Sustainability Issue #1 January 2009

This is printed from sustainability.formas.se, last updated 12/4/2008 8:27:53 AM

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How did the research turn out? What were the findings? Researchers themselves report briefly on the research they have undertaken with funding support from the Formas Research Council.

Editor: Margaretha Nordahl

New threats to our beloved tubers

Studies of the new Nordic populations of Phytophthora infestans to improve potato late blight forecasting and control
Jonathan Yuen (project leader)
Summary of results with list of publications from SLU.
Email: Jonathan.Yuen@mykopat.slu.se

Aggressive late blight attacks potatoes

Late blight is a serious problem in Swedish potato production. Although potato production accounts for less than 3% of the cultivated area, one half of all fungicides in the agricultural sector is used in potato production. Development of forecasting models for optimised use of fungicides is one way of reducing the use of fungicides. Most models are however based on "old" data.

Since then a new population of late blight has come to Europe and is found much more difficult to manage. It is estimated that late blight requires the use of 50-100% more fungicides than before. The objective of this project was therefore to investigate the new population of late blight, together with colleagues from Denmark, Norway and Finland, and to develop new forecasting models for the disease.

The metabolisation pattern of Rhizomicroflora indicates attack by Pythium ultimum and opens the way for the development of effective biological control agents
Beatrix Alsanius (project leader)
Summary of results with list of publications from Plant Sciences, SLU.
Email: Beatrix.Alsanius@ltj.slu.se

In order to reduce the environmental impact of horticultural production, especially vegetable production in hydroponic cropping systems, the use of  closed systems is recommended in which water and plant nutrients are recirculated. There is however a risk of dispersal of root pathogens by the reused nutrient solution. Conjugation fungi are biologically well suited to the conditions in these cropping systems, and therefore constitute a special problem. Various technical and biological solutions have been developed to purify the nutrient solution, but all exhibit limited functional safety since they address only one point in the growing system. Biological control agents may be added to prevent dispersal of root diseases between plants, but it is essential that their addition is properly timed to have the best effect.

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Sustainability January 2009

Focus: Food research - model Formas

Food is of key importance in a sustainable society Safety, quality and interplay among consumers, food, market and environment are key concepts for food research supported by the Research Council Formas. Formas' rese... Swedish strategy for food research A Swedish strategic research agenda for food, developed by the business sector, researchers and research funding agencies, was presented last spring. The aim of this... Fodder fish and fish offal into food Marine resources are limited. It should be possible to use the entire fish material as food, consider researchers at Chalmers University of Technology who are develo... Genetic tests for advice on diet? Nutritional genomics may give us knowledge of our metabolism at an entirely new level of precision by clarifying the relationship between our genes, foods and health... Favourable attitude to nutritional genomics Consumers of food have a favourable attitude to the possibility of having customised dietary advice which, owing to nutritional genomics research, may be on offer in... Whole grain foods - why? In America, the UK, Sweden and other countries the authorities recommend that we should eat more whole grain foods. In the media also the cry rings out about more wh... The poison in the apple Pesticide residues are found in about one half of food samples taken in Sweden. Researchers are also finding doses of pesticides in the general population in Sweden.... Be on your guard about well water! There is great variation in the quality of water in individual wells. Bacteria, radon, arsenic, fluoride and manganese often occur. Inorganic arsenic is very toxic, ...

The Interview

Unstable ecosystems challenge society Interdisciplinary structure in the universities, a new economy and, in some places, the renaissance of small scale agriculture, are examples of the changes that are ...

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In Brief

ENERGY More effective energy in everyday life ETHANOL Pellets better than ethanol FISH Increase in mercury content ANIMALS Changes in animal welfare EEL CRISES Eel fishing cut by half?

Results from research

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People and News

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