Year: 2016

The International Scientific Journal Icelandic Agricultural Sciences, year 28/2015 is now fully completed on the publication's website http://www.ias.is, but Matís is one of its publishers.

The publication contains six articles, totaling 80 pages. This is also the first cohort where all articles have a so-called doi (digital object identifier) number that makes it easier for researchers around the world to find electronic versions of cited articles. With this change, IAS was also changed to pure electronic copy and is no longer printed. 

The latest article in year 28/2015 has just arrived on the web: Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, fertilization and seed rates influence growth and development of lyme grass seedlings in two desert areas in Iceland by Úlf Óskarsson and Wolfgang Heyser. The article discusses the effects of fungal protein infection in the cultivation of weeds in two sandy areas in the South. In addition to the effects of the fungal protein infestation, the effects of different fertilizer and seed doses were also tested.

It was interesting that the fungal protein increased its growth in the first year but then its positive effect diminished and they disappeared over time and even became negative. However, fertilizer increased growth and sand accumulation more than other treatments, and re-fertilization had a greater effect on the size of the initial dose of fertilizer. It seemed most economical to use small doses of seeds and fertilizers in the beginning, but follow with moderate fertilizer for a few years after sowing.

This long-term study reported here is very interesting for those who cultivate land with weeds and use it to stop sand drifts and shows how necessary it is to follow revegetation experiments and revegetation for many years.

Ecotrophelia Iceland is a competition among university students in the development of environmentally friendly food. The competition involves developing marketable, environmentally friendly foods or beverages. The competition is held annually in the second half of May.

The registration of student groups who want to take part in the competition this year is currently underway. Each group may have two to ten students enrolled in tertiary education. They can be from any field of study, but it is desirable that someone in the group has knowledge of food. Students must not be 35 years of age or older. The winning team wins a grand prize and the right to take part in an international competition, Ecotrophelia Europe, https://eu.ecotrophelia.org/en/about-us , in Paris in October.

Guidance on the development process

Once the groups have registered for the game, they will have access to online teaching materials that will guide them through all aspects of the development process. The groups will be provided with facilities for practical tests.

The deadline for submitting registration is 31 January 2016.

Further information is provided by Gunnþórunn Einarsdóttir and the registrations for the competition will be sent to her: gunnthorunn.einarsdottir@matis.is

One of the issues that Matís oversees and builds on an old heritage is collaboration on the utilization of grain for food production. Agriculture in the North Atlantic countries has a cool climate and a short growing season for plants.

Despite this, farmers in Iceland have been cultivating grain in recent decades and have mastered the crop. Iceland is in the northern part of the cereal belt and from time to time weak grain-growing rivers occur. The Agricultural University of Iceland and its predecessor, the Agricultural Research Institute, Rala, have made grain cultivation in Iceland possible through grain breeding and the dissemination of knowledge to farmers. Cereal breeding began in the 1960s and the work has been continuous for more than 50 years. Breeding has been successful and varieties suitable for conditions in Iceland have emerged. The food department was operated within Rala from 1977 and with the cooperation of food scientists and farmers, interest was sparked in increasing the utilization of domestic grain for food production. Some activities within Matís can still be traced to Rala's food department and the knowledge that was built up there is constantly being developed.

In 2005, work began on projects aimed at utilizing domestic cereals for food production, and they were funded by the Agricultural Productivity Fund. This work then developed into co-operation between the North Atlantic countries, which was supported by Nordic co-operation and the Arctic Strategy.

Domestic grain is primarily barley, but it is well suited for a variety of foods. In bread it is used in conjunction with flour and the barley provides a good taste and health benefits such as beta-glucans which lower blood cholesterol and reduce blood sugar fluctuations. Other barley foods include biscuits, cereals, porridge and ready meals. Finally, barley is used to produce malt, which is one of the most important raw materials in brewing.

Global warming is changing growing conditions, and some crops in the southern hemisphere may be more difficult to grow than ever before. This creates increased pressure on feed and food production in the northern regions. Utilization of domestic grain increases food security and increases sustainability in food and feed production in Iceland.

For further information Ólafur Reykdal, food scientist at Matís.

Matís' annual report has been published. This time, the main subject of the report is the good foundation that has been built up by Matís and Matís' predecessors in recent decades. The importance of the institutions and companies that merged when Matís was founded in 2007 is still very much in Matís' operations to this day.

Matís Annual Report 2015

For further information Steinar B. Aðalbjörnsson, marketing director of Matís.

Matís' annual report has been published. This time, the main subject of the report is the good foundation that has been built up by Matís and Matís' predecessors in recent decades. The importance of the institutions and companies that merged when Matís was founded in 2007 is still very much in Matís' operations to this day.

The version quoted here is in English, but the Icelandic version will be published in the next few days.

Matís Annual Report 2015