Comparison of the Falling Number and Rapid Visco Analyzer methods for determining pre‑harvest sprouting in barley grain

Potential longevity (Ki) of malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grain lots relates to their degree of pre-germination assessed through different industrial quality parameters

ABSTRACTPreharvest sprouted wheat is often characterized by the falling number (FN) test. FN decreases in preharvest sprouted wheat as enzymatic degradation of the starchy endosperm increases. Wheat with FN values <250–275 is often discounted at the time of sale. The intent of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of debranning or pearling on the flour quality traits of five samples of wheat rated as low, med‐low, medium, med‐high, and sound that exhibited a range in FN values of 62–425 sec. Replicates of each sample were pearled for 30, 60, and 120 sec to remove portions of the outer bran layers before milling. FN was highly correlated with α‐amylase activity (r > ‐0.97) in the med‐low, medium, and med‐high FN sample sets as pearling time increased. FN increased in the medlow, medium, and med‐high FN samples by 128, 123, and 80%, respectively, after 120 sec of pearling. Pearling had no effect on flour FN of the low FN sample but α‐amylase activity was significantly decreased. Pearling had little or no effect on FN and α‐amylase activity of the sound sample. FN was moderately to strongly correlated with Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA), alveograph, and farinograph properties, and poorly correlated with protein content, flour yield, and bread loaf volume. In subsequent breadmaking studies, bread loaf volume, and crumb characteristics of flour from pearled wheat were not significantly different from loaf volume and crumb characteristics of flour from the corresponding nonpearled wheat.

Use of falling number and rapid visco analyser instruments to estimate sorghum malt diastatic power

This paper contains an analysis of taxonomic weed biodiversity in the cultivation of spring barley in the period of 1990-2004, grown in crop rotation after potato with a 25% share of this cereal (potato - spring barley - field pea - winter triticale) as well as in crop rotation with its 75% share (potato - spring barley - spring barley - spring barley) in which barley was grown once and twice after the same barley crop. No weed control was used in the present experiment. Every year in the spring (at full emergence of the cereal crop) and before harvest, the species composition and the numbers of individual weed species were determined, as well as weed biomass before harvest. On this basis, the taxonomic diversity and distinctness indices were calculated. Potato/barley crop rotation with a 25% share of this cereal and growing spring barley once and twice after the same barley crop did not differentiate taxonomic weed biodiversity. However, it was positively correlated with rainfall abundance during the growing season and negatively correlated with mean temperature. The taxonomic diversity indices were positively correlated with species richness and species diversity, whereas the taxonomic distinctness indices did not generally show any relationship with these measures. Spring barley grain yield did not depend on taxonomic biodiversity of weed communities.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of selected herbicides permitted for use in sustainable agriculture, specifically targeting spring rye and spring barley in a no-till farming system. The application of chemical herbicide protection in the cultivation of spring rye and barley significantly increased the yield and improved the quality parameters of the harvested grain, with the most pronounced effect observed in spring barley. The effectiveness of the herbicide treatment in reducing the number of weeds was 99.4% for spring rye and 82.39% for spring barley. The study demonstrated that the application of chemical herbicide protection had a positive impact on the quality parameters of spring barley grain. Both the thousand-grain weight and protein content were significantly higher in the grain collected from protected plots compared to the control plots. By utilizing herbicides permitted for use in integrated production (IP) in a sustainable manner, we protect the environment while minimizing the impact on crop yields and maintaining the quality of the harvested produce.

Wood biofuel ash is a complex and heterogeneous mixture of inorganic crystalline and amorphous minerals together with organic matter. Biofuel ash is usually enriched with K, P, Ca and Mg, which are essential macronutrients for plant growth. Currently, a large proportion of biofuel ash is disposed of in landfills. However, ash processed into granular products can be used as a stand-alone or additional mineral fertilizer in agriculture. The aim of the research is to determine the chemical composition of biofuel ash and evaluate its suitability for the production of ash granules; also to evaluate the yield of spring barley grain and straw fertilized with bulk and granular biofuel ash, and the correlation between the yield and the amount of K2O applied by different fertilization products. The experiment was carried out in 2017–2018. Concentrations of heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Ni, Cd) and microelements (Zn and Cu) in wood biofuel ash did not exceed the permissible norms, and from them it was possible to produce fertilization products (ash granules) and use them in a vegetation experiment. During the experiment, it was found that the fertilization products significantly (P < 0.05) increased the yield of grown spring barley grains and straw in both years of the study, and the performed correlation regression analysis was positively strong in both years of the study (P < 0.01). The yield of spring barley increased with the increase of K2O content in fertilizer products.

The Hagberg Falling Number measurement, widely used in the milling industry for assessing the baking quality of wheat flour, has been modified and used as a rapid mashing technique to assess malt quality. Barley Malt flour is mixed with cold mashing liquor containing 0.1% calcium chloride and 15 mM beta-mercapto-ethanol. The slurry is heated and mixed by the Falling Number apparatus, and the starch is gelatinized. After one minute of heating/mixing the stirring rods are raised and released. As the gelatinized starch is hydrolysed by amylases, the viscosity of the slurry decreases allowing the stirring rods to fall. The time taken for these rods to fall a fixed distance is called the Falling Number. A relationship has been determined between the Falling Number obtained for a malt and the quality of the malt. Poor quality malts had a high Falling Number (e.g. >200s) whilst good malts had a low Falling Number (e.g. <150s). The correlation coefficient between Falling Number and Hot Water Extract (IOB coarse grind) was −0.89, and between Falling Number and Friability was −0.96. These good correlations indicate the measurement was influenced by the degree of endosperm modification. Being a mashing technique, however, the Falling Number was also influenced by other factors which influence mashing such as enzyme complement and water binding. This technique has the potential to measure malt quality using a commercial apparatus more rapidly than present malt analyses. No significant relationship could be determined between the Falling Number and the malting quality of barley.

Spring barley is a multipurpose crop. High-quality and valuable grain is grain with a high protein content, which is formed at high temperatures in the phase of grain filling. But droughty conditions are unfavorable for the entire growing season of plants. Therefore, the cultivation of spring barley in an arid climate requires a competent approach and is based on a rational combination of agrotechnical methods, among which a special place is given to the main tillage. The purpose of the research is to establish the effect of various methods of soil cultivation on soil moisture and density, as well as on the yield of barley. We studied 4 options for soil cultivation: deep flat-cut, deep layer-by-layer non-moldboard, deep moldboard plowing and direct sowing without tillage. According to the results of the research, the highest soil moisture was established with direct sowing. A decrease in soil moisture was revealed for layer-by-layer tillage by 12.46%, for flat-cut till-age by 13.83%, for moldboard tillage by 15.84%. Studies of soil density by the phases of development of spring barley for each of the methods of soil cultivation have established an increase in density with depth. The highest yield of spring barley was obtained with direct sowing. At the same time, it exceeded the yield with the dump method of tillage by 4.37%, with the layer-by-layer method by 14.48% and with the flat-cut method of tillage by 17.26%. Thus, in arid conditions, direct sowing provided the best results in soil moisture and yield in the cultivation of spring barley

The promotion and rational development of drylands employed two tillage regimes (plowing to 20–22 cm and no-till) during the spring wheat and barley cultivation in Southeast Kazakhstan. The results established that the no-till scheme contributed to forming an excellent aggregate state of the arable soil layer for spring wheat and barley (65%–69%). The water-resistant aggregates were the highest with no-tillage (19.3%–21.8%), indicating the unsatisfactory water resistance of the soil structure. Enhancing the water-resistant aggregates requires using organic fertilizers to improve the establishment of perennial grasses, green manuring, and cover crops. No-till system inclined to boost the optimal soil density from a loose and slightly compact state of 1.19–1.23 g/cm3 to a dense 1.32–1.39 g/cm3. According to crop cultivar and tillage methods, the spring wheat and barley grain yield varied between 2.84 and 3.89 t/ha. High grain yield came from the spring barley cultivar Symbat. Spring showed promising performance when the plowing level was 20–22 cm and inferior only by 0.25 and 0.15 t/ha with no-till. Based on the two-factor analysis of variance, the cultivar contribution to the spring wheat and barley grain yield buildup depended on the shares of crop season of the research (year – environment) (40.9%–62.2%) and the tillage regimes (22.4%–32.2%). The grain yield formation was more dependent on the studied crops and their cultivars, and the dependence increased over the crop seasons due to weather conditions during the crop period.

Yield shortfall of cereals in Ukraine caused by the change in air temperature and precipitation amount

In the Republic of Mari El spring barley is grown mainly for animal feed, but if agricultural practices are followed its grain can also be used as raw material for brewing. The purpose of the research was to study the issues of biological protection of spring barley from root rot in the Republic of Mari El. Field studies were carried out on the experimental fi eld of the Mari State University. Studies were conducted to determine the effectiveness of biological protection using the microbiological fertilizer with fungicidal action Bioagro-Gum-V, as well as the biological product Pseudobacterin-2 against seed infection, pathogenic complex of the rhizosphere and rhizoplane of spring barley. The role of biological protection in increasing the yield and phytosanitary condition of spring barley grain was revealed. It was found that the cultivation of spring barley using biological protection provided high net income, profitability and low cost of grain. The most cost-effective was the combined use of the Bioagro-Gum-V fungicide fertilizer for seed treatment and spraying of crops during vegetation with the Pseudobacterin-2 biodrug,where the net income was 30.50 thousand rubles/ha, the profi tability level was 150 %, and the cost price of spring barley was 6.80 thousand rubles/t. Production tests conducted at a farm in the Republic of Mari El confirmed the results obtained, as the yield of spring barley increased by 0.76 t/ha compared to the basic technology reducing production costs and increasing net income and profitability.

In a long-term field experiment (61 years) on cultivated sod-podzolic loamy soil of the Central Non-Chernozem region high efficiency of the combined use of complexes of trace elements, growth regulators and mineral fertilizers was revealed. In this variant, the highest average yield for 2017– 2023 was formed for winter wheat of the Moskovskaya 56 variety – 80 c/ha and spring barley of the Vladimir variety – 60 c/ha at 40.1 and 33.8 c/ha, respectively, in the version without fertilizers. The use of microelement complexes Microel in 2017–2019 and Aquamix-ST in 2020–2023 provided an increase in the average yield of winter wheat compared to the background of mineral fertilizers by 12%, and spring barley by 8%. When introducing trace elements in combination with plant growth regulators (Melafen in 2017– 2019 and Zerebra-agro in 2020–2023), the yield increase was: winter wheat – 23%, spring barley – 18%, the payback of mineral fertilizers increased by 56–57%, and the utilization rate of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium by plants – 1.5–1.7 times. The combined use of micronutrients, plant growth regulators and mineral fertilizers increased the protein content in winter wheat grain by 2.7%, crude gluten by 7.7%, and protein in barley grain by 2.1% compared to the control.

Plant-derived bioactive peptides demonstrate great potential given their availability and cost-effectiveness. In this study, barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grain proteins were explored for bioactive peptides with potential health applications. Gross grain proteins were obtained through aqueous extraction, after which, trypsin hydrolysis was performed. The hydrolysis process provided high peptide yields reaching 11%. The peptide hydrolysates were evaluated for their antioxidant and metal chelating activities, DPP4 inhibition, deglycation, and antimicrobial activity. The obtained results demonstrated biological activity levels of great importance and comparable to reference molecules. To confirm the experimental results, barley grain protein sequences were simulated for hydrolysis and explored for potential bioactive peptides using the FeptideDB. Indeed, barley grain proteins contain a great diversity of bioactive peptides with various biological activities. The current data highlights the promising therapeutic application of barley-derived bioactive peptides. Further molecular and sequencing approaches are necessary to identify and characterize these peptides. Practical applications Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grain proteins are widely used cereals for nutrition and beverages. Their availability and low-cost make them good sources for functional food exploration. We have described the potential of bioactive peptides obtained from barley grain proteins that have various activities including DPP4 inhibitory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, metal chelating, and deglycation activities. This data supports the potential of these peptides in biomedicine applications as a treatment option or as food supplement. Hence, the described peptide sequences could be exploited and industrialized by artificial synthesis and be proposed as food supplements or included in protein mixes for athletes.

The effect of soil contamination with nickel applied in the doses of 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg Ni/kg of soil on the activity of dehydrogenases, urease and acid and alkaline phosphatase was studied in a pot experiment. Heavy loamy sand and silty light loam were used in the experiment that comprised of two series: with spring barley cultivation and without plant cultivation. The enzyme activity was determined on day 14, 28, 42 and 56 of the experiment. Based on the study, it was found that soil contamination with nickel applied as NiCl&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;.6 H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O decreased the activity of dehydrogenases, urease and acid and alkaline phosphatase. This decrease was determined by the applied dose of this metal. Nickel exhibited a stronger effect on the soil with spring barley cultivation than on the unsown soil. In the heavy loamy sand sown with spring barley, more than 50% inhibition of the activity of dehydrogenases was caused by 300&amp;nbsp;and 400 mg Ni contamination, and in the case of urease by 200, 300 and 400 mg Ni/kg of soil. In the silty light loam sown with spring barley, more than 50% decrease in the activity of dehydrogenases and alkaline phosphatase was observed under 400 mg Ni contamination. The inhibition of the other enzyme activities did not exceed 50%. Urease and alkaline phosphatase exhibited a higher activity in the heavier soil, whereas dehydrogenases and acid phosphatase exhibited a higher activity in the lighter soil. In the nickel-free soil, spring barley cultivation had a positive effect on the enzyme activity and a positive correlation between the spring barley yield and the activity of dehydrogenases, urease and acid and alkaline phosphatase was observed.

This review examines the application, limitations, and potential alternatives to the Hagberg-Perten falling number (FN) method used in the global wheat industry for detecting the risk of poor end-product quality mainly due to starch degradation by the enzyme α-amylase. By viscometry, the FN test indirectly detects the presence of α-amylase, the primary enzyme that digests starch. Elevated α-amylase results in low FN and damages wheat product quality resulting in cakes that fall, and sticky bread and noodles. Low FN can occur from preharvest sprouting (PHS) and late maturity α-amylase (LMA). Moist or rainy conditions before harvest cause PHS on the mother plant. Continuously cool or fluctuating temperatures during the grain filling stage cause LMA. Due to the expression of additional hydrolytic enzymes, PHS has a stronger negative impact than LMA. Wheat grain with low FN/high α-amylase results in serious losses for farmers, traders, millers, and bakers worldwide. Although blending of low FN grain with sound wheat may be used as a means of moving affected grain through the marketplace, care must be taken to avoid grain lots from falling below contract-specified FN. A large amount of sound wheat can be ruined if mixed with a small amount of sprouted wheat. The FN method is widely employed to detect α-amylase after harvest. However, it has several limitations, including sampling variability, high cost, labor intensiveness, the destructive nature of the test, and an inability to differentiate between LMA and PHS. Faster, cheaper, and more accurate alternatives could improve breeding for resistance to PHS and LMA and could preserve the value of wheat grain by avoiding inadvertent mixing of high- and low-FN grain by enabling testing at more stages of the value stream including at harvest, delivery, transport, storage, and milling. Alternatives to the FN method explored here include the Rapid Visco Analyzer, enzyme assays, immunoassays, near-infrared spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging.