Global university Network for Innovation (GUNI) 6th International Barcelona Conference on Higher Education, Barcelona, 13-15 May, 2013

In Denmark the Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre has for some years used the soil content of mineral nitrogen in spring in fertilizer recommendations. Since 1986 these recommendations have been based on soil samples carried out at all intersections of a nationwide 7 km square grid in Denmark. It was hoped that it may be possible to replace soil measurements with values of soil mineral-N calculated with a model. The Danish simulation model DAISY, which among other things simulates changes in the inorganic N content of the soil, was evaluated with respect to the Nmin content in the early spring under bare soil and under winter cereal. For both situations the precrop was cereals. The performance of the model was evaluated in farming systems receiving mineral fertilizer and in some instances organic manures. The results were analysed according to type of subsoil: sandy or loamy. Predictions were 11 kg N ha−1 less than the measured values as a mean and the differences between simulated and measured values were high for fields receiving organic manures. Predictions were less than ± 10 kg N ha−1 of measured values in 25–58% of cases for the different types of crop cover at the time of soil sampling, type of subsoils and fertilizer strategies, respectively. Predictions were less than ± 20 kg N ha−1 of measured values in 48–89% of cases for the different situations. The best predictions were obtained for sandy subsoils covered by winter cereal and supplied with mineral fertilizer only. It is concluded that the quality of the data used as input in the model has to be increased and that further developments of parts of the DAISY model are needed before modelling can be a useful tool in N fertilizer recommendations.

In Denmark the Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre has for some years used the soil content of mineral nitrogen in spring in fertilizer recommendations. Since 1986 these recommendations have been based on soil samples carried out at all intersections of a nationwide 7 km square grid in Denmark. It was hoped that it may be possible to replace soil measurements with values of soil mineral-N calculated with a model. The Danish simulation model DAISY, which among other things simulates changes in the inorganic N content of the soil, was evaluated with respect to the Nmin content in the early spring under bare soil and under winter cereal. For both situations the precrop was cereals. The performance of the model was evaluated in farming systems receiving mineral fertilizer and in some instances organic manures. The results were analysed according to type of subsoil: sandy or loamy. Predictions were 11 kg N ha−1 less than the measured values as a mean and the differences between simulated and measured values were high for fields receiving organic manures. Predictions were less than ± 10 kg N ha−1 of measured values in 25–58% of cases for the different types of crop cover at the time of soil sampling, type of subsoils and fertilizer strategies, respectively. Predictions were less than ± 20 kg N ha−1 of measured values in 48–89% of cases for the different situations. The best predictions were obtained for sandy subsoils covered by winter cereal and supplied with mineral fertilizer only. It is concluded that the quality of the data used as input in the model has to be increased and that further developments of parts of the DAISY model are needed before modelling can be a useful tool in N fertilizer recommendations.

This paper explores the findings of a study of the ideas young school children in the Nordic countries have about the human body e.g. structure and location of bones and organs (heart, lungs, stomach and brain etc.) before being taught about it formally at school. The aims of the study were to investigate children’s ideas about the human body and to see if their ideas differ between Nordic countries and if so, in what way. Twenty 6 year old children in each country were chosen (7–8 year olds in Finland) and asked to draw the bones and the organs in the body and to explain their drawings. Mixed methods were used in this study to get a broader view of the double aim of the study. Special scales were used to get a quantitative view of children’s ideas as put forward in their drawings and the study also had some elements of a case study as it was meant to focus on children’s ideas about a special issue, that is, the human body. The results show many similarities between the children’s ideas presented in the drawings and also interesting differences. The results also suggest that the culture aspects in each country such as cooking habits, typical foods, pictures in books and language expressions influence children’s ideas about bones and organs in the human body.