BRS Parrudo Research Articles

Biofortificação do grão de trigo para aminoácidos essenciais

Abstract The objective of this work was to select wheat genotypes aiming to increase the essential amino acids in their grains. The study was carried out in the 2019 crop year, in a randomized complete block design, organized in a 5x5 factorial arrangement – five environments in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (Cachoeira do Sul, Cruz Alta, Santo Augusto, São Gabriel, and Vacaria), and five wheat genotypes ('BRS Parrudo', 'Marfim', 'Quartzo', 'TBIO Mestre', and 'TBIO Sinuelo') –, with two replicates. Polar metabolites were extracted from the flour of the ground wheat grains, derivatized, and evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Both variance components and genetic parameters were estimated for the metabolites. To select the genotypes for the traits of interest, the multi-trait index based on factor analysis and ideotype design, the multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance index, and the multi-trait stability index were applied. The wheat genotypes express a high genetic variability and selection possibility for gentiobiose, butyric acid, galactopyranosyl, phenylalanine, tryptophan, leucine, and isoleucine. The 'Marfim' genotype remains stable for essential amino acid levels in the studied environments. The 'Quartzo' genotype stands out in the expression of leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan in its grains.

Biomass estimation of spring wheat with machine learning methods using UAV-based multispectral imaging

ABSTRACT Remote biomass estimation can benefit agricultural practices in several ways, especially larger areas since it does not require local measurements. The advances of the last few decades in machine learning techniques have created new possibilities for estimating aboveground biomass. A pipeline was established from image acquisition to modelling shoot biomass of two wheat cultivars used in Southern Brazil (TBIO Toruk and BRS Parrudo). A UAV was used to acquire multispectral images with high spatial resolution to calculate vegetation indices (VIs). These VIs along with machine learning approaches are used to model the measured biomass of crops in different growth phases. To correlate the wheat images with measured shoot dry biomass, the following regression models were investigated: random forest, support vector regression, and artificial neural networks. An experiment was designed and conducted at the Agriculture Experimental Station of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (EEA/UFRGS) to assess wheat growth. Variability in crop growth was created for all test areas by varying nitrogen availability. To determine shoot biomass, plants were sampled at three different crop growth stages: V6 (stage of six fully developed leaves), three nodes, and flowering. Our results indicate the importance of the radiometric calibration used. Also, the features extracted from images, such as the VIs combined with machine learning models can be used in precision agriculture for predicting the spatial variability of shoot biomass. The best model for Brazilian wheat cultivars was an artificial neural network with of 0.90, RMSE of 0.83t/ha, and nRMSE of 8.95%. We also found a strong correlation between ground NDVI with image-based NDVI, with an of 0.84.

Effect of Different Wheat-Based Diets and Corn Meal Addition on Development Parameters of Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller, 1879) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The expansion of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), including biological control, has had several positive consequences for the agricultural environment and participants in the production chain. To enable successful operation and applications of biological control, production of insects used for rearing natural enemies (parasitoids and predators) must be optimized to reduce time and costs and improve production both qualitatively and quantitatively. The present study evaluated the effect of wheat varieties, the main component of artificial diets for Ephestia kuehniella, on the reproductive performance and biological parameters of this flour moth, which is used for mass production of Trichogramma spp. (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) and other parasitoids and predators. Four varieties of wheat were compared: BRS 327, BRS Marcante, BRS Parrudo, and KBR, with and without the addition of corn E. kuehniella reared on 97% BRS 327 wheat flour + 3% nutritional yeast had the best biological parameters and substitution of corn for about half of the wheat increased the number of eggs per female.

Harvest Anticipation, Yield and Economic Feasibility of Wheat by Application of Non-Selective Herbicides

The present work aims to evaluate the possibility of anticipating the wheat harvest by the application of non-selective herbicides in the pre-harvest conditions, thereby providing productive and economic viability. In total, 13 treatments were executed, which includes the spraying of different herbicide combinations (glufosinate-ammonium, glyphosate, and paraquat) in the phenological stages (Z-83, Z-85, Z-87, Z-92), and treatments without application of herbicides. Further, the treatment step was followed by providing different harvest conditions such as (i) glufosinate-ammonium: 9.5 and 8.8 days, (ii) glyphosate: 11.2 and 10.9 days, and (iii) paraquat: 7.9 and 8.5, where the first numerical value corresponds to number of days for the year 2016 followed by 2017. A mean reduction in seed yield of 4.6 % (BRS Parrudo) and 25.4 % (TBIO Sinuelo) was observed upon application of herbicides in the first two phenological stages. Additionally, an economic loss reaching up to R$ 2512 ha-1, was demonstrated. Therefore, the application of the non-selective herbicides glufosinate-ammonium and paraquat in the pre-harvest results in wheat phytointoxication, however, promoting harvest anticipation in 4.8 and 5.3 days, respectively.

Biomass production and wheat grain yield and its relationship with NDVI as a function of nitrogen availability

Evaluate the ideal doses of nitrogen fertilizer on wheat crops, in addition to avoiding unnecessary costs, assists in sustainability of the production system. The objective was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen (N) doses on the biomass and grain productivity, and the correlation between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), biomass at flowering and grain yield, in wheat crop. The experiment was carried out in the experimental area of UFRGS, in Eldorado do Sul, in 2017 and 2018, under randomized block, with four replications. The treatments consisted of N doses at sowing (0, 15, 30 e 45 kg de N ha-1) and in topdressing (2017 – 0, 20, 40, 60 e 80 kg de N ha-1 and 2018 – 0, 40 e 80 kg de N ha-1). The wheat cultivars BRS Parrudo and TBIO Toruk were used. The treatment with 30 and 45 kg de N ha-1 applied at sowing combined with 80 kg de N ha-1 applied in topdressing, were those that obtained the highest yields of both grain and biomass, for both years and cultivars. The correlation between NDVI and biomass and grain yields were high for both years and cultivars.

Diversity of virulence of Pyricularia oryzae isolates obtained from a single lesion of wheat

The objective of this study was to evaluate the virulence of Pyricularia oryzae isolates obtained from a single leaf blast lesion on wheat. The wheat cultivars (BRS Louro, BR 18, BRS Tarumã, BRS Parrudo, BRS 208) at the four-leaf stage were inoculated with a suspension of 100.000 conidia/mL. A significant difference was observed in the severity in the cultivars. Among the evaluated isolates, it was possible to observe differences in the susceptibility of the cultivars. Severity data ranged from 3.3 to 99.54% among treatments. Isolates 1 and 2 were the most aggressive for all cultivars tested. The greatest disease severity occurred in the interactions BRS 208 x isolate 1 (99.54%), BRS Louro x isolate 2 (99.34%), and BRS 208 x isolate 2 (99.09%).The lowest disease severity was observed in BRS Tarumã (68%) and BR 18 (75%) cultivars for the isolates 1 and 2, respectively. Isolate 3 presented medium aggressiveness in which the cultivars presented between 44 to 58% of wheat blast severity. The isolate 4 was the least aggressive for all cultivars with severity indexes ranging from 3 to 12%. These data indicate the existence of virulence diversity in P. oryzae isolates obtained from a single lesion.

Source-sink relationships of wheat plants obtained by the application of systemic herbicides

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of solute translocation among stems of wheat (Triticum aestivum), by the application of the systemic herbicides clethodim and glyphosate. The experiments were carried out in greenhouse conditions, using wheat cultivars with contrasting potential for tillering, during the winter of 2017 and 2018 in Southern Brazil. Clethodim was applied on isolated stems, to evaluate the potential translocation of solutes from the first three tillers. Translocation was evaluated by the yield parameters on stem ears not treated with clethodim. Glyphosate was used to evaluate the potential translocation of solutes from late tillers. Translocation was evaluated by the assimilation of carbon in stems without the glyphosate treatment. When applied on isolated primary tillers, clethodim reduced yield parameters only in treated stems, which shows that the assimilates were targeting the main sink, in detriment of the other organs. There was a decrease in net carbon assimilation in stems without the glyphosate treatment at the first visible node stage. Glyphosate applied on late tillers, at anthesis, reduced even more net carbon assimilation in nontreated stems of the primary tillers of the BRS Parrudo wheat cultivar (low tillering). Well-developed late tillers show higher potential of solute translocation to the whole plant than the poor-developed ones.

Morphology and enzymatic activity of seedlings from wheat desiccated in pre-harvest

Desiccation practiced during the preharvest period contributes to mechanized seed harvesting. This work aimed to verify whether wheat preharvest desiccation influences the morphological and physiological characteristics of the seedlings produced from the seeds of desiccated plants. The preharvest treatments included a combination of herbicides (glufosinate-ammonium, glyphosate, and paraquat) and phenological application stages (Zadoks: 83, 85, 87, and 92), as well as a control treatment (without application). Two wheat cultivars were used (BRS Parrudo and TBIO Sinuelo). Herbicide applications were observed to decrease the length and projected area of the shoots by 52 and 46%, respectively, as well as reduce the length, surface area and root volume when compared to the control treatment without application. The hydrogen peroxide concentration, as well as the enzymatic activity of guaiacol peroxidase, was observed to rise only in the treatments where the herbicides were applied. Physiologically, an increased hydrogen peroxide output was revealed, while the guaiacol peroxidase enzymatic activity increased in both cultivars, but with no effect noted in the superoxide dismutase enzymatic activity. The shoot and root morphology were negatively influenced, showing a rise in the enzymatic activity and hydrogen peroxide concentration in the seedlings from the desiccated plants.

Management of wheat stripe mosaic virus by crop rotation

Soil-borne wheat mosaic disease (SBWMD) caused by wheat stripe mosaic virus (WhSMV) is one of the most important viral diseases of wheat in Brazil. Farmers have used crop rotation (CR) successfully to reduce the incidence of many diseases in wheat. CR can contribute along with genetic resistance in the management of SBWMD. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of CR in SBWMD incidence and wheat yield as compared with wheat monoculture (W). During 2017 and 2018 growth seasons, in a long-term experiment, W and three CR: W1 – white oats-wheat; W2 – vetch-white oats- wheat; and W3 – black oats-barley-black oats-wheat were evaluated using three wheat cultivars: BRS Parrudo (resistant), BRS Reponte (moderately resistant) and BRS Guamirim (susceptible). The rainiest season (2018) was more favorable to the development of the disease. In this year, CR W2 and W3 significantly decreased SBWMD incidence by 90% compared to wheat monoculture. Also, grain yield (GY) differences between CR were higher in the rainiest season. GY increases up to 58% (BRS Reponte), 81% (BRS Guamirim) and 106% (BRS Parrudo) in W2 and W3. The use of plant species that are non-hosts of WhSMV may be one of the main factors that contribute to the reduction of SBWMD levels.

Desempenho agronômico de cultivares de trigo para safrinha no Planalto de Santa Catarina, Brasil

O aumento na produção brasileira de trigo para suprir a demanda interna do cereal está associado ao aumento da área de cultivo em regiões ou épocas historicamente pouco exploradas. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o desempenho produtivo de cultivares de trigo para cultivo em safrinha na região do Planalto Catarinense. O experimento de campo foi conduzido entre os meses de fevereiro e junho de 2018. Cinco cultivares de trigo (BRS 264, BRS 394, BRS Parrudo, Tbio Audaz e Tbio Sonic) foram semeadas em 14 de fevereiro e 01 de março. Os parâmetros morfológicos das plantas foram determinados no período de antese. No período de maturação, foram determinados os componentes da produção e produtividade de grãos. Adicionalmente, determinou-se a duração do período entre emergência e florescimento e entre florescimento e maturação das plantas. A cultivar BRS Parrudo não apresentou desenvolvimento satisfatório para cultivo em safrinha, com sintomas de anomalias na formação da espiga. As demais cultivares estudadas apresentaram crescimento e produção de grãos satisfatória para a semeadura realizada em 14 de fevereiro.

Reduction in nitrogen fertilization in Triticum sp. inoculated and co-inoculated

Using techniques of inoculation and co-inoculation of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could be an alternative with great potential for the wheat agricultural market, aiming towards a higher fertilizer efficiency and a subsequent reduction in environmental impacts. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of rhizobia symbiont inoculants isolated from legumes, individually and combined with Azospirillum brasilense, in promoting the growth of the wheat crop. The experiments were performed with the cultivars BRS Parrudo and TBIO Sossego, both inoculated and co-inoculated with the rhizobia UFRGS Vp16 and UFRGS Lc348, and A. brasilense, and under nitrogen dosage levels recommended for wheat plants. Inoculation of rhizobia, isolated or combined with A. brasilense, promotes increases in the production of wheat grains with half of the nitrogen dose recommended in the two evaluated cultivars, standing as an economically viable and ecologically sustainable alternative for the agricultural market.

Role of nonproductive tillers as transient sinks of assimilates in wheat

ABSTRACT Although source–sink relationships in wheat are well studied, the performance of tillers as transient sinks is still unclear, especially under stress conditions. Thus, this work aimed to study the yield relationships of wheat stems in contrasting genotypes as affected by tiller treatment under stress conditions. Two experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions using BRS Guamirim (high tillering) and BRS Parrudo (low tillering) wheat cultivars. Four tillering treatments were applied on late tillers in the first growing season (2016) and three in the second (2017): (i) free-tillering, (ii) detillering, (iii) physical suppression (only in the first season) and (iv) “spikes removal”. The main stem and the first four emitted tillers were considered as primary tillers. Plants were submitted to drought (2016) and defoliation stress (2017) at preanthesis. Intraspecific competition among tillers increased under drought stress conditions and decreased the plant performance. Nonproductive late tillers do not improve the performance of primary tillers of wheat plants under drought stress, mainly in high-tillering cultivars. The reduction on the thousand grain weight of only ‘Parrudo’ detillered plants indicates that assimilate remobilization from late tillers to primary tillers and main stem seems to be more effective in low-tillering cultivars.

Morphophysiological Responses of Wheat Cultivars in Competition With Diploid and Tetraploid Ryegrass

Wheat crop growth and development can be affected by weed infestation, especially ryegrass. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the competitive ability of wheat cultivars with the diploid and tetraploid ryegrass biotypes. Greenhouse experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications. BRS Parrudo and TBIO Sinuelo wheat cultivars and the competitors ryegrass diploid and tetraploid were used. The population of each species was defined and then the replacement series experiments were carried out, containing the following proportions of wheat and ryegrass plants: 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75; and 0:100%, equivalent to 32:0; 24:8; 16:16; 8:24; and 0:32 plants per pot. Fifty days after species emergence, physiological traits, such as photosynthetic activity (A), stomatal conductance (gS), transpiration rate (E), internal concentration of mesophyll CO2 (Ci), water use efficiency (WUE), and carboxylation efficiency (CE), were evaluated, along with the morphological traits of leaf area (LA), stem diameter (SD), number of tillers (NT), and shoot dry mass (DM). Competitiveness analysis was performed by means of diagrams applied to substitutive experiments using relative competitiveness indices. The ryegrass, both diploid and tetraploid, had a negative effect on the variables related to A, WUE and also those associated with plant growth. The ryegrass negatively changed the LA, DM, SD, and NT of the cultivars BRS Parrudo and TBIO Sinuelo, which demonstrates competition between the cultivars of wheat and the weed ryegrass with mutual damage to the species involved in the community. Interspecific competition caused greater damage to species development when compared to intraspecific competition. Therefore, ryegrass control, even at low density, is recommended for wheat cultivation.

Nitrogen management alternatives using Azospirillum brasilense in wheat

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate nitrogen management alternatives using Azospirillum brasilense inoculation in wheat (Triticum aestivum) by seed and foliar applications. Treatments consisted of the inoculation or not of A. brasilense, via seed and leaves, associated with topdressing with 0, 70, and 140 kg ha-1 nitrogen. Three wheat cultivars were tested: BRS Parrudo, TBIO Quartzo, and TBIO Sinuelo. The experimental design was a randomized complete block, with three replicates. The following traits were evaluated: number of emerged plants, tillers, spikelets per ear, grains per ear, and grains per spikelet; 1,000-grain mass; hectoliter mass; and grain yield. The foliar management of A. brasilense showed a better association with the TBIO Sinuelo cultivar. The foliar application of A. brasilense, whether alone or combined with seed treatment, increases the grain yield and yield components of the evaluated cultivars.

Common resistance to Fusarium head blight in Brazilian wheat cultivars

Mycotoxin levels in Fusarium head blight (FHB) infections can be difficult to quantify. The relationship between mycotoxin and disease is not consistent and it is not clear if wheatpathogen interaction is of significance in regions where more than one Fusarium species with distinct trichothecene production ability co-exists. This study aimed to investigate whether a set of eight Brazilian wheat genotypes, varying in resistance according to classification by the breeder, exhibit a common or differential resistance to Fusarium graminearum (Fgra) (deoxynivalenolproducing) and Fusarium meridionale (nivalenol-producing) (Fmer) using full-spike and central spikelet inoculation (type II resistance). Fgra was generally more aggressive than Fmer based on the percentage of diseased spikes (99 and 84 %, respectively) and number of diseased spikelets (mean 2.8 and 2.0, respectively) below the central spikelet. The genotype-pathogen species interaction was not significant, but there were differences between the genotypes, with BRS 194 and BRS 327 being the least and most resistant, respectively, based on severity ratings. The incidence of Fusarium-damaged kernel (FDK, %) was not affected by species, but two genotypes (BRS Parrudo and BRS 327) showed a lower incidence of FDK. There were substantial variations in the accumulation of deoxynivalenol and nivalenol among the genotypes, reaching maxima of 691.2 µg g−1 and 355.2 µg g−1, respectively, suggesting that Fgra is a more potent producer of trichothecene. Our data confirm prior resistance classifications by the breeders and suggest that the use of a single highly aggressive Fgra isolate may be sufficient for effective screening for FHB resistance. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the accumulation of resistance to trichothecene.

Grain zinc concentrations differ among Brazilian wheat genotypes and respond to zinc and nitrogen supply.

The combined application of nitrogen (N) and zinc (Zn) fertilizers is a promising agronomic strategy for the biofortification of wheat grain with Zn for human nutrition. A glasshouse experiment was carried out to assess the effects of supplying N on the uptake, translocation and accumulation of Zn in tissues of two wheat genotypes (Quartzo and BRS Parrudo) with contrasting potential for grain Zn biofortification. Winter wheat genotypes were grown to maturity in 5 cm diameter, 100 cm length tubes filled with a mixture of sand, grit and gravel (40:40:20 v/v/v) over a layer of 0.1 m3 of gravel, and supplied a full nutrient solution with low Zn (0.15 μM) or high Zn (2.25 μM) and low N (0.4 mM) or high N (4.0 mM) concentrations. High N supply increased biomass production, Zn concentration and Zn content of straw and grain in both Quartzo and BRS Parrudo. Grain Zn content more than doubled when the supplies of Zn and N were both increased from low to high in both genotypes. Quartzo had a greater grain yield than BRS Parrudo. BRS Parrudo had greater grain Zn concentration and Zn content than Quartzo. A greater N supply promoted better uptake, translocation to the shoot and accumulation of Zn within the grain. Quartzo and BRS Parrudo differed in their partitioning of biomass and Zn between tissues. It might be possible to combine the greater grain yield of Quartzo with the greater grain Zn accumulation of BRS Parrudo to deliver a greatly improved genotype for human food security.

Application of Non-Selective Herbicides in the Pre-Harvest of Wheat Damages Seed Quality

Pre-harvest desiccation in order to minimize the time of exposure to abiotic factors after physiological maturity is a practice used in the production of quality seeds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the physical, physiological and sanitary quality of wheat seeds from plants that received non-selective herbicide application at pre-harvest. For this, the treatments were applied on pre-harvest culture. A completely randomized design was applied. We use the herbicides (glufosinate-ammonium, glyphosate and paraquat), phenological stages of herbicide application (Z-83, Z-85, Z-87, Z-92) and additional treatment (without application). The routine tests that express the physical, physiological and sanitary integrity of seeds were evaluated. For herbicide treatments, there was an 8% and 26% reduction in germination under laboratory conditions for BRS Parrudo and Sinuelo, respectively. Soil emergence was 14% higher for the control treatment, not statistically different for the Z-87 and Z-92 stages and also for the herbicides glufosinate-ammonium and glyphosate for both cultivars. The application of non-selective herbicides on wheat pre-harvest impairs the physical and physiological quality and promotes faster deterioration. Vigor is reduced under stress conditions by cold test and accelerated aging. There is no influence on seed sanity.

Quality of wheat grains harvested with different moisture contents and stored in hermetic and conventional system

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is one of the main cereals consumed in the world and is very important for food security. Harvest time and storage may influences physical and physiological quality, and also the fungal incidence in the grains. This work evaluated physical and physiological quality and fungal incidence in wheat grains of BRS Parrudo cultivar wheat at different harvest moisture contents and stored under hermetic and conventional conditions, PET bottles and kraft paper bags, respectively. Harvesting was done when wheat reached moisture contents (MCs) of 28.6, 18.5 and 12.9%, followed by drying at 38°C in a forced air circulation oven until MC was 13%. The wheat was then stored for 240 days. Quality evaluations were done after drying and every 60 days during the storage period. The quality of the wheat declined throughout the storage period, regardless of the MC, and harvest delay negatively affected quality. Fusarium spp. and other fungi declined while Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. increased regardless of harvest MC or storage.

Nitrogen use efficiency in modern wheat cultivars

ABSTRACT The nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is defined as the capacity of a given genotype in take advantage of the applied nitrogen (N) and transform it in biomass and grains. The objective of this study was to evaluate 12 wheat cultivars as to the NUE and its components. The experiment was conducted in a controlled environment, in a randomized block design with three replications. Twelve wheat cultivars were submitted to four N supply levels (0, 80, 160 and 240 kg of N∙ha–1). The data were submitted to analysis of variance, means multiple comparison, polynomial regression, and path analysis. The nitrogen remobilization efficiency (NRE) was the main NUE component of the evaluated cultivars, in both low and high conditions of nitrogen fertilization. In the cultivars average, the nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE) presented reduction tendency as the N supply was increased, tending to stabilization at the dose of 231 kg of N∙ha–1. The wheat cultivars Mirante, TBIO Itaipu, BRS Parrudo, and TBIO Iguaçu were the most efficient on the N use, and the first two were also efficient in remobilizing the N from the phytomass to the grains.

Effect of green-belly stink bug, Dichelops furcatus (F.) on wheat yield and development

The green belly stink bug, Dichelops furcatus (F.) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) is a pest of corn and soybean in southern Brazil. It also occurs on wheat, but information on its damage to this crop is limited. To determine the need for sustainable IPM programs, the impact of this bug on wheat production should be determined. Studies were conducted in the screenhouse with 1, 2 and 4 bugs caged for 16 days on single plants, cv. ‘BRS Parrudo’. During the vegetative period (plants ca. 25 cm tall), all infestation levels significantly reduced plant height and ear head length, but did not reduce grain yield. Feeding damage caused tissue necrosis on leaves. During the booting stage, grain yield was significantly reduced with 2 and 4 bugs per plant; ear heads were small, discolored and abnormally developed. In 2013 and 2014 field trials, plants were infested for 18 days with 2, 4 and 8 bugs per m2 at vegetative, booting, and milky grain stage. At these infestation levels, there was no significant reduction in grain yield. There was a significant decrease in the number of normal seedlings resulting from seeds exposed to 8 bugs per m2 at the milky grain stage. Results suggest that, in general, there is no need to control D. furcatus on wheat, unless numbers are ≥8 bugs per m2 during reproductive period.