Plant invertases are a class of proteins that have enzymatic function in cleaving sucrose to fructose and glucose. Cell wall invertase, located on the exterior of the cell wall of plant cells, plays a key role in the unloading of sucrose from the apoplast to the sink tissues. Cell wall invertase interacts with an inhibitor, cell wall invertase inhibitor, post-transcriptionally to regulate its activity. The inhibitor is constitutively expressed in pollen development, early developing seeds, and senescing leaves: indicative of sucrose allocation being a limiting factor at these stages of development. We introduced algal bicarbonate transporters LCIA/CCP1 to Camelina sativa for the purpose of increasing photosynthetic capacity. The bicarbonate transporters concentrate CO2 at RuBisCO by pumping CO2 in the form of bicarbonate through the membrane, then converting it back to CO2 at RuBisCO, increasing CO2 concentration. Results from these plants have shown an increase in seed number, but not seed mass, along with a faster rate of maturity and senescence. This is indicative of acclimation to high CO2 conditions, resulting from insertion of the bicarbonate transporters. RNA sequencing was performed and a putative invertase inhibitor was recognized as being expressed in the transgenic C. sativa but not in the wild type. Our strategy is to knock out two invertase inhibitors using induced RNA silencing, dramatically altering sucrose allocation into developing seeds and resulting in an increase in seed biomass. It is the aim of this research to increase the biomass of C. sativa seeds in order to increase its effectiveness as an agent to create sustainable biofuels.

Studien behandlar köttproducenternas egna åsikter och tankar kring miljömärkningaroch ekologisk produktion. Tidigare studier har främst behandlat konsumenten och dennes attityd gentemot certifieringar och producenterna har befunnit sig i bakgrunden som tysta åskådare. Nu får producenterna kliva fram ur periferin och själva dela sina tankar och åsikter kring varför man väljer, eller inte väljer, att märka sitt kött. Studien är kvalitativ och intervjuerna är semistrukturerade. Producenterna är samtliga belägna i Norrland och producerar lamm, nöt eller griskött. Syftet med studien var att ta reda på hur mindre köttproducenter upplever certifieringsprocessen och hur denna process bedöms i förhållande till att ha en certifierad produktion samt hur producenterna kommunicerar sina hållbarhets åtaganden i ett CSR kontext om man inte använder sig av miljömärkningar. Det visade sig att majoriteten av producenterna hade en generellt negativ inställning till certifieringsprocessen, den ansågs vara för krånglig och kostsam; i vissa fall var det inte ens möjligt att certifiera sin produktion med anledning av det geografiska avståndet. Många såg inte något potentiellt mervärde i att ha en certifierad produktion som CSR-verktyg utan kommunicerade hellre sina hållbarhets åtaganden med kunden direkt. Majoriteten av producenterna hade ett högt hållbarhetsengagemang och åtagande men kommunicerade inte nödvändigtvis detta utåt, och inte med hjälp av miljömärkningar. Beslutet gällande att certifiera sin produktion eller inte hade i stor utsträckning att göra med det geografiska området och de begränsningar detta kunde innebära såväl som kostnad och den generella misstron på mervärde som följd av miljömärkningar. Ämnet är komplext och det finns många slutsatser men generellt gäller det att mindre producenter inte anser sig behöva miljömärka sitt kött då konsumenten i stor utsträckning vet vilka värderingar och hållbarhetsåtaganden den aktuella gården har, de potentiella fördelarna väger inte upp för komplexiteten i processen. Man använder sig främst av direktkommunikation för att förmedla sina åtaganden och därför finns ingen större nödvändighet för en extern märkning. / This study deals with meat producers' own opinions and thoughts regarding eco-labels and organic production. Previous studies have mainly dealt with the consumer and their attitude towards certifications and the producers have been put in the background as silent spectators. Now the producers can step out of the periphery and share their thoughts and opinions about why they choose, or choose not to, label their meat. The study is qualitative and the interviews are semi-structured. The producers are all located in northern Sweden and produce lamb, beef or pork. The purpose of the study was to find out how small meat producers experience the certification process and how this process is assessed in relation to having a certified production and further how producers communicate their sustainability commitments in a CSR context if they do not use eco-labels. It turned out that the majority of producers had a generally negative attitude towards the certification process, it was considered too cumbersome and costly; in some cases it was not even possible to certify their production due to the geographical distance. Many producers did not see any potential added value in having a certified production as a CSR tool, but rather communicated their sustainability commitments with the customer directly. The majority of producers had a high sustainability commitment, but did not necessarily communicate this to the outside world, and not with the help of eco-labels. The decision regarding whether or not to certify the production had a great deal to do with the geographical area and the limitations this could entail as well as cost and the general mistrust in possible added value due to the eco-labels. The subject is complex and there are many possible conclusions, but in general it seems that smaller producers do not consider it necessary to label their meat as the consumer to a large extent knows what values and sustainability commitments the farm in question has. They mainly use direct communication to convey their commitments and therefore sees no need for an external branding in the form of certification. The potential benefits do not outweigh the complexity of the process.

Clarireedia spp. (formerly Sclerotinia homoeocarpaF.T. Bennett) is the causal agent dollar spot, the most economically important turfgrass disease impacting golf courses in North America. The most effective strategy for dollar spot control is repeated application of multiple classes of fungicides. However, reliance on chemical application has led to resistance to four classes of fungicides as well as multidrug resistance (MDR). Fungi are known to detoxify xenobiotics, like fungicides, through transcriptional regulation of three detoxification phases: modification, conjugation and secretion. Little is known, however, of the protein-protein interactions that facilitate these pathways. Following next-generation RNA sequencing of Clarireedia spp., a fungus-specific transcription factor, XDR1, was determined to play a role in constitutive and induced overexpression of phases I and III genes of xenobiotic detoxification. Further, a novel activation domain (AD) on XDR1 that does not directly bind with xenobiotics was confirmed to be highly conserved among fungal species. Therefore, we hypothesize that XDR1 must be activated by interacting with other binding partners at this AD in order to regulate downstream xenobiotic detoxification pathways. The main objective of this study is to identify additional proteins/ co-repressors that activate XDR1 in order to gain a better understanding of how transcriptional regulation of xenobiotic detoxification pathways leads to MDR. In order to test the hypothesis, fungicide sensitive strain (HRS10) and fungicide resistant strain (HRI11) were transformed and tagged with xdr1/XDR1 and the 3xFLAG tag. As a result, four fungal transformants were generated and those are HRS10-XDR1-3xFLAG, HRS10-xdr1- 3xFLAG, HRI11-XDR1-3xFLAG, and HRI11-xdr1-3xFLAG. The total protein extractions (whole cell lysates) were subjected to co-immunoprecipitation and the samples were analyzed using LC-MS/MS. According to the set of results, more than 50 proteins were detected with HRS10-XDR1-3xFLAG with and most of these binding partners having functions related to post translational modification, protein turnover, intracellular trafficking, secretion and vascular transport. Going forward, information gained from this experiment could be used to explore how XDR1 interacts with its binding partners to facilitate the transcription of drug metabolizing genes responsible for multidrug resistance. This information could also help identify additional fungicide metabolism pathways in filamentous fungi.

Food systems are considered one of the most important anthropogenic activities contributing to climate change. On the other hand, climate change influences the conditions for growth with more frequent droughts and heatwaves. This contradiction poses a significant challenge to future food systems, which need not only become more sustainable, but also increase its production to feed a growing population, as stated in both the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the Swedish action plan on food. This has given rise to alternative ways of producing food, such as urban farming and, in particular vertical hydroponic farming, where food is grown indoors in a controlled environment with artificial lighting and with a minimum use of water and without pesticides. In this study, a vertical hydroponic farm located in Stockholm, Sweden, is examined using life cycle assessment in terms of environmental sustainability. The farm, located in a basement space, works together with the building in a symbiotic network, where the farm provides the building with excess heat from the lighting, and in turn obtains carbon dioxide from an office floor. The findings from the study show that electricity is a major contributor to the environmental performance of the farm, along with the infrastructure employed. The impacts of water use in the farm, is very low, along with the impacts associated with the delivery of the crops; illustrating the advantages of producing food locally. By substituting the synthetic fertilizers employed to biofertilizers, and by substituting the plastic bag material to renewable material, reductions in greenhouse gases are possible. The symbiotic development between the farm and the building is shown very beneficial to the farm, highlighting the importance of synergies between actors in urban areas. / Livsmedelsindustrin anses vara en av de största antropogena drivkrafterna bakom klimatförändringarna. Å andra sidan så förändrar klimatförändringar i sig förutsättningarna för hållbar odling, med mer frekventa torrperioder, extrem värme och extrem nederbörd. Denna konträra situation ställer stora krav på framtidens livsmedelsindustri, som dessutom måste producera mer mat för att mätta en ökande befolkning; ett åtagande som står angivet både i FN:s globala mål och i den svenska Livsmedelsstrategin. Många forskare menar att dagens livsmedelsindustri inte kommer klara denna omställning, och att alternativa metoder för att producera mat behövs. Urban odling har föreslagits som en del av lösningen, och i synnerhet vertikal hydroponisk odling där grödor växer inomhus i en kontrollerad miljö med artificiell belysning, låg vattenanvändning och utan bekämpningsmedel. Den här studien undersökte en vertikal hydroponisk odling i Stockholm, och bedömde dess miljömässiga hållbarhet med hjälp av en livscykelanalys. Odlingen, som sker i en källarlokal, samarbetar med den omslutande byggnaden i en urban symbios, där odlingen förser byggnaden med spillvärme från belysningen, och får i sin tur koldioxid från en kontorslokal. Enligt resultat från studien bidrar elektriciteten till den största miljöpåverkan, men även infrastruktur har stor påverkan. Vattenanvändningen i odlingen är däremot väldigt låg, och miljöpåverkan från leveransen av varorna är mycket låg, vilket belyser fördelarna med att odla mat lokalt. Odlingen kan bland annat minska sin miljöpåverkan genom att byta ut det nuvarande konstgödslet till biogödsel och genom att byta ut plastpåsarnas material till förnybar plast. Symbiosen mellan odlingen och byggnaden visade sig vara väldigt gynnsam, vilket vidare belyser vikten av samspel mellan olika aktörer i den urbana miljön.

Since the 1960s the focus of animal welfare has been mainly on the negative aspects of welfare and on minimizing and alleviating these negatives. Lately, the focus has been not only on the negative features of welfare that should be kept above a minimum standard, but also on the positive ones that should be enforced. Positive welfare goes a step beyond the common welfare approach and focuses additionally on the positive aspects that animals should have in their lives. This review analyses the behavioral indicators that have been proposed as positive welfare indicators of the domestic pig and have been studied theoretically or experimentally. Various behavioral indicators have been proposed but play is the positive indicator that has been studied the most, followed by exploratory and social affiliative behaviors. Vocalizations and ear and tail postures have also been proposed as promising positive welfare indicators but more research is needed to clearly understand the expression of these behaviors and the affective states that they indicate. According to the literature results, the Welfare Quality protocol for pigs is the only protocol that evaluates the positive welfare of the pig on the farm level. Play, exploratory and social affiliative behaviors are being measured. In addition, positive emotions are being measured via Qualitative Behavioral Assessment (QBA). / Efter 1960-talet, fokuserar djurvälfärden huvudsakligen på de negativa aspekterna av välfärd och på att minimera och lindra de negativa aspekterna. Under de senaste åren, har fokus legat inte bara på att minimera de negativa aspekterna och hålla dem över en minimistandard utan också på att förstärka de positiva. Positiv välfärd går ett steg framåt i det gemensamma välfärdssynsättet och fokuserar dessutom på de positiva aspekterna som djur bör ha i sina liv. Denna översyn analyserar de positiva beteendeindikatorer på djurvälfärd, de som har föreslagits som positiva välfärdsindikatorer för den domesticerade grisen och har studerats teoretiskt eller experimentellt. Bland alla indikatorer har lekbeteende studerats mest, följt av undersökingsbeteende och sociala affiliativa beteenden. Vokalisationer och öron- och svansställningar har också föreslagits som lovande positiva välfärdsindikatorer men fler studier bör göras för att tydligt förstå uttrycket av dessa beteenden och grisens känslor som de indikerar. Enligt litteraturen, är Welfare Quality protokoll för grisar det enda protokollet som utvärderar grisens positiva välfärd på gårdsnivå. Lekbeteende, undersökningsbeteende och sociala affiliativa beteenden mäts. Dessutom, positiva känslor mäts via QBA.

Background: The global marketplace is characterized by rapid and constantchange, resulting in complex logistics systems. The port industry, which is a crucial link in the supply chain, seeks to understand the complexity of market dynamics. Ports should understand the changing market dynamics to better meet the market demand and have a competitive advantage. One representative from the port industry is Swedish ports and the Port of Gothenburg, which will be the focus of this thesis. The market demand for paper and paperboard has been a significant driver of shipping activities in Swedish ports. The market demand for bulk and container shipping is also relevant due to its influence on the port’s operation. Furthermore, itis essential for port authorities to understand the demand-oriented infrastructure to develop strategies to meet the market dynamics. Purpose: This thesis has been undertaken on behalf of the PoG. The purpose of the thesis is to provide a clearer understanding of how the current and future market demand of paper and paperboard influence Swedish ports with scenario planning. Based on the future market demand for paper and paperboard, additional information of the future market demand for bulk and container will be included in the scenarios. By using the scenarios, recommendations will be given regarding investments the port authority at PoG needs to implement as a response to future paper and paperboard market demand. Methodology: The thesis has a qualitative case study with Port of Gothenburg as the study object. Data collection has been conducted through semi- and unstructuredinterviews from the Swedish forest industry, three forest companies and port authority at Port of Gothenburg. Additionally, scenario planning will be the main analysis method in this thesis. Conclusion: The current market demand for paper and paperboard indicates that demand for paper is decreasing, while demand for paperboard is increasing. The future market demand for paper and paperboard can develop in several ways. The authors of this thesis believe that the market demand for paper will have a structural fall with an exception for special paper. While paperboard will have a continuous increase. Furthermore, there is currently an increase of bulk and container shipping in the Port of Gothenburg. The authors believe that future market demand for bulk will be stable, while container will have an increased trend. However, as the market demand is hard to predict, the thesis presents four scenarios of different futureoutcomes of market demand for paper, paperboard, bulk- and container shipping. There are several investments needed for the Port of Gothenburg to respond to theestablished demand scenarios. Investments that will benefit Port of Gothenburg themost are Port Community System (PCS), Integrated Warehouse ManagementSystem (IWMS), Real-Time Location System (RTLS), development of port quays,larger quay cranes and floating islands, and cold ironing and renewable energy. Key words: Paper, Paperboard, forest industry, bulk, container, cargo shipping,seaport, Port of Gothenburg, scenario planning, port investments

California red scale (CRS), Aonidella aurantii, is an increasingly injurious insect pest for the California citrus industry due to insecticide resistance, changing weather patterns, and shifting trade regulations. The presence of the insect on fruit, damages the rind of the fruit and high populations can cause dieback of branches as well as lower yields. Pheromone mating disruption of CRS has the potential to alleviate population control concerns and reduce insecticide use. The efficacy of the pheromone mating disruption technique for pest management of CRS was determined using the products CheckMate® CRS and Semios CRS Plus. CheckMate® CRS was evaluated over two years in eight 8.1-ha blocks and two 16.2-ha blocks, and in each block half the acreage was untreated and half treated. Semios CRS Plus was evaluated over one year in four 8.1-ha blocks and one 16.2-ha block, and in each block half the acreage was untreated and half treated. Disruption efficacy was determined by male flight trap counts, leaf and twig infestation percentages, and fruit infestation at the end of the season. For CheckMate® CRS® a large reduction in male flight trap catches were recorded in all blocks over both years. Statistically significant lower leaf and twig infestations were observed between for the CheckMate® CRS compared to the control areas in all 10 blocks over the 2018 and 2019 seasons for both the August and November sampling. Statistically significant reductions in the % of fruit infested with 10 or more scales were observed for the CheckMate® CRS treatment compared to the control in 9 of the 10 blocks with 7 of 10 blocks having 90% to 97% reduction. No significant reductions in male flight trap catches or the August leaf and twig infestation were observed for Semios CRS Plus. Due to a lack of efficacy in the August leaf and twig sample in 2018 the trials were canceled and not replicated in 2019. The results of the study indicated pheromone mating disruption using CheckMate® CRS, can be an effective method to reduce California red scale populations.

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 annual CO2 emissions of a building for 25 years.BIM 3 Requirements and Verification - Design projects are compared with this study'scalculation to check the energy consumption. Plant facades can help buildings achievehigher levels in Miljöbyggnad because of the extra insulation. The study concludes that1100 SEK is saved every year with a plant facade due to the reduction of energyconsumption. The results also highlighted that a building with 400sqm of green façadecan absorb the yearly CO2 emissions of a building for 25 years. Plant facades can helpbuildings achieve higher levels in Miljöbyggnad as the extra insulation helps to reduceenergy consumption. The study also shows that the value of buildings with greenfaçades increases by several percentage points each year.The care and maintenance of the plants were important factors for their survival.However, economic factors were limited due to high installation costs and small savingsrelative to the investment. Plant walls can absorb a significant amount of carbondioxide, but the lack of research on their exact capacity was a challenge.Keywords: Carbon dioxide, White Ness, Fytotextile, Green facades, Plant walls.

At my thesis’s core is the transformation of the agricultural industry based on the framework of food regimes established by Philip McMichael and Harriet Friedmann. The framework of food regimes will guide the analysis of recent agricultural developments towards sustainability. Due to the local nature of the food production system, I focused my thesis on one county in the South of Germany, Schwäbisch Hall, which allows me to look at local developments and how they affect our broader global food system. I will begin the thesis by analysing the effects of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on agricultural actors in Schwäbisch Hall. After that, I will thoroughly examine the term “sustainable agriculture” within the context of sustainability and how the term is perceived by agricultural actors in Schwäbisch Hall. I will then explore three crucial global sustainability issues in the agricultural sector and how these global issues are influencing and transforming the agricultural industry on a local level. The sustainability issues include Food Security, Environmental Issues and Climate Change, and Consumption Issues. The analysis will explore how these issues, along with the recent CAP reform, can shape and advance the agricultural industry in the future. To analyse the CAP and sustainable agriculture, the study will employ the Actor-Network Theory (ANT), which will provide insights into the operational dynamics and interplay of networks within the industry as they mutually influence each other. I also use interviews with agricultural actors and news articles to get a more profound knowledge of opinions on the developments within the agricultural sector. After analysing current sustainability issues and the most recent CAP reform, I will discuss the agricultural sector's future in Germany and how the agricultural industry could develop further in the upcoming years. I will also look more into the possibilities of organic farming and its importance in establishing a more sustainable agricultural sector. At the end of my thesis, I will examine if, with the recent developments in the agricultural industry, there is a chance that a new fourth food regime can be established soon in the broader prospect of our global food system.

Eutypa dieback, one of several grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs), is of serious concern to the grape industry globally. This disease is caused by the fungus Eutypa lata but it is often seen in consortia growth with Phaeoacremonium minimum and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora. It is vital to understand the mechanisms for how this disease functions to develop control measures to combat it. Brown rot fungi are able to use a complex of low molecular weight (LMW) metabolites to induce a Fenton reaction to deconstruct woody tissue. These metabolites are part of a chelator mediated Fenton (CMF) chemistry that produces reactive oxygen species that are capable of depolymerizing wood polymers. We propose that a mechanism similar to CMF chemistry may be occurring in grapevine trunk disease pathogens. This thesis investigates how LMW metabolites produced by the fungi contribute to the disease and decay progression in GTDs. Research on Mite control in the laboratory with abamectin was also investigated, as research in this area was required when mites infested our fungal cultures and suitable laboratory controls were not available. Research on the GTD fungi was initiated by first examining whether metabolites produced by the three fungi can function in a manner to promote reactions like the CMF system. We separated and identified specific metabolites that potentially could contribute to CMF chemistry. We found that all three GTD fungi were able to produced LMW metabolites that promoted CMF chemistry, and we hypothesized that this mechanism contributes to processes leading to tissue necrosis in grapevine trunk wood. To explore the development of effective control measures based on this newly discovered mechanism for pathogenesis, we also explored the use of antioxidant/chelator compounds, BHA and BHT, in the control of the consortia fungi. Biocontrol organisms, Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma atroviride, that produce antioxidants were also tested as biocontrols against the fungi involved in Eutypa Dieback disease. We found that BHA was highly effective in inhibiting fungal growth for all three fungi at concentrations higher than 0.5mM, and both B. subtilis and T. atroviride proved to be effective biocontrol agents in inhibiting E. lata, P. minimum, and P. chlamydospora.