limiting the optimal development in some plant species. Light supplementation using UV tubes can overcome UV deficiency. Here we study cucumber seedling production in the absence or presence of different UV wavelengths. UV-A- (315-400 nm) and UV-B- (280-315 nm) enriched light was used for exposure and parameters such as the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II, stem development (internode length and diameter, stem dry weight, stem weight per unit of stem length, and stem bending), root biomass, leaf biomass and specific leaf mass were measured. We found that UV-A supplementation resulted in shorter more compact and sturdy plants, properties that are positive from a horticultural perspective. In contrast, UV-B-enriched light led to even smaller plants that lacked the sturdy phenotype. There were no signs of decreased Fv/Fmunder any of the treatments, nor statistically significant differences in fruit yield between the control plants and the UV-treated plants when grown to harvest. In particular, the differences in fruit yield between the controls and the UV-A-treated plants were negligible in all cases. Thus, supplementary UV-A light can be an interesting alternative to chemical growth regulators for production of sturdy horticultural plants., Funding Agencies:Faculty for Business, Science and Technology at Örebro UniversityScience Foundation Ireland S16/IA/4418China Scholarship Council 201406320076

In 1975, the Missouri homesteaders Kent and Diane Ott Whealy launched True Seed Exchange (later Seed Savers Exchange), a network of ‘serious gardeners’ interested in growing and conserving heirloom and other hard-to-find plant varieties, especially vegetables. In its earliest years, the organization pursued its conservation mission through member-led exchange and cultivation, seeing members’ gardens and seed collections as the best means of ensuring that heirloom varieties remained both extant and available to growers. Beginning in 1981, however, Kent Whealy began to develop a central seed repository. As I discuss in this paper, the development of this central collection was motivated in part by concerns about the precariousness of very large individual collections, the maintenance of which was too demanding to entrust to most growers. Although state-run institutions were better positioned to take on large collections, they were nonetheless unsuitable stewards because they placed limits on access. For seed savers, loss of access to varieties via their accession into a state collection could be as much an ending for treasured collections as total physical loss, as it did not necessarily enable continued cultivation. As I show here, these imagined endings inspired the adoption of a new set of conservation practices that replicated those seen in the formal genetic conservation sector, including seed banking, cold storage and safety duplication.

Olive, representing one of the most important fruit crops of the Mediterranean area, is characterized by a general low fruit yield, due to numerous constraints, including alternate bearing, low flower viability, male-sterility, inter-incompatibility, and self-incompatibility (SI). Early efforts to clarify the genetic control of SI in olive gave conflicting results, and only recently, the genetic control of SI has been disclosed, revealing that olive possesses an unconventional homomorphic sporophytic diallelic system of SI, dissimilar from other described plants. This system, characterized by the presence of two SI groups, prevents self-fertilization and regulates inter-compatibility between cultivars, such that cultivars bearing the same incompatibility group are incompatible. Despite the presence of a functional SI, some varieties, in particular conditions, are able to set seeds following self-fertilization, a mechanism known as pseudo-self-compatibility (PSC), as widely reported in previous literature. Here, we summarize the results of previous works on SI in olive, particularly focusing on the occurrence of self-fertility, and offer a new perspective in view of the recent elucidation of the genetic architecture of the SI system in olive. Recent advances in research aimed at unraveling the molecular bases of SI and its breakdown in olive are also presented. The clarification of these mechanisms may have a huge impact on orchard management and will provide fundamental information for the future of olive breeding programs.

Det har under lång tid odlats frukt i Sverige. Fruktodlingen var länge knuten till herrgårdar och slott. Sedan slutet av 1800-talet började fruktodlingar anläggas i områdena runt Vånga, Kivik och Båstad i Skåne. Det växer fram en ny typ av näring som är mer industriellt präglad än den tidigare herrgårds- och slottsodlingen. Syftet med studien är att undersöka industrifruktodlingsarealens utveckling mellan åren 1926 och 2014 i socknarna Västra Karup vid Båstad och Södra Mellby vid Kivik. Socknarna valdes som undersökningsområden för att de ligger i två fruktodlingsdistrikt i Skåne. Metoden som används är digitalisering av fruktodlingarna i kartmaterialet och beräkning av arealen i GIS-programmet ArcMap. Fruktodlingsarealen ökade i båda socknarna under första hälften av undersökningsperioden och minskade under den andra. I Västra Karup är arealen minst i slutet av undersökningsperioden och i Södra Mellby i början, arealen var störst i båda socknarna i mitten av perioden. Ökningen beror bland annat på avskärmningen från världsmarknaden under andra världskriget samt ett importstopp på utländsk frukt och minskningen på tullar och ett borttaget importstopp.

The food value chain system in Sweden is well established making it hard for small companies to develop new products and even harder to create new food supply systems Obstacles could lay at the beginning of the chain (food production or processing), at the end (marketing, consumer) or could even be related to the legislative regulation framing the food supply chain. Smaller actors often lack resources and networks to develop their sector. However, their degree of creativity, innovativeness, and engagement is high, and their energy is needed in the development of new sustainable food value chains. The aim of this project was to develop and apply a methodology for evaluating food value chains, focusing on profitable small-scale production systems in Sweden that show potential for fast development of new products that quickly reach the market. The work also included identifying Swedish raw food materials with growth potential and to identify how they could come into greater demand. Ten food value chains with high development potential in Sweden and for export were mapped and the main bottlenecks briefly described. Three food chains where selected based on a potential-difficulty-benefit matrix. The three selected food value chains were: (i) Hops, (ii) Swedish forest berries, and (iii) Land-based fish farming. These three food value chains where further studied looking at the whole value chain, from production to end consumer. Through literature review and contacts with relevant stakeholders (telephone interview, face-to-face interview, or workshop) the bottlenecks were clarified and potential solutions for increased demand where identified. Swedish hops production is carried out by passionate and engaged smaller actors, mostly on a hobby level, and the hops is used as an ingredient for beer. Germany and the USA produce about 75% of the worldwide production These hops varieties are not adapted to the Swedish climate and therefore result in a low volume and poor quality., Svensk livsmedelsproduktion är väl etablerad och gör det svårt för små företag att utveckla nya produkter och ännu hårdare att skapa nya livsmedelsvärdekedjor. Flaskhalsar kan uppstå i början av värdekedjan (primärled och förädlingsprocesser), i andra änden (marknad, konsumenter), eller kan relateras till regelverk som genomsyrar hela kedjan. Små aktörer saknar ofta resurser och nätverk att utveckla sitt område. De har emellertid hög kreativitet, stor innovationsrikedom och ett stort engagemang, vilket krävs för att utveckla hållbara livsmedelsvärdekedjor. Projektets mål var att utveckla och applicera en metodik för att utvärdera livsmedelsvärdekedjor med fokus på lönsamhet för svensk, småskalig produktion samt att bidra till en ökad utvecklingstakt. Arbetet innebar även att identifiera livsmedelsråvaror med potential för tillväxt och att identifiera hur dess efterfrågan kan ökas. Projektet kartlade livsmedelsvärdekedjor med hög utvecklingspotential inom Sverige och för export. Tio livsmedelsvärdekedjor identifierades och de huvudsakliga flaskhalsarna i kedjan beskrevs översiktligt. Tre livsmedelsvärdekedjor valdes ut baserat på en potential-svårighets-möjlighets-matris. De valda livsmedelskedjorna var: (i) Humle, (ii) Svenska skogsbär, och (iii) Landbaserad fiskodling. Dessa tre livsmedelsvärdekedjor studerades i detalj med hela värdekedjan inkluderad, från produktion till slutkonsument. Genom litteraturstudier och kontakt med relevanta aktörer (telefonintervjuer, face-to-face-intervjuer eller workshop) bekräftades flaskhalsarna och möjliga lösningar för ökad efterfrågan identifierades. Svensk humleproduktion bedrivs med stor passion och stort engagemang av små aktörer, mestadels på hobbynivå. Humlen produceras för att användas som ingrediens i öl. Tyskland och USA står för ca 75 % av världens humleproduktion. Många av dessa humlesorter är inte anpassade för svenskt klimat, vilket resulterar i låga skördevolymer och otillräcklig kvalitet. Inhemska sorter som tradit

Natural ecosystems near agricultural landscapes may provide rich environments for growing crops. However, the effect of a natural ecosystem on crop health and fruit quality is poorly understood. In the present study, it was investigated whether the presence of a natural ecosystem surrounding a crop area influences banana plant health and fruit postharvest behavior. Plants from two conventional banana crop areas with identical planting time and cultural practices were used; the only difference between banana crop areas is that one area was surrounded by a natural forest (Atlantic forest) fragment (Near-NF), while the other area was inserted at the center of a conventional banana crop (Distant-NF). Results showed that bananas harvested from Near-NF showed higher greenlife and a more homogeneous profile during ripening compared to fruits harvested from Distant-NF. Differences in quality parameters including greenlife, carbohydrate profile, and pulp firmness between fruits harvested from Near-NF and Distant-NF are explained, at least partly, by differences in the balance of plant growth regulators (indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid) in bananas during ripening. Furthermore, plants from Near-NF showed a lower severity index of black leaf streak disease (BLSD) and higher levels of phenolic compounds in leaves compared to plants from Distant-NF. Together, the results provide additional evidence on how the maintenance of natural ecosystems near conventional crop areas could be a promising tool to improve plant health and fruit quality., Funding Agency:Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Grant Number: 12/07220-3, 13/07914-8 - FoRC

With more than 80% of flowering plant species specialized for animal pollination, understanding how wild pollinators utilize resources across environments can encourage efficient planting and maintenance strategies to maximize pollination and establish resilience in the face of environmental change. A fundamental question is how generalist pollinators recognize “flower objects” in vastly different ecologies and environments. On one hand, pollinators could employ a specific set of floral cues regardless of environment. Alternatively, wild pollinators could recognize an exclusive signature of cues unique to each environment or flower species. Hoverflies, which are found across the globe, are one of the most ecologically important alternative pollinators after bees and bumblebees. Here, we have exploited their cosmopolitan status to understand how wild pollinator preferences change across different continents. Without employing any a priori assumptions concerning the floral cues, we measured, predicted, and finally artificially recreated multimodal cues from individual flowers visited by hoverflies in three different environments (hemiboreal, alpine, and tropical) using a field-based methodology. We found that although “flower signatures” were unique for each environment, some multimodal lures were ubiquitously attractive, despite not carrying any reward, or resembling real flowers. While it was unexpected that cue combinations found in real flowers were not necessary, the robustness of our lures across insect species and ecologies could reflect a general strategy of resource identification for generalist pollinators. Our results provide insights into how cosmopolitan pollinators such as hoverflies identify flowers and offer specific ecologically based cues and strategies for attracting pollinators across diverse environments.

The global decline in pollinators has partly been blamed on pesticides, leading some to propose pesticide-free farming as an option to improve pollination. However, herbivores are likely to be more prevalent in pesticide-free environments, requiring knowledge of their effects on pollinators, and alternative crop protection strategies to mitigate any potential pollination reduction. Strawberry leaf beetles (SLB) Galerucella spp. are important strawberry pests in Northern Europe and Russia. Given that SLB attack both leaf and flower tissue, we hypothesized pollinators would discriminate against SLB-damaged strawberry plants (Fragaria vesca, cultivar 'Rugen'), leading to lower pollination success and yield. In addition we screened the most common commercial cultivar 'Rugen' and wild Swedish F. vesca genotypes for SLB resistance to assess the potential for inverse breeding to restore high SLB resistance in cultivated strawberry. Behavioral observations in a controlled experiment revealed that the local pollinator fauna avoided strawberry flowers with SLB-damaged petals. Low pollination, in turn, resulted in smaller more deformed fruits. Furthermore, SLB-damaged flowers produced smaller fruits even when they were hand pollinated, showing herbivore damage also had direct effects on yield, independent of indirect effects on pollination. We found variable resistance in wild woodland strawberry to SLB and more resistant plant genotypes than the cultivar 'Rugen' were identified. Efficient integrated pest management strategies should be employed to mitigate both direct and indirect effects of herbivory for cultivated strawberry, including high intrinsic plant resistance.

The thesis examines the potential for sequestration of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) in Sweden based on small-scale agriculture and horticulture. The essay is written from a perspective where climate change has reached a level where it is no longer enough to limit emissions, the earth must in addition serve as a sink for carbon dioxide and thus long-term storage of carbon (IPCC 2014). The initiative of 4 per mille (4 ‰ initiative, 4p1000.org) was initiated during the COP21 climate summit in Paris, which was seen as a step to move to concrete action in the context of agriculture in collaboration with civil society. The initiative is based on the knowledge that terrestrial systems hold far more carbon than the atmosphere, and that plants potential to facilitate carbon sequestration in soil is an underutilized potential in mitigating climate change. An additional and long term carbon storage of 0,04% annually of the already existing SOC would not only drastically mitigate climate change, but also contribute to increased food security and adaptation to climate change as an increase in SOC means an increase of Soil Organic Matter (SOM), soil health, fertility and resilience. Literature studies support an analysis of carbon sequestration as a concept, and serves as a base from which questions related to carbon sequestration in Swedish farmland are formulated. The potential for carbon sequestration in Sweden is examined from the perspective of the 4 ‰ initiative, with a review of methods advocated within the initiative; eg. cover crops, mulch, no-till/low-till, polyculture, intercropping, crop rotation and succession, agroforestry systems and perennial crops, buffer zones, organic residue amendments and optimized grazing. Relevant methods and concepts such as biochar, conservation agriculture, regenerative agriculture and holistic management are also described. This is complemented with descriptions of four practical examples of horticulture and farming in Sweden in order to, Examensarbetet undersöker potentialen för kolinlagring i jord utifrån småskaligt jordbruk och trädgårdsodling i Sverige. Uppsatsen skrivs utifrån en värld där klimatförändringarna har nått en nivå där det inte längre räcker att begränsa utsläpp, jorden måste därtill verka som en sänka för koldioxid och därmed långsiktigt lagra in kol (IPCC 2014). 2015 togs Initativet om 4 ‰ ( 4p1000.org ) under klimatmötet COP21 i Paris, med ambitionen om att gå till konkret handling inom ramen för jordbruk i samarbete med det civila samhället. Initiativet baseras på vetskapen om att terrestra system håller långt mer kol än atmosfären, och att växters kapacitet till kolinlagring är en underutnyttjad potential i begränsandet av klimatförändringar. En långsiktig kolinlagring av ytterligare 4 tusendelar av det befintliga markkolet (Soil Organic Carbon, SOC) skulle enligt initiativet inte endast drastiskt dämpa klimatförändringar, utan även bidra med ökad matsäkerhet och klimatanpassning. En ökning av organiskt markkol betyder en ökning av jordens organiska material (Soil Organic Matter, SOM), dess mikroliv, näringshalt och resiliens. Litteraturstudier ligger till grund för analys av kolinlagring som begrepp där huvudsakliga frågetecken relaterade till kolinlagring i svensk trädgårdsodlings och jordbruksmark adresseras. Potentialen för kolinlagring i Sverige undersökts utifrån perspektivet av 4 ‰ initiativet med utgångspunkt i de metoder som det förespråkar; minskad jordbearbetning; marktäckning; samodling, succession och växtföljd; agroforestrysystem och perenna grödor; kantzoner; näringstillförsel och optimerat bete. Relevanta metoder och koncept såsom biokol, conservation agriculture, regenerativt jordbruk och holistic management beskrivs också. Detta kompletteras med beskrivningar av fyra praktiska exempel på odling och jordbruk i Sverige i syfte att förankra teori i praktik. Samtliga praktiker har valts utifrån att de har en medveten ambition att gynna kolinlagring i jord. I beskri

Syftet med detta arbete är att ta reda på vilka problem det finns i perennplanteringarna i offentliga miljöer samt hur man kan förebygga problemen och hur man bygger upp växtbäddar för perenner utifrån ett hållbarhetsperspektiv. Undersökningen genomfördes hösten 2011 och baserades på litteratur som böcker, artiklar, faktablad samt intervjuer. I undersökningen ingick fem angränsande kommuner till Gävle samt tre erkända trädgårdsmästare. Utgångspunkten för valet av trädgårdsmästarna var att de skulle ha erfarenhet av att skapa väl fungerande och hållbara exempel på offentliga perennplanteringar i Sverige. Det finns många olika orsaker till att perennrabatterna i våra offentliga miljöer inte ser så attraktiva ut. Oavsett orsak så kan man säga att grundproblemet är bristfällig kunskap och eventuellt brist i kommunikationsleden från ”idé till planta” när det gäller de offentliga planteringarna. Det är många delar som är viktiga i en växtbädd för att perenner, träd och buskar ska kunna etablera sig och utveckla sin prakt år efter år. En av dessa komponenter är en bra jord. Det är viktigt att man väljer en rotogräsfri jord utifrån växtvalet redan från början. Ett av problemen i kommunerna var att fel sorts jord hade använts från början. Trots att alla påstod att de använde sig enbart av rotogräsfri jord i dagsläget så hade de problem med ogräs. Två orsaker till detta kan vara att man väljer fel växter och att skötseln inte fungerar, vilket resulterar i att ogräset tar över. Den perfekta växtbädden, finns den? Eftersom det är naturen vi arbetar med är det svårt att uppnå det ultimata resultatet, men vi kan göra det bästa utifrån förutsättningarna som finns med alla de delar som ingår i en växtbädd.

Med tanke på stadsträdens stora betydelse för människan i både miljömässiga och hälsomässiga aspekter, har denna studie i syfte att utforska lämpliga stadsträdsarter/sorter med fokus på att förebygga för dagens och framtidens sjukdomsepidemier. Gävle ligger till grund för denna studie då det är av intresse att se vad som lämpar sig lite högre upp i Sverige, zon 4. Denna litteraturstudie bygger på vetenskapliga artiklar, andra litterära skrifter och samtalsreferenser med inom branschen kunniga personer och dessa frågor har varit i fokus. *Hur ser stadsträdspopulationen ut i Gävle idag? *Hur väljer man nya stadsträd utifrån dagens och framtidens sjukdomsbild? *Vilka parkträd och gatuträd lämpar sig vid nyplantering i Gävle i syfte att öka mångfalden? I Gävle har man tidigare likt många andra kommuner planterat stadsträd efter rådande trender. Detta har resulterat i en överrepresentation av trädsläkterna lind, oxel och lönn. Invasiva sjukdomar, liknande askskotssjukan och almsjukan, kan slå ut stora delar av stadsträdspopulationen. Mångfald är av stor vikt i detta hänseende. Stadsträdpopulationen bör ej överstiga mer än 10 % av en art, 20 % av en släkt eller mer än 30 % av en familj. Det har framkommit två vikta riktlinjer vid val av stadsträd: *Få ökad kunskap om vilka förhållanden som råder i stadsklimatet och öka erfarenheten kring vilka arter som trivs i dessa förhållanden. *Utöka befintliga trädpopulationen genom att inhämta mer kunskap och våga prova nya och/eller oprövade trädslag. Rekommendationer av såväl gatuträd som pakträd i både zon 3 och zon 4 har presenterats i rapporten. Intresseväckande är att det framkommit både arter/sorter som förekommer hos plantskolor idag men även trädarter/sorter som inte introducerats än., Considering urban trees importance for humans in both environmental and health aspects, this study aimed to explore appropriate urban tree species and varieties with a focus on prevention for current and future epidemics. The basis for this study is Gävle. It is of interest to see what suited a little further north in Sweden, zone 4. This literature survey is based on scientific articles, other literary writings and conversations references with industry expertise and these issues have been the focus. * How does the city tree population looks in Gävle today? * How to choose the new urban trees based on current and future disease epidemics? * What park trees and street trees are suitable for planting in Gävle in order to increase diversity? Gävle has previously, like many other municipalities, planted trees prevailing on trends. This has resulted in an over-representation of the tree genera Tilia, Sorbus and Acer. Invasive disease similar to Ash dieback and Dutch elm disease can knock out large parts of the urban tree population caused by monoculture. Diversity is of great importance in this regard. City tree population should not exceed more than 10% of a species, 20% of a family or more than 30% of a family. It has been a two folded guidelines in the selection of urban trees: * Get a better understanding of the prevailing conditions in the urban environment and to enhance the experience on which species thrive in these conditions. * Expand the existing tree population by gathering more knowledge and dare to try new and / or untested species. Recommendations of street trees and park trees in both zone 3 and zone 4 are presented in the report. Interestingly, it emerged both species / varieties that occur in nurseries today but also tree species / varieties that have not yet been introduced.

Syftet med denna rapport är att sammanställa fakta kring hur åtgärder före och efter trädflytt kan påverka trädets etablering. Rapporten behandlar även vilken inverkan rotbeskärning har på träd och hur nybildning av rötter kan främjas. Rapporten besvarar frågor kring hur ett träd reagerar på att bli flyttat och hur trädart, växtplats och tidigare åtgärder kan påverka resultatet av en trädflytt. Rapporten besvarar även frågor angående vilka åtgärder som kan genomföras, innan och efter trädflytt, för att förbättra trädets etablering på sin nya växtplats, vilken inverkan rotbeskärning har på det flyttade trädet och hur nybildning av finrötter kan främjas. Rapporten är skriven som en traditionell akademisk rapport och är baserad på litteratur som har samlats in från vetenskapliga artiklar, böcker och uppslagsverk. Vid trädflytt förlorar ett träd stora delar, cirka 90 procent, av sitt rotsystem och drabbas av stressymptom. Ett friväxande, sådd i naturen och icke-rotbeskuret, träd kan förlora ännu större delar av sitt rotsystem. Det är viktigt att undersöka om det är ett plantskoleträd eller ett friväxande träd och även vilken trädart som ska flyttas då det kan ha betydelse för hur lyckad trädflytten blir. Genom att utföra rotbeskärning skapas ett kompakt rotsystem som ger en minskad rotförlust. Rotbeskärning främjar även tillväxten av finrötter i rotklumpen, vilket gynnar trädet vid etablering och ger minskad vattenstress. Ofta genomförs en kronreducering för att reducera obalansen mellan krona och rötter. En måttlig kronreducering, mellan 10 och 30 procent, kan gynna trädet. Om trädet ska kunna etablera sig och överleva flytten måste det övervinna stressymptomen. Om ett träd ska kunna bilda nya rötter och ha tillväxt av grenar och skott behöver trädet ha god vitalitet. Bevattning spelar en essentiell roll för trädets överlevnad och etablering. Mulch kan ge god tillväxt av finrötter och bidra till en förbättrad etablering. Rapportens slutsats är att både förberedande åtg, The purpose of this report was to put together facts regarding how the measures before and after tree transplanting can affect the establishment of the tree. The report also dealt with the impact that root pruning might have on trees and how regeneration of roots can be promoted. The report answers questions concerning how tree transplanting affects a tree and how tree species, locality and previous measures can influence the effect of a tree transplanting. The reports also answers a question concerning which measures could be performed, before and after tree transplanting, to improve the tree’s establishment in it’s new locality. The last question that this report answers is what impact root pruning has on the tree and how regeneration of fine roots can be favoured. The report is written as a traditional academic report and is based on literature that was collected from scientific articles, books and encyclopedias. A tree loses a large amount, approximately 90 percent, of its root system during the tree transplanting. This causes stress symptoms in the tree. A tree, sown and grown in nature, that has never been root pruned will lose even larger amounts of its root system when it’s transplanted. It’s important to do investigations before tree transplanting. Investigations should be done before tree transplanting to determine what kind of tree, nursery-grown or grown in nature, and what species is about to be transplanted. Both of these aspects may have an influence on how successful the transplanting is. Root pruning can make the root system more compact which reduces root loss during transplanting. Root pruning also increases the amount of fine roots in the root ball which is beneficent during establishment and also reduces water stress. The high amount of root loss causes an imbalance between crown and roots. The crown is often reduced to correct this imbalance and in this report it was proven that a moderate crown reduction is beneficial for the tree. The tree mu

Marken är en viktig faktor att ta hänsyn till i dagens hårda klimat för våra stadsträd. Allra helst för de träd som skall stå i det mest utsatta delarna av staden, så som på torg, längs med tungt trafikerade vägar eller omringade av bara hårdgjorda ytor. En lösning är skelettjord som används i många städer i Sverige men även i andra länder. I ett projekt i Stockholm testas just nu en vidareutveckling av skelettjordar där AMA-jorden har bytts ut mot biokol. Fördjupningen i denna uppsats kommer därför att handla om hur biokol används rent praktiskt i trädens växtbäddar och vilka effekter detta har på trädens utveckling. Syftet med denna uppsats är att få en inblick i hur biokol i stadsträdens växtbäddar används med exempel från Stockholm Biochar Project. Syftet är också att undersöka vilka parametrar som används för att mäta biokolets effekt på trädens tillväxt, samt att bedöma vilka effekter biokol har på träd. Arbetet har genomförts som en intervjustudie som sedan kompletterats med faktasökning i vetenskapliga artiklar och böcker. Intervjupersonen är verksam inom området och arbetar som trädspecialist på trafikkontoret Stockholm stad och är delaktig i Stockholm Biochar Project. Fakta har sökts i olika databaser där sökorden biochar, biokol, terra preta, urbana stadsträd och trädinventering har använts. Uppbyggnaden av växtbädden med biokol i Stockholm stad har visat sig vara snarlik den gamla modellen men skillnaden kan ses i att AMA-jorden har blivit utbytt mot biokol och även att dimensionerna på makadamen i skelettjorden är något ändrade. De parametrar som används i Stockholm stad för att mäta trädets tillväxt är stamomkrets. Det finns andra parametrar som går att användas för att bedöma träds tillväxt och dessa skulle även kunna appliceras för att undersöka biokolets effekt på träd. I en jämförelse av träds tillväxt, där träd av samma art hade växt i liknande förhållanden men i tre olika växtbäddar, visade resultatet att träden som planterats i biokol, The ground is an important factor to consider in today's tough climate for our urban trees. Especially for the trees that shall live in the most vulnerable parts of the city, such as the square, along heavily trafficked roads or surrounded by only paved surfaces. One solution is structured soils which is used in many cities in Sweden but also in other countries. An interesting new development of structured soils where AMA-soil has been replaced with biochar is now being tested in a project in Stockholm. The focus in this paper will therefore be on how biochar is used practically in the tree plant beds and the effects this has on the trees' development. The purpose of this paper is to get an insight on how biochar in urban tree plant beds are used with examples from Stockholm Biochar Project. And also to examine the parameters used to measure the effect biochar have on tree growth, and to assess the impact of biochar has on the trees. The work of this paper was carried out as an interview study and was then also combined with research in scientific books and articles. The interviewee is active in the area and works as a tree specialist at the traffic office,Stockholm city and complicit in Stockholm Biochar Project. Researched have been done in various databases where the keywords biokol, biochar, terra preta, urban city trees and tree inventory have been used. The construction of the plant bed with biochar in Stockholm city has proved to be similar to the old model, but it differs in that the AMA-soil has been exchanged for biochar and also in that the dimensions of the macadam instructured soil is changed. The parameters used in the Stockholm city to measure tree growth are stem circumference. But there are also other parameters that could be used to measure growth and these could also be applied to assess effect of the biochar on the tree. In a comparison of tree growth, where tree of the same species had grown in similar conditions but in three different

Trädgårdsdammen utgör en naturlig oas där både människor och djur kan söka vila och skydd. Den lugna miljön eller innovativa vattenleken skänker observatören både glädje och inre lugn. Idag finns det en uppsjö av material och hjälpmedel på marknaden för att konstruera dammar och vattensystem. Men informationen om materialen och produkternas ursprung och tillverkningsprocess är inte lika lätt att få tag på och därför ämnar jag med denna uppsats ge en övergripande bild av de vanligaste materialen som används vid konstruktion av trädgårdsdammar. De material som tas upp i jämförelsen är bentonit, betong, polyeten, polyvinylklorid och syntetgummi. Materialen jämförs därefter utifrån sina respektive koldioxidutsläpp från råvarukällor till färdiga dammaterial eller produkter. Målet är således att på ett överskådligt sätt påvisa de olika materialens klimatpåverkan. Resultatet visar att de dammdukar som baseras på olja och gummi påverkar miljön mindre i form av koldioxidutsläpp, vilket beror på att det krävs mindre material för att anlägga en trädgårdsdamm med dessa material jämfört med bentonitlera och betong. Detta kan dock i viss mån vägas upp av de respektive materialens hållbarhet på längre sikt.

Two distinct Phytophthora taxa were found to be associated with brown rot of pomelo (Citrus grandis), a new disease of this ancestral Citrus species, in the Vinh Long province, Mekong River Delta area, southern Vietnam. On the basis of morphological characters and using the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of the rDNA and the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) as barcode genes, one of the two taxa was provisionally named as Phytophthora sp. prodigiosa, being closely related to but distinct from P. insolita, a species in Phytophthora Clade 9, while the other one, was closely related to but distinct from the Clade 2 species P. meadii and was informally designated as Phytophthora sp. mekongensis. Isolates of P. sp. prodigiosa and P. sp. mekongensis were also obtained from necrotic fibrous roots of Volkamer lemon (C. volkameriana) rootstocks grafted with 'King' mandarin (Citrus nobilis) and from trees of pomelo, respectively, in other provinces of the Mekong River Delta, indicating a widespread occurrence of both Phytophthora species in this citrus-growing area. Koch's postulates were fulfilled via pathogenicity tests on fruits of various Citrus species, including pomelo, grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi), sweet orange (Citrus x sinensis) and bergamot (Citrus x bergamia) as well as on the rootstock of 2-year-old trees of pomelo and sweet orange on 'Carrizo' citrange (C. sinensis 'Washington Navel' x Poncirus trifoliata). This is the first report of a Phytophthora species from Clade 2 other than P. citricola and P. citrophthora as causal agent of fruit brown rot of Citrus worldwide and the first report of P. insolita complex in Vietnam. Results indicate that likely Vietnam is still an unexplored reservoir of Phytophthora diversity.