Commercial Grain Research Articles

Stress annealing effects on magnetic properties of grain oriented electrical steel under compressive stress

There is a strict relation between Gross National Product and electric energy consumption; consequently, the improvement of electrical machines efficiency is highly desired. Regarding power transformers, power loss of magnetic core sheets increases due to compressive stresses appearing during its operation, decreasing power transformer performance. In this article, the effects of tensile stress annealing on power loss of grain oriented electrical steel under compressive stress are evaluated. To do that, the power loss of two uncoated sheets was measured before and after tensile stress annealing for several magnetic inductions (0.7, 1.0, 1.3, 1.5, and 1.7 T) and compressive stress (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 MPa). This thermomechanical procedure was performed at 500°C, 40 MPa for 10–20 min. Although the tensile stress annealing performance depends on crystallographic texture, a power loss reduction occurs for both samples when compressive stresses were higher than 6 MPa, regardless of magnetic induction. In summary, tensile stress annealing could reduce the deleterious effects of compressive stress on power loss, making commercial grain oriented electrical steel more magnetic uniform and improving power transformer efficiency.

Triticale haploidy <i>in vitro</i> (literature review)

Triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack) is a hybridized grain crop developed from wheat and rye crossings. Today, triticale is a multipurpose commercial grain crop with great potential as a human food and animal feed. The sown area of the new grain crop in the world reached 4 million hectares in 2018, grain production was about 14 million tons. The current climate change, the rapid evolution of pathogens, as well as the requirements of the modern market dictate the necessity for accelerated development of varieties while reducing the cost of their development. The production of double haploids makes it possible to reduce the time required for the development of homozygous lines by an average of 5–7 years. For the mass production of haploid triticale plants in vitro, there are used two methods, namely anther/microspore culture and distant hybridization followed by selective chromosome elimination of the pollinator. The most critical factors for the success of developing haploids in anther culture are a genotype, growing conditions of donor plants, a microspore development stage, stress effects on heads or anthers, and a nutrient media. Among the unresolved problems of the method are a genotypic dependence, a high incidence of albinism and a presence of aneuploids in the androgenic plant progeny. The rye genome is more often involved in chromosomal transformations than the wheat genome. Most aneuploids are nullisomics, most often on the 2R and 5R chromosomes. Nullisomic plants for 2R and 5R chromosomes have fewer number of spikelets per head and fewer number of kernels per head. In order to develop haploids by the method of selective chromosome elimination during distant hybridization, there have been successfully used such grain crops whose pollen is insensitive to Kr-genes, as maize (Zea mays L.) and wild cereal grass ‘Imperata Cylindrical’ (Imperata cylindrical L.). The advantages of the method are less genotypic dependence, absence of albino plants, genetic stability of regenerants, and reduced costs for developing haploid plants. The length of flowering period of ‘Imperata Cylindrical’ and the absence of the need to combine the timing of flowering period of the parents ensure the economy and efficiency of using this species when developing haploid triticale plants. The purpose of the current review was to characterize the methods of mass development of haploid triticale plants, to describe their advantages and disadvantages when being used in the breeding process.

Evaluating soil erosion by introducing crop residue cover and anthropogenic disturbance intensity into cropland C-factor calculation: Novel estimations from a cropland-dominant region of Northeast China

The black-land in Northeast China is one of three black-lands in the world and has become the largest grain producing area and commercial grain base of China. Therefore, black-land soil erosion caused by natural factors and human activities has attracted much attention. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) developed by the Agriculture Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture provides a comprehensive framework for assessing soil erosion and has been widely applied all over the world. Compared with factors such as rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, topography, and conservation practice, the vegetation coverage and management factor (C-factor in RUSLE) of cropland encompasses the most easily optimized measures. However, in some studies, the quantification of C-factor only considers vegetation cover and ignores other farmland management measures due to the limitation of field management information at regional scale, which implies a huge room for improvement in quantification of C-factor. In this study, the quantification of C-factor considered not only vegetation cover but also crop residue cover, agricultural machinery total power, and fertilizer application rate. Among them, the former is related to weakening soil erosivity, and the latter two are related to enhancing soil erosivity. Monitored sediment transport modulus (STM) at the sub-watershed scale was used to compare changes in the estimation accuracy of the soil erosion modulus (SEM) before and after improving the C-factor. The results showed that the improved cropland C-factor in RUSLE produced a better linear fit accuracy between SEM and STM, with an average increase of 0.115 for R2. Moreover, the order of SEM from high to low in different years was: 12.01 t·ha−1·y−1 (2019), 11.43 t·ha−1·yr−1 (2005), 11.17 t·ha−1·yr−1 (2010), 11.01 t·ha−1·yr−1 (2015), and 10.30 t·ha−1·yr−1 (2000), which was positively correlated with interannual variation of precipitation in Northeast China. Spatially, the order of multi-year average SEM in agricultural zones from high to low was as follows: 22.53 t·ha−1·yr−1 (Liaoning Plain and Hilly Zone; LPH), 20.44 t·ha−1·yr−1 (Baekdu Mountain Zone; BM), 15.11 t·ha−1·yr−1 (Western Liao River Zone; WLR), 11.36 t·ha−1·yr−1 (Lesser Khingan Mountain Zone; LKM), 7.56 t·ha−1·yr−1 (Greater Khingan Mountain Zone; GKM), 3.41 t·ha−1·yr−1 (Sanjiang Plain Zone; SJP), 3.14 t·ha−1·yr−1 (Songnen Plain Zone; SNP), and 2.06 t·ha−1·yr−1 (Hulunbuir Grassland Zone; HG), whereas the soil loss amount from high to low in various agricultural zones was in the order of BM > LPH > WLR > GKM > LKM > SNP > SJP > HG. Our study verified the feasibility of improving the C-factor of croplands in areas where cropland is the dominant land-use type. Moreover, our method will contribute to the use of RUSLE with higher precision in other regional-scale soil erosion assessments worldwide.

Improving the efficiency of convective grain drying by using low-intensity RF radiation

Drying (dewatering) of plant products is widely used in various technologies of their processing, transportation and storage. Existing dewatering processes and equipment are very diverse in design and application; their technical and economic performance also varies significantly. The effectiveness of the dewatering process of vegetable raw materials depends on the range of initial and final humidity and a number of physical, mechanical, chemical and other properties of the product, the drying method, technology and technical characteristics of the equipment. characteristics of the equipment. It is particularly difficult to ensure efficient, relatively low-energy drying of grain products, the seeds of which contain moisture in a bound form and are separated from the external environment by a dense seed shell. Currently, the volume of drying and processing of such seeds is increasing and amounts to millions of tons per season. Dried seeds are used to make flour, food additives, spices, medicinal oils and other natural products. The article studies the ways to reduce energy consumption in the main drying method-convective dewatering of commercial grain with low initial humidity. It is shown that the injection of small doses of microwave energy into the drying process - 1-5% of the total convective heating power - can reduce the overall energy intensity of the process by 25-27%.

Wheat Grain Yield Response to Seed Cleaning and Seed Treatment as Affected by Seeding Rate During the 2020–2021 Growing Season in Kansas

The objective of this project was to evaluate the winter wheat stand count and grain yield responses to seeding rate and its interaction with seed cleaning and seed treatment in Kansas during the 2020–2021 growing season. Experiments evaluating the response of the wheat variety SY Monument to three seeding rates (600,000, 900,000, and 1,200,000 seeds per acre), three seed cleaning intensities (none, air screen, and gravity table), and two seed treatments (none and insecticide + fungicide) were established in a split-split plot design conducted in a complete factorial experiment in ten Kansas locations. In-season measurements included stand count and grain yield. Despite a few location-specific results, the general trends were uniform to be generalized across locations as there were significant main effects of population and seed treatment for both stand and yield, but no significant seed cleaning effect or interactions among factors. Across locations, plant population increased with increases in seeding rate from 391,616 to 556,771 plants per acre from the lowest to the highest seeding rate, as expected. Seed treatment increased plant population from 467,778 to 492,211 plants/a. Grain yield increased from 68.8 to 72.5 bushels per acre as function of seeding rate, with higher yields associated with higher seeding rates. Grain yield increased from 69.8 bu/a in the untreated control to 71.8 bu/a when the seed was treated. This research is an initial step in evaluating the value of the seed certification process and does not compare certified seed versus bin-run seed. The seed used in this study was derived from a commercial seed production field (i.e., high quality seed) and not from commercial grain production fields.

Agronomic and commercial potential of compound-inflorescence cowpea lines

Abstract The objective of this work was to select cowpea lines with compound inflorescences that show a high potential to generate the first commercial cultivar with this characteristic in Brazil. Thirty-seven lines were evaluated in a randomized complete block design, with two replicates, in 2021, in the municipality of Teresina, in the state of Piauí. The following traits were evaluated: number of days to the onset of flowering, plant size, commercial grain quality, number of grains per pod, weight of 100 grains, and grain yield. Deviance analyzes were performed by the restricted maximum likelihood/ best unbiased linear predictor methodology, and the values and genetic parameters necessary to carry out simultaneous selection were estimated based on the rank sum index. A statistical difference was detected between the lines evaluated by the likelihood ratio test (LRT). In general, genetic variance was the largest component of phenotypic variance for the evaluated traits. The ten most promising cowpea lines with compound inflorescences are: MNC15-33E-123, MNC15-33E-178, MNC15-33E-222, MNC15-33E-171, MNC15-33E-232, MNC15-33E-223, MNC15-33E-219, MNC15-33E-183, MNC15-33E-91, and MNC15-33E-165. These lines were selected for the next selection stages and show a high potential to generate the first commercial cowpea cultivar with compound inflorescences in Brazil.

Multi-environmental evaluation of sorghum hybrids during off-season in Brazil

Abstract The objective of this work was to simultaneously select pre-commercial grain sorghum hybrids with high adaptability and yield stability, through mixed modeling, in 20 environments, during six years. The evaluated plant material consisted of 57 commercial grain sorghum hybrids. In all experiments, hybrids were arranged in a triple lattice design; some experiments used a 6x6 lattice, and others, a 5x5 lattice. Adaptability and stability parameters were obtained based on the prediction by harmonic mean of the relative performance of genotypic values (HMRPGV). The mixed models proved to be adequate to analyze the genotype x environment (GxE) interaction and the genotypic adaptability and stability studies on grain sorghum. The hybrids that stand out, considering all environments are 1G282, A9904, 50A50, A9902, and XB6022. The A9904 hybrid stands out in favorable environments, with a grain yield above average. Only 1G282 is among the five best hybrids for each group of environments, and it is the best grain sorghum hybrid for yield performance, adaptability, and stability. The predicted genotypic values based on genotypic means can be used in the environments with the same GxE interaction pattern because they are free of the GxE interaction.

Features of the winter bread wheat varieties of unified type developed by the Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”

The current paper has presented the characteristics of the new winter bread wheat varieties of unified type developed by the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. Winter wheat is the most valuable grain food crop grown in vast areas. Breeding plays an important role in increasing production volume and improving grain quality as the basis of the country’s food fund. Expanding grain crops area, among which wheat predominates, there is a problem of crop rotation. Therefore, the development of unified varieties capable of producing stable high grain yields after various forecrops is one of the most urgent areas of breeding work for winter bread wheat. The purpose of the current study was to characterize the new winter bread wheat varieties of unified type developed by the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” according to the main economically valuable traits. Due to the intensive breeding work over the past decade, on the basis of some of the best zoned varieties ‘Ermak’, ‘Stanichnaya’, ‘Donskoy syurpriz’ there was developed a number of new promising genotypes, which are already being used in production sowings of winter wheat in the Rostov region and other regions of our country. The new winter bread wheat varieties of unified type ‘Lydia’, ‘Kapitan’, ‘Lilit’, ‘Krasa Dona’, ‘Volnitsa’, ‘Volny Don’, ‘Zhavoronok’ and ‘Polina’ are more productive than their parental forms. In combination with grain of high quality, resistance to bio and abiotic environmental factors, they are very valuable, beneficial for cultivation and improvement of the production of commercial wheat grain of high quality.

Effect of biostimulant on yield characters of common bean cultivars under Southwestern Goiás conditions

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of biostimulant positioning on common bean cultivars in the southwestern Goiás conditions. The experiment was conducted in the municipality of Mineiros-GO. The experimental design was a randomized block in factorial 6x3, corresponding to the positioning of the Triplus® biostimulator (R5, R5 + R8 and water) in six common bean cultivars (BRS Campeiro, BRS Esteio, BRS Estilo, BRS Marfim, BRS Notavel and BRS Perola) in 4 replicates. The following productive attributes were evaluated: number of pod, number total of grains, number of commercial grains, number of non-commercial grains, mass of commercial grains, thousand grains mass. There was a significant interaction between cultivar x biostimulant as well as the factors alone. At the end of the experiment, it was concluded that the positioning of the biostimulant via foliar in the R5 phenological phase provided the highest yields for all common bean cultivars, especially BRS Estilo (43.87 sc ha-1) and BRS Notavel (43.02 sc ha-1). Biostimulant applications at stage R5 promoted the best results for number of non-commercial grains, mass of commercial grains, thousand grains mass. In the three stratifications used in the dendrogram, it was possible to form two groups of genotypes. Number total of grains, number of commercial grains and number of pod positively correlate with yield.

Comparative Analysis of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities between Farmland and Woodland in the Black Soil Region of Northeast China

The black soil region of northeast China is a critical production base for commercial grain in China. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are widely present in terrestrial ecosystems and play a vital role in ecosystem stability. Here, we investigated the diversity and composition of AMF communities in farmland and woodland from 20 sites in the black soil region of northeast China using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The sequences were classified into 1 phylum, 1 class, 4 orders, 8 families, and 11 genera. Glomerales and Paraglomerales were observed as the most abundant order in farmland and woodland, respectively, and also belonged to abundant orders of the black soil region in northeast China, accounting for more than 90% of the total. Furthermore, Paraglomus, Claroideoglomus, and Glomus were the most abundant genera. Canonical correspondence analysis demonstrated the effect of soil pH, invertase, nitrogen, phosphorus, and soil organic carbon (SOC) contents on AMF community composition. Results from the correlation analysis revealed a reduction in AMF diversity with increases in SOC and phosphorus contents. These findings suggest AMF community composition varied with land use type (farmland and woodland), and provide a basis for protecting and utilizing AMF resources in the black soil region of northeast China.

Grain quality of common bean cultivars under low and high nitrogen dose

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of low and high topdressing doses of nitrogen (N) on the qualitative attributes of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars and indicate cultivars with better grain technological characteristics. The experimental design was randomized blocks in split plots, with four replicates. Plots comprised 16 common bean cultivars of the commercial grain ‘Carioca’, while subplots comprised two N doses: 20 and 120 kg ha-1 applied as topdressing. The following evaluations were carried out: sieve yield (SY), relative grain production on sieves (RGPS), crude protein content (PROT), final water volume absorbed (FVabs), time for maximum hydration (TMH), hydration ratio (HR), cooking time (CT) and resistance to cooking (RC). The results were subjected to analysis of variance by F test and means were grouped by the Scott-Knott test. Multivariate principal component analysis was used to identify processes. The grain quality of common bean is more dependent on the genotype studied than on agricultural management such as nitrogen fertilization. The increase in the N dose applied as topdressing increases the size of common bean grains and their protein content, but with little influence in grain hydration. FVabs and CT depend on the interaction between cultivar and N doses. CT had an inverse correlation with PROT, but it was little pronounced. The cultivars BRSMG Uai, IAC Alvorada, TAA Dama and TAA Bola Cheia have the best grain quality characteristics. Highlights: Cultivar interferes more in the common bean technological quality than nitrogen fertilization. Grains crude protein content had an inverse correlation with the cooking time. Nitrogen fertilization increases the grains size and crude protein content of common bean, but with little influence in grain hydration. The cultivars BRSMG Uai, IAC Alvorada, TAA Dama and TAA Bola Cheia have the best grain quality characteristics.

Tally-based thresholds as an alternative to density-based thresholds for sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in grain sorghum

Sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari Zehtner (Hemiptera: Aphididiae), has become a major pest of grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, in North America since being detected in 2013. A density-based economic threshold of 40 aphids per leaf has been established for hybrids susceptible to the aphid. Direct counts of aphids are needed for use of density-based thresholds, but the counts are time-consuming and may rely on estimation of numbers of aphids in clusters which may vary in accuracy. Therefore, a tally-based threshold was considered by evaluating the aphid infestation proportion – aphid density relationship for three selected tallies, validating the tally-based approach in decision-making, and comparing time efficiency of the two approaches. Using data collected at three Texas locations from 2015 to 2018, linear and polynomial regressions for tallies of >25, >50, and >100 aphids per leaf were related to aphid densities, with polynomial regressions providing the best fit. Solving the equations, tally threshold proportions of 0.23, 0.16, and 0.11 using a tally of >25, >50, and >100 aphids per leaf, respectively, were equivalent to a density-based threshold of 40 aphids per leaf. In a validation exercise using 50 and 100 aphids per leaf tally thresholds and a fixed sample size of 100 leaves from five commercial grain sorghum fields of varying aphid density, the tally threshold infestation proportion derived from the polynomial regressions produced the same management decision in all cases. Additionally, the tally-based threshold approach was more time efficient than the density-based approach, requiring half the time to sample 100 leaves.

Introduction of the cereal leaf beetle parasitoid Tetrastichus julis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) into California

ABSTRACT In 2013, cereal leaf beetle was reported for the first time in California. Most likely it moved south from Oregon into the state’s northern region. In response, the gregarious larval endoparasitoid Tetrastichus julis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was collected and transferred to a field insectary at the University of California Intermountain Research and Extension Center in Tulelake. From 2014 to 2018 the insectary was maintained to propagate T. julis for redistribution to commercial grain fields in northern California experiencing infestations by this pest. Sequential plantings of oats, preceded by winter wheat at this insectary provided a constant source of pre-head, lush oats throughout the summer. In turn, a reliable source of cereal leaf beetle hosts was produced for T. julis, which also increased in numbers. These parasitoids were released into infested commercial fields of wheat in the Klamath Basin region of northern California. Over four years beginning in 2016, annual surveys of the region showed that cereal leaf beetle populations declined while T. julis rapidly increased. Our releases, in addition to the natural spread of this parasitoid south from Oregon played a key role in the beetle population declining by nearly 90% over this period.

Effects of physical and chemical properties on the dissolution of sea salt

Salt plays a crucial role in human health. However, excess use of NaCl in food products can be harmful to health. One suggestion for this problem is optimization salt dissolution to increase the content of salt ions in the mouth. For this purpose, it is important to understand the solubility properties of salt crystals in saliva. The dissolving process is not only affected by the physical properties but also by the chemical composition of the salt. This study compared the solubility of four commercial grain salts in four regions in Vietnam (Bac Lieu, Thanh Hoa, Sa Huynh, Vung Tau), one flower salt in Sa Huynh and a control sample with two particle sizes 1 - 2 mm and 2 - 3 mm in a Saliva Artificial Gal – Fovet solution (SAGF). Dissolution was determined by analyzing microscopic images taken by the time and analysis by Bayesian and Partial Least Squared methods. The research evaluated the influence of physical properties (area, Feret's diameter, circularity, aspect ratio and solidity) and chemical compositions (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and moisture content) on the dissolving process. Salt samples showed significant differences in physical and chemical properties by region. Morphological parameters are affected by conditions of salt crystallization that indicated through region of origin. Dissolution is evaluated through solubility coefficient, Sa Huynh flower salt and control salt have the highest solubility coefficient, simultaneously, it is also the smallest value of roundness and surface index. The projected area, magnesium and sodium content are the factors which strongly affecting on dissolution of salt samples. These results demonstrated the possibility to exploit these factors to adjust the solubility of salt as well as the perceived salinity over time.

Digital PCR for Genotype Quantification: A Case Study in a Pasta Production Chain.

Simple SummaryDigital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) is a breakthrough technology able to provide an absolute quantification of the target sequence through the compartmentalization of the sample and independent amplifications of the numerous separate compartments. Such technology has recently found several applications in plant science; however, to the best of our knowledge, it has never been applied until now for the detection and quantification of a specific plant variety along a production chain. As proof of concept, a dPCR assay targeted to the quantification of a durum wheat variety routinely used in an Italian premium pasta production chain has been developed.Digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) is a breakthrough technology based on the partitioning of the analytical sample and detection of individual end-point amplifications into the separate compartments. Among the numerous applications of this technology, its suitability in mutation detection is relevant and characterized by unprecedented levels of precision. The actual applicability of this analytical technique to quantify the presence of a specific plant genotype, in both raw materials and transformed products, by exploiting a point polymorphism has been evaluated. As proof of concept, an Italian premium pasta production chain was considered and a dPCR assay based on a durum wheat target variety private point mutation was designed and evaluated in supply-chain samples. From the results obtained, the assay can be applied to confirm the presence of a target variety and to quantify it in raw materials and transformed products, such as commercial grain lots and pasta. The performance, costs, and applicability of the assay has been compared to analytical alternatives, namely simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and genotype-by-sequencing based on Diversity Arrays Technology sequencing (DArTseqTM).

Strategy for DNA extraction and detection from insect pests in stored home grain samples RESEARCH

Stored grains are subjected to infestations with more than 60 species of insects, that responsible for millions of dollars’ loss and cause several health problems including allergies and gastrointestinal disorders. Traditional detection techniques are laborious, expensive and not sensitive to detect insect contamination at the egg and larvae stages. Therefore, alternative methods are needed for rapid and sensitive detection. One obvious approach is to develop a molecular approach utilizing genetic information of the potential insect species that infest grains for amplification of specific target gene fragment utilizing polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. In the present study, a number of known infested grain samples were used in standardizing a method to isolate larvae and adult insects that were based on centrifugation washing method and a filtration washing method. The isolated insects were subjected to DNA extraction and PCR amplification of defined regions of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene followed by sequencing to identify the di"erent pest species. For PCR amplification new primers were designed and for this purpose the obtained COI sequences from di"erent insects were aligned to design two sets of primers (named: COI-PCR4 and COI-PCR5) specific for the indicated insect mitochondrial COI gene. The designed primers were tested for their specificity and sensitivity. The suitability of PCR primers and DNA extraction methods were evaluated on eleven samples of commercial grains utilizing each primer set with the two extraction methods.

Tensorial permeability microstructure model considering crystallographic texture and grain size for evaluation of magnetic anisotropy in polycrystalline steels

ABSTRACT A finite element microstructure model with permeability tensors that considers crystallographic texture and grain size based on magnetic domain theory has been developed for the evaluation of magnetic anisotropy in polycrystalline steels. The model has proved capable of capturing the crystallographic texture, the grain size and the vector induction effects on the effective permeability behaviours for typical textures in steels. The predicted magnetic properties as a function of the magnetic field direction enables a quantitative characterisation of the magnetic anisotropy. The predicted effective permeability maps can serve as a visual indication of the crystallographic texture from magnetic values. These features have been experimentally validated against a commercial grain oriented electrical steel featuring strong texture and magnetic anisotropy.

Temporal and spatial distributions of precipitation on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain during 1960–2019, China

AbstractThe Huang-Huai-Hai Plain is an important commercial grain production base in China. Understanding the temporal and spatial variations in precipitation can help prevent drought and flood disasters and ensure food security. Based on the precipitation data for the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain from 1960 to 2019, this study analysed the spatiotemporal distribution of total precipitation at different time scales using the Mann–Kendall test, the wavelet analysis, the empirical orthogonal function (EOF), and the centre-of-gravity model. The results were as follows: (1) The winter precipitation showed a significant upward trend on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, while other seasonal trends were not significant. (2) The precipitation on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain shows a zonal decreasing distribution from southeast to northwest. (3) The application of the EOF method revealed the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of the precipitation field. The cumulative variance contribution rate of the first two eigenvectors reached 51.5%, revealing two typical distribution fields, namely a ‘global pattern’ and a ‘north-south pattern’. The ‘global pattern’ is the decisive mode, indicating that precipitation on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain is affected by large-scale weather systems. (4) The annual precipitation barycentres on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain were located in Jining city and Taian city, Shandong Province, and the spatial distribution pattern was north-south. The annual precipitation barycentres tended to move southwest, but the trend was not obvious. The annual precipitation barycentre is expected to continue to shift to the north in 2020.

Influence of Mn and TiB<sub>2</sub> on the Microstructural Evolution of the Primary α-Al Grains and Fe Containing Intermetallic in the Wrought Al-Mg-Si Alloy

The most popular aluminium alloy used for the automotive applications is the wrought-Al alloy, where its popularity arises from its intrinsic characteristics such as, excellent formability, crash resistance, corrosion resistance and excellent specific strength. In the coming decades the use of aluminium alloys is expected to increase within automotive and aerospace industries, where this will source for an upsurge in Al recycling. Problems arise during Al recycling, where there is a steady build-up of Fe content, as this is recognised as being an impurity element. Fe has very little solubility in Al in its solid state and precipitation of these Fe intermetallics (IMC), in the Al matrix decrease mechanical properties, due to the Fe IMC brittle nature. These Fe-rich IMC also have very little cohesion to the Al matrix and can separate from the Al matrix resulting in the development of voids, where the initiation of microcracks becomes ostensible when subjected to thermomechanical processing. In order to curtail the damaging effect of the Fe IMC it so of importance to alter the nucleation and growth characteristic of the Fe rich IMC during solidification. Addition of trace elements and the manipulation of cooling rates have shown to be an effective technique to alter the Fe IMC morphology. In order observe the morphological evolution of the Fe IMC, various experiments were conducted using Al-1Si-1Mg-1Fe alloy with the addition of Mn and TiB2-based commercial grain refiner. Microstructural analysis of the primary α-Al and Fe IMC are observed and the morphological evolution of the Fe IMC is analysed with respects to the addition of Mn and TiB2. How the addition of these trace elements influence the growth characteristics and chemistry of the Al melt is also presented in this work.

Risk assessment of coffees of different qualities and degrees of roasting

During the coffee beans roasting process, occurs the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are associated with the incidence of cancer in humans. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of coffee bean quality and roasting degree regarding mutagenicity, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. Six samples of coffee drink made with roasted and ground Coffea arabica beans from different qualities and roast degrees were used after freeze-drying. Both commercial and special quality grains suffered light, medium and dark roasting. According to the Salmonella/microsome assay, the highest concentration of commercial grain sample (dark roast) significantly increased the number of revertants of the TA98 strain in the absence of metabolization. All the samples induced cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells. These effects can be ranked in the following order from most to least toxic: medium roast – special grain > light roast – special grain > dark roast – commercial grain > dark roast – special grain > light roast – commercial grain > medium roast – commercial grain. None of the samples induced genotoxicity in HepG2 cells. Our findings show that the harmful effects of coffee depend not only on the degree of roasting but also on the grain quality.