The Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet) and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) tasked the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø, VKM) to provide a scientific opinion identifying which growing media associated with import of live plants pose the greatest risk of introducing non-native species to Norway. VKM was also asked to assess how effective various risk-reducing measures are to prevent such introductions. In this report, we focus on the introduction of plant pests. Trade in plants for planting is a large and complex international business where live plants are grown in some areas and shipped to other areas where they are intended to be planted or replanted. Traded plants are usually shipped with associated growing media. Long-lived plants, like trees and bushes, may be imported to the EU (e.g., from Asia) and traded through different countries for several years of on-growth before being shipped to Norway. Long production cycles, partly in outdoor nurseries, suggest that the import of live plants with soil or other growing media into Norway comes with a high probability of introducing plant pests. Such pests could cause severe harm to Norwegian plant health and impact both agriculture and natural ecosystems. In this scientific opinion, we describe the most used growing media and assess the risks associated with these. We further evaluate what types of plants and which exporting countries are considered to pose the highest risks for introducing plant pests. Finally, we describe different risk reduction options and assess the effectiveness of current Norwegian regulations as a tool to reduce risks. Altogether, this assessment provides a comprehensive overview of the potential risks involved in importing soil and other growing media associated with plants for planting and of possible strategies for mitigating these risks.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has asked the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment for an updated pest risk assessment of Phytophthora ramorum in Norway. The previous risk assessment of P. ramorum for Norway is from 2009. Since then, the pathogen has been detected repeatedly in Norway, primarily in parks, garden centres, and nurseries in southwestern Norway. The knowledge base concerning P. ramorum has changed since the last pest risk assessment, with increased genetic knowledge about different populations, lineages, and mating types. The risks associated with P. ramorum have also changed, since the disease has become epidemic in new host plants, such as larch trees in England. This updated pest risk assessment will provide important input to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s efforts to develop the Norwegian plant health regulation.  

In the microbial community of decaying wood, yeasts are important for the recycling of nutrients. Nevertheless, information on their biodiversity in this niche in the Northern hemisphere is limited. Wood-colonising yeasts encounter identical and similar growth-inhibitory compounds as those in spent sulphite liquor (SSL), an energy-rich, acid hydrolysate and waste product from the paper industry, which may render them well-suited for cultivation in SSL. In the present study, yeasts were isolated from decaying wood on the Faroe Islands and identified based on sequence homology of the ITS and D1/D2 regions. Among the yeasts isolated, Candida argentea, Cystofilobasidium infirmominiatum, Naganishia albidosimilis, Naganishia onofrii, Holtermanniella takashimae and Goffeauzyma gastrica were new to decaying wood in cold and temperate climates. C. argentea and Rhodotorula are rarely-isolated species, with no previous documentation from cold and maritime climates. The isolates were further tested for growth in a medium with increasing concentrations of softwood SSL. Most grew in the presence of 10% SSL. Isolates of Debaryomyces sp., C. argentea and Rhodotorula sp. were the most tolerant. Representatives of Debaryomyces and Rhodotorula have previously been found in decaying wood. In contrast, the least tolerant isolates belonged to species that are rarely reported from decaying wood. The relative importance of individual inhibitors to yeast growth is discussed. To our knowledge, none of the present yeast species have previously been cultivated in SSL medium. Decaying wood can be a useful future source of yeasts for valorisation of various hydrolysates to industrial chemicals and biofuels.

In an ongoing effort to renew Norwegian regulations related to plants and measures against plant pests, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority asked The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) which of the currently regulated pests that should still be regulated (either as a quarantine pest (QP) or a regulated non-quarantine pest (RNQP) for Norway), and whether there are any species that should be deregulated. Following such a risk categorization process the Norwegian Food Safety Authority will determine if pest risk assessments (PRA’s) should be performed for quarantine pests. International trade regulations define quarantine pests (QPs) as pests of potential economic importance to an area that are not yet present, or are present but not widely distributed and are subject to official control. A regulated non-quarantine pest (RNQP) is a pest whose presence in plants for planting affects the intended use of those plants with an economically unacceptable impact and which is therefore subject to official control within the territory of the importing contracting party and regulated in international trade. In this report VKM presents an overview of the pest categorisation of some of the pests regulated in the current Norwegian regulation and concludes on whether each pest should be regulated as a potential QP, RNQP or none of these categories for Norway. The pest categorisation process – the process of determining whether a pest has or has not the characteristics of a QP or RNQP – has been done using the FinnPRIO model. The FinnPRIO model is a pest risk ranking tool that uses a hypervolume approach carry out quick, semiquantitative expert assessments and that allows a high number of pest risk categorizations to be done cost-effectively and in a short period of time. In total 33 pests were assessed as per request from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Of those 33 pests VKM suggests that the vast majority – 32 pests – are kept as a QPs for Norway. However, one pest, the cherry leafroll nepovirus (EPPO code CLRV00), fulfils the requirements for being a RNQP since it is most likely present in Norway already. Furthermore, one organism, the flatworm Arthurdendyus triangulates (ARDDTR), is suggested to not be regulated as QP or RNQP. This pest does not fulfil the requirements for being a QP since it would probably not cause direct damage to plants if it established in Norway. Also, it does not fulfill the requirements for being a regulated non-quarantine pest(RNQP) since its potential presence in plants for planting does not directly affect the intended use of those plants with an economically unacceptable impact.

The creation of pathways toward a societal transition to clean energy requires the engagement of multiple stakeholders with different and sometimes conflicting interests. In this connection, stakeholder analysis (SA) offers a technique for identifying, assessing and structuring different needs, interests and concerns related to different stakeholders within the context of sustainability. This article aims to present the findings from a qualitative stakeholder analysis (QSA) by using a thematic network approach (TNA), with the help of the ATLAS.ti software. It focuses on Project X, which was aimed at engaging multiple stakeholders and creating favorable conditions for small and medium-sized companies in a region situated in the central part of Sweden, with the potential to start biogas production. In this work, the findings and discussions of the QSA using TNA are structured by using the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal (PESTEL) themes of the model. The present study concludes that for the small-scale biogas industry to successfully develop an understanding of the possibilities of the biogas value chain, it is necessary to have analyzed the nature of the main themes by which various stakeholders relate to biogas production and envision their contribution to creating a sustainable society. Herein, we demonstrate that QSA by a TNA, combined with the application of a PESTEL model, are valuable analytical tools in sustainable project management. The lessons from Project X can be applied to other local biogas initiatives, as many identified threats and opportunities are shared by others. 

Mycorrhiza is a beneficial association between plant roots and fungi. This mutualistic symbiosis is essential for plant growth in most natural terrestrial ecosystems and in agriculture. Commercial mycorrhizal products containing fungi and bacteria may promote plant growth, especially on sites without a natural microbial community. Due to the risk of unintended negative effects, introduction of new species or genetically different isolates of native species should always be considered carefully. This report assesses the risk of establishment and spread of six fungal species and six bacterial species included in different commercial mycorrhizal products, as well as the species’ potential impact on Norwegian biodiversity. Most of the evaluated fungi and bacteria are probably present in Norway, even though presence at present data only exist for two of the six fungal species. Establishment of the assessed fungi on the plants and sites where they are applied is considered moderately likely, with medium uncertainty, while establishment of the bacterial species is considered to range from very unlikely to very likely depending on the bacterial group, with low uncertainty. The probability of spread to the wider environment ranges from unlikely (four fungal species), to moderately likely (two fungal species), to very likely (five of the six bacterial species). However, for all species it is considered unlikely that establishment and spread would have negative effects on other native species, habitats and ecosystems in Norway. 

ANDERcontrol with the predatory mite Amblyseius andersoni as the active organism is sought to be used as a biological control agent in Norway. ANDERcontrol is intended for use against different mites (such as the two-spotted, fruit-tree, and red spider mite, russetmite, cyclamen mite) and in horticultural crops such as fruits, berries, vegetables, and ornamental. 

Atheta-System with the rove beetle Atheta coriaria (Kraatz 1856) as the active organism is sought to be used as a biocontrol agent for augmentation biological control in Norway. Atheta-System is intended for use against soil dwelling stages of fungus gnats (e.g. Bradysiapaupera), shore flies (Scatella stagnalis), and thrips (e.g. Frankliniella occidentallis) in greenhouses, plastic tunnels, and other closed or controlled climate cultivations of horticultural crops, incl. soft-fruit crops, vegetables, ornamentals, and kitchen herbs.

The product Limonica, with the predatory mite Amblydromalus limonicus as the active organism, is sought to be used as a biological control agent in Norway. Limonica is intended for use against western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentallis), other thrips (e.g. Thripstabaci), spider mites and white flies (e.g. Trialeurodes, Aleyrodes and Bemisia spp.) in protected horticultural crops such as cucumber, sweet pepper, strawberry and ornamentals. The product is not recommended for greenhouse-grown tomatoes.