Variation of growth and phenology traits in poplars planted in clonal trials in Northern Europe-implications for breeding

The increased demand for wood to replace oil-based products with renewable products has lifted focus to the Baltic Sea region where the environment is favorable for woody biomass growth. The aim of this study was to estimate broad-sense heritabilities and genotype-by-environment (GxE) interactions in growth and phenology traits in six climatically different regions in Sweden and the Baltics. We tested the hypothesis that both bud burst and bud set have a significant effect on the early growth of selected poplar clones in Northern Europe. Provenance hybrids of Populus trichocarpa adapted to the Northern European climate were compared to reference clones with adaptation to the Central European climate. The volume index of stemwood was under low to medium genetic control with heritabilities from 0.22 to 0.75. Heritabilities for phenology traits varied between 0.31 and 0.91. Locally chosen elite clones were identified. GxE interactions were analyzed using pairwise comparisons of the trials. Three different breeding zones for poplars between the latitudes of 55 degrees N and 60 degrees N in the Baltic Sea Region were outlined. The studied provenance hybrids with origin from North America offer a great possibility to broaden the area with commercial poplar plantations in Northern Europe and further improve the collection of commercial clones to match local climates. We conclude that phenology is an important selection criterion after growth

Phenotypic plasticity in Populus trichocarpa clones across environments in the Nordic-Baltic region

Transition towards a bio-based society requires large amounts of woody biomass to be converted into biofuels and biomaterials. Populus species are good candidates for growth in short rotations, but there is a lack of climate-adapted plant material suitable for growth at the high latitudes of the Nordic-Baltic region. Here we studied the growth and phenology traits in 63 Populus trichocarpa clones earlier preliminary selected for growth at northern latitudes, in three different field sites; i.e. in central Sweden, eastern and western Latvia. The material showed moderate broad sense heritabilities, with high values for phenology traits, indicating opportunities for selection. Genotype x environment (g x e) interaction was identified for all traits, but the phenotypic correlation between pairs of sites provided more detailed information indicating the strength of the g x e interaction. The between-clone variation in plasticity was high, and we identified some clones showing a high and stable performance across the three sites. These clones are of particular interest for the commercial deployment and future breeding of Populus material for the Nordic-Baltic region

Vombsjösänkans pil- och poppelpark

En ny, liten försökspark, speciellt avsedd för tester av pil- och poppelodlingar, har etablerats i södraSverige, strax öster om Vombsjön i Skåne. Den har döpts till VOMBSJÖSÄNKANS PIL- OCHPOPPELPARK (VPP). Syftet är att testa nyframkorsade pil- och poppelkloners fenologi ochproduktionspotential med avseende på vedbiomassa för energiändamål, pappersmassa- ochtextiltillverkning samt som råvara för korslimmade byggnadsprodukter. Nya planteringsmetoder för piloch poppelplanteringar har utarbetats. De äldsta planteringarna är i dag (2018) 29 år gamla och vid enjämförelse med tidigare resultat antyder genomförda mätningar kraftigt förbättrade produktionsresultat,speciellt för de yngsta planteringarna. Parken är delvis förlagd till ett mycket sandigt område och delvistill ett bördigt, organogent men mycket sommarfrostlänt område med en stark population av kronhjort.Vissa år är även populationer av både åker- och vattensork synnerligen besvärande. Både biotiska ochabiotiska skaderisker är således förekommande på parken och stora ansträngningar görs för att undvikadess effekter. Parken är öppen för exkursioner. Guidade visningar kan arrangeras, tel. 0760 16 80 28

Lignin-first biorefining of Nordic poplar to produce cellulose fibers could displace cotton production on agricultural lands

Here, we show that lignin-first biorefining of poplar can enable the production of dissolving cellulose pulp that can produce regenerated cellulose, which could substitute cotton. These results in turn indicate that agricultural land dedicated to cotton could be reclaimed for food production by extending poplar plantations to produce textile fibers. Based on climate-adapted poplar clones capable of growth on marginal lands in the Nordic region, we estimate an environmentally sustainable annual biomass production of similar to 11 tonnes/ha. At scale, lignin-first biorefining of this poplar could annually generate 2.4 tonnes/ha of dissolving pulp for textiles and 1.1 m(3) biofuels. Life cycle assessment indicates that, relative to cotton production, this approach could substantially reduce water consumption and identifies certain areas for further improvement. Overall, this work highlights a new value chain to reduce the environmental footprint of textiles, chemicals, and biofuels while enabling land reclamation and water savings from cotton back to food production

How values and perceptions shape farmers' biodiversity management: insights from ten European countries

Farmers play a pivotal role in addressing biodiversity loss whilst maintaining food production. To rethink conservation in agricultural landscapes, it is crucial to understand their decisions regarding biodiversity and its management on the farms. In this study, we conducted 48 semi-structured interviews across ten European countries in 2021/22 to explore how farmers’ perceptions and valuations relate to their biodiversity management. Employing reflexive thematic analysis, we identified recurring patterns of shared meanings. Our findings underscore the profound influence of farmers’ biodiversity perceptions on their biodiversity management practices: 1) Narrow and targeted interventions were closely tied to instrumental values of biodiversity, whereas holistic management strategies were linked with recognising an inherent value of nature. 2) Targeted approaches were related to farmers’ interpretations of biodiversity as specific taxa and functions, relying on easily assessable and emotionally connoted indicators. 3) Holistic approaches aligned with a broader biodiversity concept and an emphasis on intricate functional relationships within ecosystems. 4) Actual decisions to implement measures were significantly constrained by perceived dependencies, namely production pathways, social dependencies, and landscape conditions. These findings raise a critical question about the prioritisation of ecocentric intrinsic versus anthropocentric instrumental values in conservation strategies. We propose an approach of ethical pluralism, acknowledging that instrumental values may provide practical solutions for certain challenges, while intrinsic values hold ethical significance, particularly in the context of complex or large-scale biodiversity conservation initiatives. Engaging in dialogue that accounts for diverse values will be essential for shaping effective and socially meaningful biodiversity conservation

Breeding progress and preparedness for mass‐scale deployment of perennial lignocellulosic biomass crops switchgrass, miscanthus, willow and poplar

UK: The UK‐led miscanthus research and breeding was mainly supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the BBSRC CSP strategic funding grant BB/CSP1730/1, Innovate UK/BBSRC “MUST” BB/N016149/1, CERES Inc. and Terravesta Ltd. through the GIANT‐LINK project (LK0863). Genomic selection and genomewide association study activities were supported by BBSRC grant BB/K01711X/1, the BBSRC strategic programme grant on Energy Grasses & Bio‐refining BBS/E/W/10963A01. The UK‐led willow R&D work reported here was supported by BBSRC (BBS/E/C/00005199, BBS/E/C/00005201, BB/G016216/1, BB/E006833/1, BB/G00580X/1 and BBS/E/C/000I0410), Defra (NF0424) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) (B/W6/00599/00/00). IT: The Brain Gain Program (Rientro dei cervelli) of the Italian Ministry of Education, University, and Research supports Antoine Harfouche. US: Contributions by Gerald Tuskan to this manuscript were supported by the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, a US Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Center supported by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research in the DOE Office of Science, under contract number DE‐AC05‐00OR22725. Willow breeding efforts at Cornell University have been supported by grants from the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Contributions by the University of Illinois were supported primarily by the DOE Office of Science; Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER); grant nos. DE‐SC0006634, DE‐SC0012379 and DE‐SC0018420 (Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation); and the Energy Biosciences Institute. EU: We would like to further acknowledge contributions from the EU projects “OPTIMISC” FP7‐289159 on miscanthus and “WATBIO” FP7‐311929 on poplar and miscanthus as well as “GRACE” H2020‐EU.3.2.6. Bio‐based Industries Joint Technology Initiative (BBI‐JTI) Project ID 745012 on miscanthus.Peer reviewedPostprintPublisher PD

Using a perception matrix to elicit farmers‘ perceptions towards stakeholders in the context of biodiversity-friendly farming

Farmers' pro-environmental action is substantially influenced by various stakeholders from their business and social environment. Recent studies recommend actively involving influential stakeholders in agri-environmental initiatives, information or media campaigns. While it has been argued that farmers' perceptions towards these stakeholders can help inform effective involvement, comprehensive assessments of these perceptions remain scarce, particularly in the context of biodiversity-friendly farming. To understand and compare farmers’ perceptions of these stakeholder quantitatively, we developed and applied a perception matrix. In an exploratory survey with 49 farmers across ten European countries, farmers rated twelve groups of stakeholders (e.g. government bodies, farm advisors and input suppliers) against eight perception constructs (e.g. trustworthiness, interest in protecting biodiversity). We found that perceptions differed significantly both between groups of stakeholders and between constructs. Whereas several stakeholders were, on average, perceived positively regarding their general characteristics, such as trustworthiness, reliability, understanding and support for farming, perceptions regarding their biodiversity-related behavior were significantly more negative. Our findings indicate potential to improve policy development and implementation of agri-environmental initiatives through the involvement of multiple, non-governmental, agricultural and non-agricultural stakeholders in biodiversity-friendly farming initiatives across the entire agri-food value chain. Such multi-stakeholder initiatives could help to not only reinforce biodiversity conservation action among the farming community, but across society as a whole as emphasized by the Convention on Biological Diversity. Further research is needed to confirm the observed trends on a larger, representative sample, for which the presented perception matrix is well suited

Accumulation of elements in Salix and other species used in vegetation filters with focus on wood fuel quality

Woody or herbaceous perennials used as vegetation filters for treatment of different types of wastes can be suitable for production of solid biofuels when their aboveground harvestable biomass yield is sufficiently high and when biomass contains appropriate concentrations of minerals with regard to fuel combustion processes. The concentrations of nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and heavy metals (especially Zn and Cd) in fuel should be low and calcium (Ca) concentrations high to avoid technical problems and environmentally harmful emissions during combustion. Since soil supplementation with essential elements improves biomass yield, a conflict might arise between yield and quality aims. There are various possibilities to influence fuel quality during the growing phase of the life cycle of perennial biomass crops. This study assessed the suitability of two deciduous woody perennials (Salix and Populus) and two summer green herbaceous perennials (Phragmites and Urtica) for phytoremediation in terms of growth and nutrient allocation patterns. Salix and Populus proved suitable as vegetation filters when nutrients were available to plants in near-optimal proportions, but when unbalanced nutrient solutions (wastewater) were applied, stem biomass fraction was strongly reduced. Phragmites was more tolerant to wastewater treatment in terms of plant biomass production and nutrient allocation patterns, so if the N:P ratio of the wastewater is suboptimal, a vegetation filter using Phragmites could be considered. In further studies, a method was developed to determine the proportions of nutrient-rich bark in coppiced Salix, while heavy metal phytoextraction capacity was assessed in two Salix vegetation filters. The relevance of proportion of bark on wood fuel quality and element removal from vegetation filters was also investigated. The concentrations of the elements studied in harvestable Salix shoot biomass were higher, meaning lower wood fuel quality, in plantations where proportion of bark was high. Removal of elements increased with biomass yield. As proportion of nutrient-rich bark decreases with increasing yield, longer cutting cycles should be considered, in order to improve fuel quality and nutrient removal potential

Oasen i vården. En litteraturstudie om omvårdnadshandledningens påverkan på vårdpersonals arbetssituation

The purpose of this review was to investigate in scientific literature what impact clinical supervision actually contains from the perspective of the working conditions for nursingstaff. Goodman formed the working process in our review and is based on a systematic scrutiny and analysis of ten scientific articles inspired of evidencebased method. Willman & Stoltz and Pearson's FAME scale was used sifting through evidence of the articles.The result has been divided thematic in professional development, personal development, development of knowledge, communicationskills, feeling of fellowship, working environment and the patientinteraction. The conclusion of the evidens grading (A-D), in the quantitative results, showed no evidens (D). The qualitative articles was graded (1-5) through the concepts Feasibility, Appropriatness, Meaningfulness and Effectiveness. The result from the qualitative evidens grading was positive. None of the articles scored less than 3. In reference to Appropriateness and Meaningfulness all the studies scored maximum. The result shows that clinical supervision has got several positive impacts on the working situation for nursing staff.Syftet med denna systematiska litteraturstudie var att i vetenskaplig litteratur utifrån vårdpersonals perspektiv undersöka vilken påverkan omvårdnadshandledning har för vårdpersonals arbetssituation. Goodman låg till grund för arbetsprocessen i examensarbetet. Metoden baserades på systematisk granskning och analys av tio vetenskapliga artiklar inspirerad av evidensbaserad metod. Resultatet delades in tematiskt efter påverkan på vårdpersonals yrkesutveckling, -personlig utveckling, -kunskap, -kommunikationsförmåga, -känsla av gemenskap, -arbetsmiljö och -patientkontakt. Vid evidensgraderingen utgick de kvantitativa artiklarna ifrån Willman & Stoltz och de kvalitativa artiklarna utgick från Pearsons FAME-skala. Slutsatsen av evidensgraderingen A-D, resulterade i ingen evidens (D) för de kvantitativa resultaten. De kvalitativa artiklarna graderades från 1-5 utifrån koncepten Genomförbarhet, Lämplighet, Mening och Effektivitet. Resultatet av den kvalitativa evidensgraderingen var positivt, ingen av studierna fick sämre poäng än 3. Avseende Lämplighet och Mening fick alla studier högst poäng. Resultatet av denna systematiska litteraturstudie visar att handledning av vårdpersonal ger positiv påverkan på vårdpersonals arbetssituation

Consistent Poplar Clone Ranking Based on Leaf Phenology and Temperature Along a Latitudinal and Climatic Gradient in Northern Europe

In Northern Europe, poplars (Populus) can provide biomass for energy and material use, but most available clones were developed for lower latitudes and are unlikely to be well adapted to higher latitudes, even under warmer climates. We thus need to understand how clones respond to climatic conditions and photoperiod, and how these responses can be predicted. We answer these questions exploiting leaf phenological data of Populus clones, grown in six sites across the Baltic region, in Northern Europe, for 2 years with contrasting climatic conditions. Regarding the effects of climatic conditions and photoperiod, within each site, higher temperatures advanced the timing and enhanced the speed of spring and autumn phenology, but reduced the effective growing season length. Across sites, latitude affected the timing of spring and autumn phenology, the speed of spring phenology, and the effective growing season length; clone affected only the timing of phenology. Regarding the predictability of clone response to growing conditions, the growing degree day (GDD) model could not predict spring phenology, because the growing degree day threshold for a specific phenological stage was not only clone-, but also latitude- and year-specific. Yet, this GDD threshold allowed a robust ranking of clones across sites and years, thus providing a tool to determine the relative differences across clones, independently of latitude and temperature. A similar, but not as strong, pattern was observed in the timing of spring and autumn phenological stages. Hence, while prediction of spring phenology remains elusive, the ranking of clones based on observations of their phenology in a single location can provide useful indications on the clones’ relative performance under different latitudes and climates