Cool-season Cereals Research Articles

Quantifying cereal crop movement through hemispherical video analysis of agricultural plots

BackgroundViolent movement of crop stems can lead to failure under high winds. Known as lodging, this phenomenon is particularly detrimental to cool-season cereals such as oat, barley, and wheat; contributing to yield and economic losses. Phenotyping the movement of cereal crops in real-time could aid in the breeding and selecting of lodging resistant cereals. Since no methods exist to quantify dynamic, real time plant responses in an agricultural setting, we devised a video analysis protocol to quantify mean frequency and amplitude of plant movement for a 360° field of view camera system.ResultsWe present both the image analysis method for identifying predefined regions of a 2D field design as they appear on 360° field of view video, as well as a signal processing pipeline to quantify movement from time varying color signals from plot canopies within these predefined field regions. We detected significant differences in the natural frequency and amplitude of plant movement from video of 16 cereal cultivars planted in a randomized complete block design on five different windy days. Natural frequencies quantified by this method averaged 1.37 Hz, while over 2.5-fold differences in amplitude within similar frequency ranges were detected across the 16 cereal cultivars.ConclusionsThis method is sensitive enough to systematically differentiate small frequency and amplitude differences in cultivar movement, and shows promise for investigating the physiological basis for differences in cereal movement and lodging resistance. The relative accuracy of the plot demarcation protocol suggests it could be used for other high-throughput phenotyping applications that require both high image resolution and a large field of view.

An alternative statistical model for the assessment of dry matter accumulation in cool season cereals: Cox Regression

In this study, the growing behaviors of some cool season cereals (bread wheat, rye, durum wheat and barley) cereals were modeled simultaneously during the two growing seasons. For this purpose, Cox Regression was proposed as an alternative to the preferred regression methods in previous studies. In the study, based on the seasonal data of two different season growing seasons (2012-2013, 2013-2014 and both), each of which has 5 replicates 27 samples, growth rates of these cereals via dry matter accumulation quantities were explained in three different models. For this purpose, the dry matter accumulation amounts were fitted to the survival data and Cox Regression method, which uses the hazard function, the rate of occurrence of a particular event, was preferred. As a result, each model was found to be very important (p <0.000). It was determined that i) the fastest growing species was barley, ii) dry matter accumulation decreased as temperature increased, and iii) dry matter accumulation in crops changed during each growth season.

Mirza (Hacızade) Gökgöl (1897–1981): the great explorer of wheat genetic resources in Turkey

Mirza (Hacizade) Gokgol (1897–1981) was a leading agro-ecological plant scientist, agronomist and breeder in Turkey. Gokgol carried out extensive breeding programmes extensively selecting from local plant genetic resources from across Turkey from 1925 till the 1950s. He collected and evaluated cultivars, landraces and wild relatives, predominantly of wheat, but also of barley, lentil and other crops in Turkey during 1929–1955. He published books on wheat and other cereals, potatoes, castor bean, sweet clover, poppy, and other crops. He was a hardworking pioneer utilizing wheat genetic resources for crop improvement. Since his ample work has hardly been accessible by the English-speaking scientific community today, we are providing an overview of his major work, mainly on wheat. The books he published can still be found in libraries, although with difficulties. However, his articles, leaflets etc., are hardly accessible. Some of them are: Turkish Wheats, vols. 1 and 2, Plant Breeding through Scientific Methods (1928, translation of a book by E. Baur), The Basics of Wheat Breeding (1954), and Agriculture and Breeding of Cool Season Cereals–Wheat, Rye, Barley, and Oats (1969). In addition to the summary of his books, we reviewed his views and discussions about the centres of origin and diversity, and compared with those of Vavilov.

Plant microfossils in human dental calculus from Nemrik 9, a Pre-Pottery Neolithic site in Northern Iraq

Samples of dental calculus were taken from 11 human individuals buried at Nemrik 9, a Pre-Pottery Neolithic site in Northern Iraq. All of them represented the time span of ca. 9100–8600 bp. In total, 95 microfossils were retrieved from these samples, including 70 phytoliths, 9 starch granules or clusters of starch, 3 pollens, and 1 xylem fragment. Most microfossils could be attributed to C3 cool season cereals, most likely wheat and barley, which is consistent with previous knowledge about the composition of crops in early farming communities living in the Fertile Crescent. In addition, three phytoliths and one starch granule typical of C4 warm season grasses were recovered including one subangular and faceted starch granule, which might derive from a native grass, but is not diagnostic of any genus. Prior to assigning diagnostic status to this starch, exhaustive reference work on native grass seeds is necessary. The presence of one Phragmites phytolith suggests non-alimentary processing of reeds using teeth or perhaps using the stem of this grass as a toothbrush or toothpick.

47. Teff & Fonio – Africa’s sustainable cereals

‘Cereals’ are species of grasses (members of the Poaceae family, commonly termed the Gramineae in the past) which supply edible seeds. Wheat, Barley, Oats and Rye are principal cool-season cereals,...

Analysis of growth response of cool season cereals and #8220;wheat vs. rye and #8221; grown in organic and inorganic soils

Plant growth response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) vs. rye (Secale cereale L.) to organic and inorganic soils was performed at 30, 60 and 90 days after emergence (DAE). A pot experiment was conducted at The Dryland Agriculture Institute, West Texas A&M University Texas, USA, during winter 2009-2010 using three organic soil mixtures (potting soil/compost) [Miracle Grow (MG), Sunshine Peat Moss (SPM), and Garden Basic Peat Humus (GBPM)], and two inorganic soils [Canyon Soil (CS) and Amarillo Soil (AS)]. The following measurements were performed to quantify plant growth: leaf area plant-1 (LAPP), leaf area expansion rate (LER), specific leaf area (SLA) , leaf area ratio (LAR), plant height, stem elongation rate (SER) , root length (RL), number of roots plant-1 (NRPP) number of tillers plant-1 (NTPP), stem girth, carbon exchange rate (CER), absolute growth rate (AGR), crop growth rate (CGR), and net assimilation rate (NAR) The experiment was performed in completely randomized design with three replicates. The objective of this experiment was to check whether growth response of wheat vs. rye differ under organic and inorganic soils? The results revealed that both crops responded differently in terms of growth at different crop growth stages under organic and inorganic soils. The planned mean comparison indicated that both wheat and rye grown under organic soils had higher LAPP, LER, SLA, LAR, plant height, SER, root length, NRPP, NTPP, AGR and CGR than crops grown under inorganic soils. Interestingly, the stem girth, CER and NAR declined under organic soils as compared with inorganic soils. The leaf characteristics (LAPP, LER, SLA and LAR) was greater under GBPM > MG > SPM > AS > CS, and rye performed better than wheat at different growth stages. Plant height, SER and root lengths was higher under MG > GBPM > SPM > AS > CS, however no significant differences were found between the two crops at different growth stages. The NRPP and NTPP were more under MG > GBPM > SPM > AS > CS, and rye performed better than wheat. The AGR and CGR values were more under MG > GBPM > SPM > AS > CS, rye performance was good at 60 DAE, and wheat ranked first at 30 and 90 DAE. Both AGR and CGR values were higher at 90 > 60 > 30 DAE indicated increase with the passage of time. The AGR and CGR showed positive relationship with increase in LAPP, LER, plant height, root length, NRPP and NTPP. The shoot to root ratio decreased with the passage of time and showed negative relationship with increase in root length.

Cool Season C3-Grasses (Wheat, Rye, Barley, and Oats) Differ in Shoot: Root Ratio When Applied With Different NPK Sources

Shoot:root (S:R) response in four winter C3-grasses (cereals) viz. wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), rye (Secale cereale L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and oats (Avena sativa L.) was investigated under eight different NPK sources (S1 = 20-20-20, S2 = 20-27-5, S3 = 7-22-8, S4 = 10-10-10-20S, S5 = 11-15-11, S6 = 31-11-11, S7 = 24-8-16, and S8 = 19-6-12) in pot experiment at Dryland Agriculture Institute, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas, USA during winter 2009–2010. The experiment was performed in completely randomized design (CRD) with three repeats. The objective of this experiment was to investigate whether the S:R of winter cereals differ or not when applied with different NPK sources. Considerable variations in the shoot: root was noticed in the four grasses at different growth stages, i.e., 30, 60 and 90 days after emergence (DAE) when applied with different NPK fertilizers sources. Wheat had the highest S:R of 3.4 at 30 days after emergence (DAE), barley at 60 DAE (6.5), while oats at 90 DAE (3.9). Among the NPK sources, crops had the highest S:R of 3.6, 6.2 and 3.7 when applied with S3, S2, and S6 at 30, 60 and 90 DAE, respectively. Shoot to root ratio showed positive relationship with increase in shoot weight and negative relationship with increase in root weight. The NPK fertilizer S6 (31: 11: 11), an acid loving fertilizer had negative effects on the shoot and root development of cool season cereals, but among these cereals under study, barley and oats roots were affected more than wheat and rye. It was concluded from this present study, that the four cool season cereals responded differently in terms of shoot: root to different NPK fertilizers at different growth stages.

Caracterização espectral multitemporal dos cereais de estação fria em imagens de satélite com média resolução espacial

A fim de avaliar os padrões de resposta de áreas cultivadas com cereais de estação fria destinados para pastagens e para produção de grãos em imagens de satélite, foram analisados perfis temporais de índice de vegetação por diferença normalizada (NDVI), adquiridos em 29 áreas cultivadas com trigo e azevém anual, nos Estados do Rio Grande do Sul e Paraná. Para cada área foi informada a espécie cultivada (trigo ou azevém anual) e a coordenada do ponto central da área adquirido por meio do Global Positioning System (GPS). Foram usadas as imagens do sensor MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer), com resolução espacial de 250 metros, sobre cada área monitorada, de onde os valores de NDVI foram extraídos. Os perfis temporais de NDVI mostraram que os cultivos de produção de grãos têm um comportamento espectral típico de cultivos agrícolas, enquanto que, nas áreas cultivadas para a produção de pastagem, não foi observado esse mesmo padrão. As diferenças nos padrões temporais observadas se devem a modificações que o pastoreio impõe na fenologia e na morfologia dessas plantas.

Deep sequencing of Brachypodium small RNAs at the global genome level identifies microRNAs involved in cold stress response

BackgroundMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNAs having large-scale regulatory effects on plant development and stress responses. Extensive studies of miRNAs have only been performed in a few model plants. Although miRNAs are proved to be involved in plant cold stress responses, little is known for winter-habit monocots. Brachypodium distachyon, with close evolutionary relationship to cool-season cereals, has recently emerged as a novel model plant. There are few reports of Brachypodium miRNAs.ResultsHigh-throughput sequencing and whole-genome-wide data mining led to the identification of 27 conserved miRNAs, as well as 129 predicted miRNAs in Brachypodium. For multiple-member conserved miRNA families, their sizes in Brachypodium were much smaller than those in rice and Populus. The genome organization of miR395 family in Brachypodium was quite different from that in rice. The expression of 3 conserved miRNAs and 25 predicted miRNAs showed significant changes in response to cold stress. Among these miRNAs, some were cold-induced and some were cold-suppressed, but all the conserved miRNAs were up-regulated under cold stress condition.ConclusionOur results suggest that Brachypodium miRNAs are composed of a set of conserved miRNAs and a large proportion of non-conserved miRNAs with low expression levels. Both kinds of miRNAs were involved in cold stress response, but all the conserved miRNAs were up-regulated, implying an important role for cold-induced miRNAs. The different size and genome organization of miRNA families in Brachypodium and rice suggest that the frequency of duplication events or the selection pressure on duplicated miRNAs are different between these two closely related plant species.

Transferability of Microsatellite Markers Among Cool Season Cereals

ABSTRACTMicrosatellite markers are powerful tools for many evolutionary and genetic studies. They provide high level of polymorphism and information in cereal genomic research. However, development of microsatellite markers is extremely expensive and both time and labor consuming because of the requirement of prior sequence knowledge for design of locus specific primers. Therefore, use of microsatellite markers developed for one species could be very valuable for related species. In the present study we investigated the possibility of SSR marker transferability among cool season cereals. Transferability of 27 wheat and 23 barley microsatellites were studied using five wheat, five barley, two oat and two rye cultivars. Transferability of the barley SSR markers to wheat was 69.6%(16/23), to oat 43.5%(10/23) and to rye 52.2%(12/23). Of 27 wheat SSR markers 20(74%) were amplified in barley, 20(74%) in oat and 19(70.4%) in rye. These results show that about two or three out of every four microsatellites can be used in related cereal genera.

Use of dry matter content as a rapid and low-cost estimate for ranking genotypic differences in water-soluble carbohydrate concentrations in the stem and leaf sheath of Triticum aestivum

Stem water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) are an important source of temporary carbohydrate reserve in cool-season cereals. Genotypic variation in stem WSC concentration in wheat at anthesis is often positively associated with grain weight and yield in water-limited environments. In this study we have examined the relationship between dry matter content (DMC, dry weight per unit of fresh weight) and WSC concentration in field-grown bread wheat. Strong correlations (r = 0.92–0.95) were observed between DMC and WSC concentration in the stem and leaf sheath from the top two or three internodes of recombinant inbred lines from a cross between Seri M82 and Babax, at anthesis or 1 week after anthesis, in several field experiments. This strong correlation was also observed in diverse genotypes grown under rainfed or irrigated conditions. DMC and WSC concentration were also positively correlated in the whole above-ground biomass of wheat at anthesis (r = 0.74–0.91). Measurement of stem and leaf sheath DMC and WSC concentration in a small number of samples would allow the rapid prediction of WSC concentrations in a large number of field samples with reasonable accuracy, as demonstrated in a small dataset in this study. These data indicate that DMC can serve cereal breeding as a rapid and low-cost selection tool for genotypic ranking of WSC concentrations in breeding populations.

The suitability of cool- and warm-season annual cereal species for winter grazing in Saskatchewan

Winter grazing is a practice that can reduce feeding cost for cattle production. Current production has been utilizing traditional cool-season cereals for winter grazing. Warm season (C4) cereals also have the potential to be adapted to winter grazing in Saskatchewan. The objective of this study was to evaluate cool and warm season annual cereal species for adaptation, quality, and dry matter production in annual fall and winter grazing systems. Two seeding dates, nine treatments and two harvest times were used at sites across Saskatchewan over 3 yr. The crops in this trial have significant differences in maturity and dry matter yield. Seeding date did not consistently affect dry matter yield. Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] and sorghum-sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor (L.) × S. arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf var. sudanense (Stapf) Hitchc.] had low dry matter yields and were poorly adapted to Saskatchewan. The proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) cultivar, Crown, and the foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) cultivars, Red Siberian and Golden German, hadyields similar to oat (Avena sativa L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), but lower than high-input corn (Zea mays L.). Corn haddry matter yield that was similar to barley and oat but yield variability across sites and years was higher for corn. Delaying the harvest lowered the protein concentration of all the crops except pearl millet and sorghum-sudangrass. There were significant changes in acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) due to a cultivar ×harvest timing interaction. Weathering in the windrow until December did not significantly reduce the quality of the forage. Golden German foxtail millet is well adapted for swath grazing in eastern Saskatchewan. More data are required to determine its adaptability in central and western Saskatchewan and the adaptability of corn in all of Saskatchewan. Key words: Avena sativa L., Hordeum vulgare L., Setaria italica L., Panicum miliaceum, Zea mays L., swath grazing