Cereal Seeds Research Articles

ENERGY EFFICIENT DRYING OF SEEDS OF CEREAL CROPS

Many researchers at different times have been engaged in drying cereals to preserve their nutritional properties, which is associated with the biochemical properties of materials. The technologies for drying grain crops have been developed and improved with the given recommendations aimed at carrying out the drying process at high temperatures (above 100 ° C). But the increased requirements for seed grains and the associated high energy costs do not allow the drying process to be carried out efficiently, since with large grain volumes this leads to a significant increase in material costs. The study of the laws of drying of seeds of cereals in view of improving the energy efficiency of the process is relevant. Energy efficiency is one of the main parameters influencing the choice of drying mode. In traditional technologies for drying seed material, it is dried at low temperatures, which does not allow to significantly intensify the process by increasing the temperature of the coolant, as this significantly reduces the quality of the material. The state of the art makes it possible to more accurately investigate and analyze the drying processes of cereal seeds with automatic processing and plotting of drying kinetics. The results of previous researchers were conducted on existing grain dryers, in which it is difficult to evaluate and give the correct recommendations for drying the seed material. This is due to the peculiarities of the drying process and the design of the grain dryer. To adequately assess the drying regimes, studies of drying seeds of cereals at low temperatures were carried out to preserve the seed properties of the material. To increase the energy efficiency of the drying process, a step-by-step descending low-temperature drying mode is proposed, which provides the required quality of seed material. All the proposed technical solutions for the introduction of energy-efficient regimes in the process of drying grain seeds were implemented in the recommendations for industrial drying in mine direct-flow grain dryers.

Isolation of High Purity Tissues from Developing Barley Seeds.

Understanding the mechanisms regulating the development of cereal seeds is essential for plant breeding and increasing yield. However, the analysis of cereal seeds is challenging owing to the minute size, the liquid character of some tissues, and the tight inter-tissue connections. Here, we demonstrate a detailed protocol for dissection of the embryo, endosperm, and seed maternal tissues at early, middle, and late stages of barley seed development. The protocol is based on a manual tissue dissection using fine-pointed tools and a binocular microscope, followed by ploidy analysis-based purity control. Seed maternal tissues and embryos are diploid, while the endosperm is triploid tissue. This allows the monitoring of sample purity using flow cytometry. Additional measurements revealed the high quality of RNA isolated from such samples and their usability for high-sensitivity analysis. In conclusion, this protocol describes how to practically dissect pure tissues from developing grains of cultivated barley and potentially also other cereals.

A universal method for high-quality RNA extraction from plant tissues rich in starch, proteins and fiber

Using existing protocols, RNA extracted from seeds rich in starch often results in poor quality RNA, making it inappropriate for downstream applications. Though some methods are proposed for extracting RNA from plant tissue rich in starch and other polysaccharides, they invariably yield less and poor quality RNA. In order to obtain high yield and quality RNA from seeds and other plant tissues including roots a modified SDS-LiCl method was compared with existing methods, including TRIZOL kit (Invitrogen), Plant RNeasy mini kit (Qiagen), Furtado (2014) method, and CTAB-LiCl method. Modifications in the extraction buffer and solutions used for RNA precipitation resulted in a robust method for extracting RNA in seeds and roots, where extracting quality RNA is challenging. The modified SDS-LiCl method revealed intense RNA bands through gel electrophoresis and a nanodrop spectrophotometer detected ratios of ≥ 2 and 1.8 for A260/A230 and A260/A280, respectively. The absence of starch co-precipitation during RNA extraction resulted in enhanced yield and quality of RNA with RIN values of 7–9, quantified using a bioanalyzer. The high-quality RNA obtained was demonstrated to be suitable for downstream applications, such as cDNA synthesis, gene amplification, and RT-qPCR. The method was also effective in extracting RNA from seeds of other cereals including field-grown sorghum and corn. The modified SDS-LiCl method is a robust and highly reproducible RNA extraction method for plant tissues rich in starch and other secondary metabolites. The modified SDS-LiCl method successfully extracted high yield and quality RNA from mature, developing, and germinated seeds, leaves, and roots exposed to different abiotic stresses.

Effect of Trichoderma Spp. as a Bio-control Agent on Cereal Crop Plants

Trichoderma is a Deuteromycetous fungus with hyphae long, creeping, conidiophores erect, philiadic, having conidial heads. Trichoderma species produces a chemical, trichodermin; it is the sesquiteroenoid acting as a bio-control agent on the principal of myco-parasitism, antibiosis and competition to control soil borne plant pathogens. The phytotoxic effect was screened by treating cereal crop seeds with culture filtrate of Trichoderma species, the effect of culture filtrate was measured in terms of seed germination percentage and results were compared with control one. The obtained results shows percentage of germination in treated seeds was more than the control. The culture filtrate of Trichoderma harzianum showed superior effects (95-97%) than that of Trichoderma viridae (90-95%) and Trichoderma virens (86-92%) on the seed germination of selected cereal crop seeds

Allelopathic Assessment by Interaction Effect of Coconut Water (Cocos nucifera L.), and Dipping Time on Seed Germination of Four Cereal Seeds.

          Coconut water (Cocos nucifera L.) is a biological and sterile liquid from coconut kernel. It contains a variety of ionic materials, sugars, amino acids, and several plant growth regulators. This work has been achieved in plant physiology research laboratory in Biology Department, College of Science at Salahaddin University/Erbil during July to December 2019. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of concentration, different dipping time and the interaction between both seed germination and seedling radicle and plumule length. The effect of different concentrations (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% v/v) of coconut water and different dipping times (5, 10, 15, and 20 seconds) on four cereal seeds germination and seedling parameters, the seedling plumule and radicle lengths, also the interaction between both treatments were studied. In this study it claims that when using different concentrations, the best one is the 3% concentration that effects on percent germination of all seeds used in this study, where the higher germination percentage was recorded. The best effective concentration on radicle and plumule elongation was in 1% and all concentrations showed significant effection. The best active dipping time was at 5 seconds and others also showed significant effection on both radicles and plumules. In the case of interaction of both treatments the more positive effective interaction was at 5 seconds in 4% concentration on radicles and plumules.

ENERGY EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY OF DRYING AND STORAGE OF SEEDS OF GRAIN CROPS WITH THE USE OF HEAT PUMPS

Energy efficiency of the drying process today is the main parameter that affects the choice of drying mode. Seed requires more careful selection of technology and equipment, which is associated with quality characteristics. Seed material to maintain high germination is dried at low temperatures, the operation of the grain dryer at high temperatures significantly reduces the quality and requires the development of special technology for the production and storage of seeds of cereals. The article reviews the increase in energy efficiency of equipment for drying grain seeds. Traditional seed drying technologies are too expensive and significantly increase the cost. The developed energy-efficient technologies are more aimed at drying food grain with a process at high temperature, which allows to use the high temperature potential of spent coolant at the outlet of the dryer, which can be recycled and re-directed to heat the drying agent at the dryer. When drying the seeds of cereals, it is necessary to carry out the process at low temperatures, which reduces the efficiency of the temperature potential of the spent coolant. Therefore, to increase the energy efficiency of the drying process and technology, it is proposed to use heat pumps that ensure the quality of seed material. The article also analyzes heat losses and recommends measures to reduce losses during drying, which provide for the use of heat pump units. Energy-efficient technology of drying and storage of seeds of grain crops provides operations of sifting, drying, storage, division into fractions, pickling, packing in bags. A 5-zone grain dryer with step drying modes using a heat pump and a generator motor has been developed for seed grain. Comparison of energy efficiency of different drying units showed that the proposed technical solutions are verified by calculations and heat consumption is much lower and is 3024 kJ / kg vip . moisture.

Multi-level analysis of exposure to triazole fungicides through treated seed ingestion in the red-legged partridge

Triazole fungicides are the most widely used products to treat cereal seeds. Granivorous birds, such as red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa), which consume seeds left on the surface of fields after sowing, have a high risk of exposure. As triazole fungicides can affect sterol synthesis, we tested the hypothesis that treated seed consumption could alter the synthesis of sex hormones and reduce the reproductive capacity of partridges. We exposed adult partridges to seeds treated with four different formulations containing triazoles as active ingredients (flutriafol, prothioconazole, tebuconazole, and a mixture of the latter two) simulating a field exposure during the late autumn sowing season. All treatments produced biochemical changes and an overexpression of genes encoding for enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of sterols and steroid hormones, such as PMVK, ABCA1, MVD, PSCK9, DHCR7 and HSD17B7. Plasma levels of oestradiol were reduced in partridges exposed to tebuconazole. We also monitored reproduction 3 months after exposure (laying date, egg fertilization and hatching rates). We observed a 14-day delay in the laying onset of partridges that had been exposed to flutriafol as compared to controls. These results show that the consumption of seeds treated with triazole fungicides has the potential to affect granivorous bird reproduction. We recommend the evaluation of lagged reproductive effects as part of the protocols of environmental risk assessment of pesticides in wild birds in light of the effects resulting from the exposure to triazole-treated seeds.

Erratum: Obtaining High-Quality Transcriptome Data from Cereal Seeds by a Modified Method for Gene Expression Profiling.

An erratum was issued for:Obtaining High-Quality Transcriptome Data from Cereal Seeds by a Modified Method for Gene Expression Profiling. Twoauthornames wereupdated. Thenames werecorrected from: ChristianneSeiler NeseSreeenivasulu to: ChristianeSeiler NeseSreenivasulu.

Obtaining High-Quality Transcriptome Data from Cereal Seeds by a Modified Method for Gene Expression Profiling

Obtaining High-Quality Transcriptome Data from Cereal Seeds by a Modified Method for Gene Expression Profiling

Obtaining High-Quality Transcriptome Data from Cereal Seeds by a Modified Method for Gene Expression Profiling.

The characterization of gene expression is dependent on RNA quality. In germinating, developing and mature cereal seeds, the extraction of high-quality RNA is often hindered by high starch and sugar content. These compounds can reduce both the yield and the quality of the extracted total RNA. The deterioration in quantity and quality of total RNA can subsequently have a significant impact on the downstream transcriptomic analyses, which may not accurately reflect the spatial and/or temporal variation in the gene expression profile of the samples being tested. In this protocol, we describe an optimized method for extraction of total RNA with sufficient quantity and quality to be used for whole transcriptome analysis of cereal grains. The described method is suitable for several downstream applications used for transcriptomic profiling of developing, germinating, and mature cereal seeds. The method of transcriptome profiling using a microarray platform is shown. This method is specifically designed for gene expression profiling of cereals with described genome sequences. The detailed procedure from microarray handling to final quality control is described. This includes cDNA synthesis, cRNA labelling, microarray hybridization, slide scanning, feature extraction, and data quality validation. The data generated by this method can be used to characterize the transcriptome of cereals during germination, in various stages of grain development, or at different biotic or abiotic stress conditions. The results presented here exemplify high-quality transcriptome data amenable for downstream bioinformatics analyses, such as the determination of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), characterisation of gene regulatory networks, and conducting transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS).

Development and quality evaluation of wheat based cookies enriched with fenugreek and oat flours.

Cookies are one of the best-known quick snack products. However, the main ingredients used in many countries are wheat and a few cereal seeds. This study was conducted to evaluate the nutritional (chemical composition, physical properties, mineral, and phytochemical) and sensory attributes of cookies produced from wheat alone, and three blends of wheat, fenugreek and oat generated after running a d-optimal design mixture experiment (85:5:10%, 70:10:20%, and 55:15:30%), and when baked at three different temperatures (150, 175, and 200°C). The results indicated that the cookies made from wheat flour supplemented with fenugreek and oat flours had significantly higher protein, fat, crude fiber and energy contents, but lower carbohydrate content. The anti-nutrient contents (phytic acid and condensed tannin) of fenugreek and oat supplemented cookies increased moderately. The mineral content (Ca, Mg, Fe and Zn) of cookies enriched with fenugreek and oat was also improved. The effect of baking temperature on the different response variables varied, and all in all, 175°C was an acceptable compromise. The study showed that cookies made from 70% wheat, 10% fenugreek, and 20% oat and baked at 175°C have the best nutritional content and acceptable sensory attributes.

Low-temperature plasma applications in chemical fungicide treatment reduction

Abstract In order to reduce the environmental burden of chemicals, various new alternatives to seed protection are being sought. Our aim was to find an environmentally acceptable solution leading to the inactivation of seed-borne phytopathogenic fungi Fusarium culmorum on the surface of wheat and barley seeds with a positive effect on their germination. As a low-temperature plasma (LTP) source, a Diffuse Coplanar Surface Barrier Discharge (DCSBD) was used. Plasma generated by DCSBD is non-equilibrium, cold, diffuse, macroscopically homogeneous even in ambient air at atmospheric pressure. Experimental results showed that LTP treatment in the range of 120—300 s significantly inhibits the growth of F. culmorum on the surface of the seeds. The efficiency of LTP treatment was compared with traditional seed protection processes using chemical fungicide and also with combined seed pretreatment by plasma and subsequent application of chemical fungicide. No growth of F. culmorum was observed after the combination of Vitavax 2000 fungicide application in the dose of 10 % and 60 s of LTP treatment even on the 5th day of incubation. Better wettability of seeds with the chemical fungicide was related to the change on seed surface, which becomes hydrophilic after 10 s of LTP application. Short LTP exposure times did not affect germination and improved the growth parameter of cereal seeds. By combining physical (LTP) and chemical (Vitavax 2000) treatments of cereal seeds, it is possible to effectively reduce the required amount of chemical fungicide and to stimulate germination and early growth seed parameters.

Implication of Modified Chemical Profiles of Different Seed Proteins through Heat-Related Processing to Protein Nutrition and Metabolic Characteristics in Ruminant Systems.

The objectives of this study were to reveal the implication of modified chemical profiles of protein in cool-season-adapted cereal seeds through heat-related processing to protein nutrition and metabolic characteristics in ruminant systems. The parameters of protein-related chemical and nutritive profiles modified by heat-related processing included (a) chemical and nutrient profiles, (b) degradation kinetics (Kd and BCP), (c) digestion (IDP and TDP), (d) degraded protein balance (DPB/OEB value), and (e) metabolizable protein (MP, DVE, and FMV values). The seeds used in this study included cool-season-adapted wheat (CSW), triticale (CST), and corn (CSC). Each grain source had 3 consecutive year-replicated samples and were subjected to different heat-related processing: dry heating (DH) and moist heating (MH). The results showed that (1) the heat-related processing significantly modified metabolic characteristics of protein in the seeds (p < 0.05), (2) in comparison to DH, MH had a dramatic improvement (p < 0.05) in protein utilization profiles (decreased rumen degradation and increased intestinal digestion), (3) the seeds had significant (p < 0.05) difference in rumen degradation and intestinal digestion, (4) among the seeds, the CSW had the highest milk value (FMV; p < 0.05) and was increased by MH application (p < 0.05), and (5) the results showed that the seeds responded independently to different heat-related processing. MH-related processing had a more profound impact on CSW and CST in chemical profiles and nutrition. The CSC had less response to the heat-related processing.

Cloning and characterization of Myo-inositol phosphate synthase gene (dlMIPS) and analysis of the putative structure of the enzyme responsible for the accumulation of anti-nutrient phytate in dolichos bean (Dolichos lablab L.)

The major storage form of phosphorus in mature cereal and legume seeds is phytic acid (myo-inositol-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakisphosphate, InSP6) which binds metallic cations such as calcium, zinc, magnesium and iron to form a mixed salt called phytate. Thus, phytates act as anti-nutrients, rendering the minerals unavailable. Myo-inositol phosphate synthase (MIPS) is the major gene for phytate synthesis in legumes and it is characterized only in few major legumes such as soybean, green gram, black gram, cowpea and french bean. Even though dolichos bean is the legume with the highest content of phytic acid (1000–1350 mg/100 g), MIPS gene from this important crop is not characterized yet. For the strategies such as RNA mediated gene silencing, which is potential enough to reduce the level of phytates in crops, mRNA sequence should be completely known. For this purpose, RNA was isolated from the developing seeds and dolichos MIPS cDNA was isolated using one-step RT-PCR system with high fidelity DNA polymerase. From this, dlMIPS gene was cloned and sequence characterized. Gene dlMIPS comprised of 1776 bp with an ORF of 1620 bp, which encodes 539 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequence had shown that dolichos bean is closer to green gram, cowpea and french bean. Secondary and tertiary structures of the enzymes from dolichos bean, cowpea and french bean were predicted through homology modeling and compared. Subsequent prediction and comparative analysis of the active sites of enzyme from these legumes had shown that the ligand binding residues vary among legumes.

THE CONTENT OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE SUBSTANCES WATER-ALCOHOL EXTRACTS OF ASPEN BARK

The aim of this work was to study the bark of aspen growing in the suburban area of Krasnoyarsk and obtain water-ethanol extracts based on it, with different growth-regulating activity. The paper deals with the possible processing of aspen bark with the release of biologically active substances of the phenolic group. Water-ethanol solutions of aspen bark of different concentrations were used as an extractant. The regression equations and the optimum conditions of extraction of the bark of aspen with the allocation of the maximum amount of extractives. Studies have shown that aspen bark contains a variety of groups of biologically active substances, including phenolic group: tannins (tannins from 17.0 to 18.0%) polyphenols (glycosides – 0.71–0.84%), flavonoids – 0.33–0.43%; pigments: (chlorophylls from 0.63 to 0.74%; carotenoids (from 0.52 to 0.55%). The obtained mathematical models were adequate to the studied processes at 95% confidence probability. The optimal values for maximum extraction of extractive substances: the concentration of ethanol was 65%; the duration of the process – 3.5 hours, hydro – 15. In the optimal mode was obtained aspen bark extract, its characteristics coincide with the requirements of TU 9377-162-20680882-10 "raw Materials for the production of biologically active additives "aspen bark Extract "thick". It was established that water-ethanol extracts of aspen bark have depending on the concentration of growth-inhibiting or stimulating activity. In the range of concentrations from 0.1 to 10 g/l, they have an inhibitory effect, with further dilution from 1∙10-2 to 1∙10-4 g/l, a stimulating effect is observed. The tendency of increasing the growth of seedlings of cereals, %: corn – 30, barley – 40 and wheat – 35; legumes, %: peas – 35, beans – 45 and lentils – 25 compared with the control at a concentration of extractive substances of aspen bark 1∙10-3 g/l. the Data obtained may be useful after appropriate sanitary-toxicological studies to increase the germination and germination of seeds of legumes and cereals.

Variations in polyamine conjugates in maize (Zea mays L.) seeds contaminated with aflatoxin B1: a dose-response relationship.

Cereal seeds, such as maize seeds, are frequently contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), one of the most dangerous naturally occurring carcinogens. In plants, phenolamides are involved in biotic stress response. The data on variations of phenolamides in AFB1-containing seeds are limited. Five polyamine conjugates, including two spermidine and three putrescine conjugates, were tentatively identified in methanolic extracts, using HPLC-DAD-MS. The ratio of putrescine to spermidine conjugates changed with increasing AFB1 concentration in a logistic dose-response manner, with a ratio of below 1 up to a concentration of 51.51 μg kg-1 , and approximately 2.54 and 3 at higher concentrations of 177.4 and 308.13 μg kg-1 , respectively. The observed variations of the total antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content may support this biphasic behaviour of the seeds against AFB1 stress. The obtained data are a contribution to the understanding of the roles of polyamine conjugates in seed defence to increasing AFB1 concentrations. According to our knowledge, this study reports for the first time the biphasic response of maize seeds to increasing AFB1 contamination level, comprising the induction of polyamine conjugate accumulation and variation in the ratio of conjugates. This dose-response relationship may provide useful information in the field of agricultural and food chemistry as an indicator of AFB1 contamination level and, hence, for selecting an appropriate seed quality. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Study Regarding the Potential Use of a Spent Microbial Biomass in Fertilizer Manufacturing

A spent biomass, which results from the biopharma industry, is stabilized and functionalized by biosorption with microelements. The efficiency of this new biomaterial was tested in two experiments: 1) In a mixture with soil to determine its effects of the germination capacity of cereals and vegetables, and 2) in a formulation of mixed fertilizers to determine its influence on the development and production of the two types of vegetables. The results obtained during germination experiments performed in pots showed that at a biomass concentration less than 20%, the germination output was greater than 95% and the germination index was almost 1. The experiments performed in land on vegetables (including Solanum lycopersicum and Capsicum annuum) featured six types of fertilizers formulated with new biomaterials. The obtained results indicated that two types of fertilizers (N 10:0:0 and NP 5:5:0), which were formulated with functionalized biomass and featured the microelements Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn, exhibited significant effects when compared with vegetables cultivated on unfertilized soil surfaces (the untreated variant). The studies regarding the effect of the new fertilizers obtained based on spent biomass from biopharma industry indicate the following: a) This material, even if it is stabilized and functionalized, cannot be used as such as a germination substrate for vegetables; in addition, it cannot be introduced into soil together with cereals seeds (during the autumn work), because the germination can be affected negatively; b) the functionalized biomass can be used in the formulation of different types of fertilizers; if these fertilizers are introduced into soil with the autumn plowing, then they may have a positive influence on the yield of some species of vegetable, such as Solanum lycopersicum and Capsicum annum. The new fertilizers have a major environmental impact due to: 1) Removal of waste, which results from pharmaceutical biosyntheses, with significant impact on soil pollution, due to its storage in the form of waste dumps, on the soil; 2) recovery and reinsertion into the natural circuit of nutrients like C, N, P, K, Mg, and Ca contained in spent biomass, by their reuse in agriculture; and 3) high content of compounds with C from spent biomass can improve in time the content of fulvic and humic acids in soil, with a positive effect on soil characteristics from an agronomic point of view.

Antifungal potential of some proteins agricultural plants

The results of studies on the presence in the seeds of legumes and cereals of protein inhibitors that are active against animal proteinases (trypsin) and exogenous peptidases of phytopathogenic microorganisms are presented. It has been shown that secreted proteolytic enzymes of the studied phytopathogens are mainly represented by cysteine proteinases, to a lesser extent, serine and aspartane proteinases are present. It has been established that a close positive correlation between plant resistance to pathogens is observed not with well-known and widespread trypsin inhibitors, but with the activity of inhibitors directed against exogenous peptidases secreted by fungal pathogens of the genus Fusarium, Colletotrichum and Helminthosporium. The results obtained in the course of the work can be used in breeding and genetic studies on the creation of varieties and types of crops with increased resistance to pathogenic microflora and insect pests, as well as to create protective preparations.

Обгрунтування впливу ковшового транспортера на травмування і якість насіння зернових культур

Обгрунтування впливу ковшового транспортера на травмування і якість насіння зернових культур

Determination of the viability of retinispora (Hinoki cypress) seeds using shortwave infrared hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy

The combination of hyperspectral imaging with multivariate data analysis methods has recently been applied to develop a nondestructive technique, required to determine the seed viability of artificially aged vegetable and cereal seeds. In this study, the potential of shortwave infrared hyperspectral imaging to determine the viability of naturally aged seeds was investigated and thereafter a model for online seed sorting system was developed. The hyperspectral images of 400 Hinoki cypress tree seeds were acquired, and germination tests were conducted for viability confirmation, which indicated 31.5% of the viable seeds. Partial least square discriminant analysis models with 179 variables in the wavelength region of 1000–1800 nm were developed with a maximum model accuracy of 98.4% and 93.8% in both the calibration and validation sets, respectively. The partial least square discriminant analysis beta coefficient revealed the key wavelengths to differentiate viable from nonviable seeds, determined based on the differences in the chemical compositions of the seeds, including their lipid and fatty acid contents, which may control the germination ability of the seeds. The most effective wavelengths were selected using two model-based variable selection methods (i.e., the variable importance of projection (15 variables) and the successive projections algorithm (8 variables)) to develop the model. The successive projections algorithm wavelength selection method was considered to develop a viability model, and its application to the raw data resulted in a prediction accuracy of 94.7% in the calibration set and 92.2% in the validation set. These results demonstrate the potential of shortwave infrared hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy as a powerful nondestructive method to determine the viability of Hinoki cypress seeds. This method could be applied to develop an online seed sorting system for seed companies and nurseries.