Germination Of Barley Research Articles

Inhibition of Chitosan with Different Molecular Weights on Barley-Borne Fusarium graminearum during Barley Malting Process for Improving Malt Quality.

There are many Fusarium graminearum contaminations in barley that are often associated with malt and beer quality issues. Thus, it is important to find a biological antifungal agent to prevent the growth of F. graminearum during malting. Minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of chitosan for mycelial growth and spore germination of F. graminearum was 2.6 g/L and 1.6 g/L, respectively, indicating that the F. graminearum strain was highly sensitive toward chitosan. Chitosan with a molecular weight of 102.7 kDa was added at 0.5 g/kg during the first steeping stage, resulting in the maximum inhibition rate of F. graminearm in barley. The biomass of F. graminearm and deoxynivalenol content in the infected barley at the end of germination with 0.5 g/kg chitosan treatment were decreased by 50.7% and 70.5%, respectively, when compared with the infected barley without chitosan. Chitosan could remove the negative effects of F. graminearm infection on barley germination and malt quality, which makes the application of chitosan during the steeping process as a potential antifungal agent in the malting process to protect from F. graminearum infection.

Combined Proteomic and Metabolomic Analysis of the Molecular Mechanism Underlying the Response to Salt Stress during Seed Germination in Barley.

Salt stress is a major abiotic stress factor affecting crop production, and understanding of the response mechanisms of seed germination to salt stress can help to improve crop tolerance and yield. The differences in regulatory pathways during germination in different salt-tolerant barley seeds are not clear. Therefore, this study investigated the responses of different salt-tolerant barley seeds during germination to salt stress at the proteomic and metabolic levels. To do so, the proteomics and metabolomics of two barley seeds with different salt tolerances were comprehensively examined. Through comparative proteomic analysis, 778 differentially expressed proteins were identified, of which 335 were upregulated and 443 were downregulated. These proteins, were mainly involved in signal transduction, propanoate metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant hormones and cell wall stress. In addition, a total of 187 salt-regulated metabolites were identified in this research, which were mainly related to ABC transporters, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and lipid metabolism; 72 were increased and 112 were decreased. Compared with salt-sensitive materials, salt-tolerant materials responded more positively to salt stress at the protein and metabolic levels. Taken together, these results suggest that salt-tolerant germplasm may enhance resilience by repairing intracellular structures, promoting lipid metabolism and increasing osmotic metabolites. These data not only provide new ideas for how seeds respond to salt stress but also provide new directions for studying the molecular mechanisms and the metabolic homeostasis of seeds in the early stages of germination under abiotic stresses.

Punica granatum peel extract mediated green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles: structure and evaluation of their biological applications

The green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) mediated fruit peel extract is gaining importance due to its cost-effectiveness and ecofriendly nature. Herein, ZnO-NPs were synthesized using pomegranate peel extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized ZnO-NPs were characterized using SEM, TEM-SAID, FT-IR, XRD, and particle size analysis. According to the findings, the ZnO-NPs were agglomerated into spherical and hexagonal shapes with an average diameter of 20 to 40 nm and crystallinity formed. The antimicrobial activity of ZnO-NPs against pathogenic microbes was significant in multiple applications, with 62.5 and 31.25 μg/ml of MIC for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively, and 125 and 250 μg/ml of MIC for Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus, respectively. In addition, ZnO-NPs showed antioxidant activity with IC50 = 240 and 250 μg/ml by DPPH and ABTS, respectively. All concentrations of ZnO-NPs significantly improved the germination of barley seed and shoot height, with the optimum concentration reaching 2 and 12 ppm of ZnO-NPs for both seed germination (90%) and shoot height (6.5), respectively, while the greatest root extension (6 cm) was observed at 2 ppm of ZnO-NPs. The mitotic index increased at lower nanoparticle concentrations and exposure times but declined considerably as the nanoparticle dose and exposure duration increased, until most concentrations reached 100% suppression after 12 h with various chromosomal abnormalities. The researchers were able to create efficient, eco-friendly, and simple multifunctional ZnO-NPs using a green synthetic strategy and, in the process, obtain a better understanding of the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of ZnO-NPs in plant cells.

Genome-wide marker effect heterogeneity is associated with a large effect dormancy locus in winter malting barley.

Prediction of trait values in plant breeding populations typically relies on assumptions about marker effect homogeneity across populations. Evidence is presented for winter malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) germination traits that a single, causative, large-effect gene in the Seed dormancy 1 region on Chromosome 5H, HvAlaAT1 (Qsd1), leads to heterogeneous estimated marker effects genome wide between groups of otherwise related individuals carrying different Qsd1 alleles. This led to reduced prediction accuracy across alleles when a model was trained either on individuals carrying both alleles or one allele. Several genomic prediction models were tested to increase prediction accuracy within the Qsd1 allele groups. Small gains (5-12%) in prediction accuracy were realized using structured genomic best linear unbiased predictor models when information about the Qsd1 allele was used to stratify the population. We concluded that a single large-effect locus can lead to heterogeneous marker effects in the same breeding family. Variance partitioning based on large-effect loci can be used to inform best practices in designing genomic prediction models; however, there are likely few cases for which it may be practical to do this. For malting barley, if germination traits are highly associated with malting quality traits, then similar steps should be considered for malting quality trait prediction.

Exogenous Hydrogen Promotes Germination and Seedling Establishment of Barley Under Drought Stress by Mediating the ASA-GSH Cycle and Sugar Metabolism

Exogenous Hydrogen Promotes Germination and Seedling Establishment of Barley Under Drought Stress by Mediating the ASA-GSH Cycle and Sugar Metabolism

ALLELOPATIC EFFECTS OF SOME ESSENTIAL OIL COMPONENTS OF THYME AND ROSE ON GERMINATION: CASE STUDY OF BARLEY

The study was carried out to determine whether different concentrations of essential oil components (geraniol, carvacrol, thymol, and alpha terpinene) and essential oil of thyme (Thymus vulgare) have any allelopathic effects on the germination of barley seeds. The study was carried out in the laboratory environment according to the divided plots experimental design in random plots. At the end of the experiment, the effects of allelochemical types of carvacrol, thymol and geraniol doses on germination rate and seedling dry weight were found to be statistically significant (p<0.01). It was determined that geraniol (0.00245 g), carvacrol (0.01790 g) and thymol (0.02590 g) had the most negative effects on seedling dry weight, respectively. As a result, it was determined that some of the herbal allelochemicals used were effective on the germination of barley seed and seedling growth, and the effect rate increased as the dose increased. Thymol, geraniol and carvacrol showed the most negative effects on the germination rate of barley seed at all doses. On the other hand, adverse effects were determined at high doses of alpha terpinene. All doses of thyme essential oil and low doses of alpha terpinene showed similar effects with the control. As a result; It is thought that essential oil components, which have a negative effect on the germination of barley seed, can be used in the production of plant-based bio-herbicides.

Application of Plackett-Burman Experimental Design for Investigating the Effect of Eight Phytohormones on Malt Quality Parameters

Barley is the major raw material for the malting and brewing industries. Seed germination is a fundamental process for malting and is affected by physical and chemical factors, especially plant hormones. It is well recognized that the phytohormones gibberellic acid (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) are the primary hormones that antagonistically regulate barley germination. Other plant hormones, including auxin (IAA), ethylene (ET), brassinosteroid (BR), jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), cytokinins (CTKs), and strigolactone (SLs) also regulate seed germination by mediating the ABA/GA balance. In this study, the effects of eight hormones added during barley germination were investigated. An efficient design of the experimental method was employed to assess the effect of eight factors (α-amylase, β-amylase, limit dextrinase, β-glucanase, wort sugar profile, FAN, and β-glucan content) on epicotyl and root elongation. Almost all studied phytohormones played a significant role on barley epicotyl elongation. GA, ET, BA (benzylaminopurine), and zeatin (ZEA) exerted an increased effect, while ABA, SA, and BR showed a decreased effect for α-amylase, β-amylase, limit dextrinase, and β-glucanase activity. Results showed that in addition to GA and ABA, that SA, ET, BR, BA, ZEA, and JA also had significant effects on malt quality. The balance between these phytohormones is vital to the malting quality of barley. Future applications of these results could improve current recognition about the effects of phytohormones on malting and provide concrete ideas for enhancing malt quality.

Effect of Aspergillus flavus on Seed Germination and Seedlings Growth of Barley and Some of Associated Weeds

The research was conducted during the 2021 growing season which included a series of experiments to investigate the effect the fungus Aspergillus flavus presence on germination and growth of barley and some barley weeds including annual ryegrass Lolium rigidum, darnel Lolium temulentum and yellow sweet clover Melilotus officinalis. Results of isolation and identification of fungi associated with seedlings roots of barley and the weeds showed that A. flavus was the most prevalent fungus associated with roots and surrounding soil recording the highest frequency among all the found fungi. In plastic pots, Aspergillus flavus was added to the potting soil and tested for its the effect on seed germination and seedlings growth of barley and weeds under study. The results showed after 20 days of planting that the fungus led to an increase in the percentage of germination and fresh weight and lengths of barley seedlings while the presence of the fungus decreased germination and seedlings growth of studied weeds with the highest negative impact on the darnel. Incubation at different temperatures were tested for their effects on A. flavus growth, and results showed that the fungus grows higher when incubated at relatively high temperatures (25-35°C), while the lowest growth was at 15 °C and the fungus did not grow at 10 °C.

Intercropping in Walnut Orchards – Assessing the Toxicity of Walnut Leaf Litter on Barley and Maize Germination and Seedlings Growth

Intercropping arable crops between tree rows has proven to be a great alternative to conventional agriculture in terms of food production sustainability and climate change adaptation. However, close interactions between species in these systems sometimes yield adverse allelopathic effects. In this study, the possibility of intercropping barley and maize in the walnut orchard was investigated in terms of walnut leaf litter toxicity. Leaves from 15 and 30 years old walnut trees were used to prepare water extracts out of freshly fallen leaves and soil with leaves decomposed within. Barley and maize seeds were germinated in these extracts using between paper towels method. Fresh leaf litter extracts slightly reduced barley germination but significantly inhibited both barley and maize seedlings’ growth. The extract from older walnut tree leaves had the most severe toxic effect, and seedlings shoot was more sensitive than root for both species. A significant correlation was observed between extracts pH and seedlings lengths, suggesting the hydrogen-induced injury to the root, which consequently influenced growth. Decomposed leaf litter extract had a promotional effect on barley and maize germination and growth, which shows that appropriate walnut litter management could improve the performance of intercropped walnut systems.

Herbicidal Effects of Chenopodium murale and Coronopus didymus Sm. Residues Against Germination and Early Growth of Hordeum vulgare

This study reports the common problems of weed species that adversely affect the crop productivity of the agriculture crops at a large scale. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of dried application of Chenopodium murale and Coronopus didymus on seed germination and early growth of Hordeum vulgare. The experiment was performed in a randomised block design with three replications under the greenhouse condition in pot culture. Shoots and roots materials were separately dried in shade for 15–20 days, dry powdered shoot and root residues of C. murale and C. didymus were applied at 5 and 10g kg-1 doses to barley seeds in 6” pots with control for three weeks. C. didymus (10g) shoot residues were most inhibitive against germination (31.16%), GVI (0.85), SVI (4.90) and leaf area (3.94 cm2) of barley while 5 g root residues of the weed had least pronounced effect. Root length, shoot length, and dry biomass were most inhibited by C. murale 10 g in both shoot and root residue treatments. Shoot residues were more inhibitive of germination and growth than root residues of both weeds. Chlorophyll accumulation patterns showed mixed results with some treatments even stimulating their concentrations. Root treatments were in general more inhibitive than shoot treatments. All treated seedlings exhibited higher levels of proline accumulation compared to control. At lower dose, C. murale treatments were more inhibitive than C. didymus treatments. There is a great scope of research on these species to isolate and identify the active factors and also to understand their implication in the biocontrol of weeds apart from their potential negative effects on agricultural crops, especially cereal crops, which can be useful to increasing crop production in northern India, namely in Uttar Pradesh

Impact of Combined Osmotic Stress and Prosopis Juliflora Induced Allelopathy on Germination and Recovery of Selected Crops in Tunisia

Few studies has been conducted on interaction between P. juliflora leaf extract sand crop germination under water deficit in arid regions. We conducted laboratory trials in order to evaluate crop species germination and recovery potentials under the combined effects of osmotic stress (0.4, 0.8 and 1 MPa) and allelopathic action of P. juliflora leaf extracts (0, 2.5%, 5% and 10%). Four crop species were assessed: Wheat (Triticum durum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Statistical analyses highlighted a selective negative action of allelopathy on monocots compared to dicots. Combination of osmotic and allelopathic stresses exacerbated the negative effects on seed germination of all four species. Osmotic stress was the dominant factor, whereas allelopathy was the secondary factor when the two stresses were combined. While all treatments reduced germination, even at low stress levels, partial and total recovery levels were reported. Tomato, the least stress tolerant species, showed the highest recovery. In short, leaf extracts of P. juliflora exacerbated the effect of osmotic stress on seed germination of barley and wheat. In addition, the crops displayed differential adaptive strategies when exposed to the combined stresses.

Plant species-specific impact of polyethylene microspheres on seedling growth and the metabolome

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous contaminants. In recent decades, the hazardous impacts of MPs on the environment have raised significant concern. However, little attention has been focused on the interaction between MPs and plants in terrestrial agroecosystems. This study aims to investigate the effects of polyethylene microspheres (PE-MS) on the germination, morphology, and metabolism of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Specifically, seeds were soaked in PE-MS solutions at three concentrations (10, 100, and 1000 mg L−1), while control seeds were treated with distilled water. After five days, the morphological parameters of barley (i.e., shoot and root biomass, length, and average diameter) were significantly affected by PE-MS treatment, even at the lowest concentration, without a dose dependency. On the other hand, the effect of PE-MS on the morphological parameters of cucumber and tomato was evident only at the highest concentration (1000 mg L−1). PE-MS also induced metabolomic reprogramming of shoots and roots in all three plant species. There was a downregulation of fatty acids and secondary metabolites (except in tomato shoots). In addition, the response of amino acids and hormones was highly heterogeneous among species and plant parts. In particular, the response of metabolites changed within species among different plant parts.In conclusion, we found a strong influence of MS-PE on the metabolic profile of the three plant species and a positive priming of seedling growth, especially in barley, where all the morphological parameters considered were significantly improved. Further investigations are needed to fully understand the mechanisms underlying MP-plant interactions, especially in the long term.

A Time to Sow, a Time to Reap: Modifications to Biological and Economic Rhythms in Southwest Asian Plant and Animal Domestication

This paper reviews changes to lifecycle temporality in Southwest Asian plant and animal domestication, exploring their relationship to long-term processes associated with ancient and contemporary globalization. We survey changes under domestication to the timing of seed dispersal, germination, vegetative growth, flowering and maturation in wheat and barley and to birth, reproduction, lactation, wool production and death in sheep, goats and cattle. Changes in biological temporality among domesticates are ultimately related to globally increasing production intensity, geographic diffusion, and agricultural diversity associated with cultivar/breed evolution. Recently, however, increasing crop production intensity and geographic diffusion are accompanied by declining agricultural diversity worldwide. Similar processes are apparent in contemporary economic and cultural globalization, suggesting that long-term agricultural developments might be viewed as a subset of globalization. Moreover, the origin of certain features of contemporary globalization may be traced back to the beginnings of plant and animal domestication. Thus, while biologists since Darwin considered domestication as a model for the study of evolution, we suggest that domestication may also offer a model for the study of globalization.

Heat stress during grain filling regulates seed germination through alterations of DNA methylation in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).

Alterations in DNA methylation levels of ROS, GA and ABA related gene promoters cause transcriptional changes upon imbibition to induce seed germination in barley seeds exposed to heat stress during grain filling. Environmental changes, especially changes in temperature, during seed development affect germination in several plant species. We have previously shown that heat stress during rice grain filling alters DNA methylation, an epigenetic mark important for gene silencing, regulates transcript levels of phytohormone metabolism genes, and delays seed germination. However, whether this phenomenon is present in other plant species remained to be elucidated. In this study, we compared seeds germination of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants grown at 15°C (control) or 25°C (heat stress) during grain filling. Heat stress during grain filling significantly promoted seed germination in comparison with the control. The phytohormone gibberellic acid (GA) and reactive oxygen species produced by NADPH oxidases promote seed germination, whereas phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) suppresses seed germination. We found that in heat-stressed seeds, genes related to ABA biosynthesis (HvNCED1 and 2) were significantly suppressed, whereas genes related to ABA catabolism (HvABA8'OH) and GA biosynthesis (HvHA20ox, HvGA3ox), and NADPH oxidase (HvRboh) genes were significantly upregulated after imbibition. Using MeDIP-qPCR, we showed that the promoters of HvNCED were hyper-methylated, and those of HvABA8'OH1, HvABA8'OH3, HvGA3ox2, and HvRbohF2 were hypo-methylated in heat treated seeds. Taken together, our data suggest that heat stress during grain filling affects DNA methylation of germination-related genes and promotes seed germination in barley.

Molecular Identification and Characterization of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria and their Effect on Seed Germination and Vigour Index of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are a group of useful bacteria that colonize the plant roots and significantly enhances the plant growth promotion. Keeping this in mind, an investigation was performed for the screening of potent PGPR strains for enhancing seed germination and vigour index of Hordeum vulgare (commonly called barley). Rhizobacterial strains were isolated and screened for various plant growth promoting traits, their effect on seed germination and vigour index of barley plant through pot trial, and resistant ability under various temperature and pH range. Based upon 16S rRNA sequencing data, Pseudomonas punonensis LMT03 (R1), Pseudomonas plecoglossicida R4, Pseudomonas aeruginosa DSM50071 (R2) and Alcaligenes faecalis (DBHU5) isolates were selected and showed positive result for IAA production, Phosphate solubilization, ammonia production, catalase activity, siderophore production and MR-VP test. Barley plants treated with P. punonensis and P. plecoglossicida both showed 94.44% of highest seed germination %, while P. aeruginosa and A. faecalis showed 83.11% and 77.33% respectively in comparison to the control plant shows which 49.99% seed germination only. These respective isolates also showed 2.57, 2.37, 2.0 and 1.69 fold of increase in vigour index as compare to the control plants. The above increase in fold in vigour index and seed germination is much higher as compared to earlier reports. Collectively, the data of current study underpin that addition of these PGPRs to barley rhizosphere appears a promising strategy to enhance root and shoot biomass of this important agriculture crop. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report demonstrating the effect of P. punonensis and P. plecoglossicda on barley crop.

Mitigation of acrylamide formation during malt processing

In this study, addition of asparaginase and glycine were tested for mitigation of acrylamide in roasted malt. Free asparagine and reducing sugars increased during germination of barley. Increasing the roasting temperature increased rate of acrylamide formation and browning in malt. Application of asparaginase (3000 and 4000 ASNU/kg) and glycine (3000, 4000 and 5000 ppm) on green malt before kilning had a limiting effect on acrylamide formation at high roasting temperatures. Acrylamide levels decreased around 32% by application of asparaginase at the level of 4000 ASNU/kg. Acrylamide levels decreased around 22% by the application of glycine at the level of 5000 ppm. With the application of enzyme and glycine in combination, the decrease in acrylamide was around 50%. The colour of dark roasted malt samples was not affected from asparaginase treatment; however, application of glycine caused darker colour, probably due to the increased rate of the Maillard reaction. Overall, the results indicated that dark roasted malts with significantly lower acrylamide content can be produced by using asparaginase and glycine treatments.

The Effect of Ozone Treatment on Metabolite Profile of Germinating Barley.

Ozone is widely used to control pests in grain and impacts seed germination, a crucial stage in crop establishment which involves metabolic alterations. In this study, dormancy was overcome through after-ripening (AR) in dry barley seed storage of more than 4 weeks; alternatively, a 15-min ozone treatment could break the dormancy of barley immediately after harvest, with accelerated germination efficiency remaining around 96% until 4 weeks. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and liquid absorption coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were utilized for metabolite profiling of 2-, 4- and 7-day germinating seeds. Metabolic changes during barley germination are reflected by time-dependent characteristics. Alcohols, fatty acids, and ketones were major contributors to time-driven changes during germination. In addition, greater fatty acids were released at the early germination stage when subjected to ozone treatment.

A comprehensive study on multi-mycotoxin screening, changes of mycotoxin residues and fungal community analysis from barley germination to malt

Multi-mycotoxin contamination of barley reduces malt quality and also poses serious health risks to both humans and animals. Among the detected mycotoxins in barley, Fusarium and Alternaria toxins represent severe food safety issues due to their widespread prevalence and strong synergistic toxicity. In this study, the effects of Fusarium and Alternaria fungi and their related toxins were investigated using simulated malting process conditions for contaminated barley samples. The dynamic changes of the fungal community and their associated mycotoxins were analyzed via high-throughput sequencing and UHPLC-q-trap-MS/MS, respectively. The results showed significant differences in the fungal communities between barley grains and their associated malt samples. These differences were noted for the following: fungal community diversity, dominant flora and the fungal structures at phylum, genus, and family level. Additionally, significant changes in the levels of alternariol monomethyl ether, tentoxin, zearalenone, and 15Acetyl-Deoxynivelenone were observed (p < 0.05) during the malting process. These results provide valuable information for strategies aimed at controlling fungal infections and the presence of mycotoxins in malt, so as to ensure food safety and human health.

INFLUENCE OF GROWTH-REGULATING PRODUCTS ON PRODUCTIVITY OF SPRING BARLEY

The vector of biologization in agriculture of the Russian Federation and its focus on organic agriculture emphasize the relevance of the conducted research. It reflects the results of the experiment in 2016-2020 and the results of 2021 of the effect of growth-regulating products on the elements of spring barley crop structure on common black soil in the conditions of Rostov region. The studied products are: Biodux; Trainer; Artafit; Obereg; Fulvohumate. The control is water treatment. Barley agrocenoses were sprayed according to the recommendations: 1st - in the tillering phase, 2nd - in the heading phase. The barley forecrop is sunflower. The area of the experimental plot is 600 m2. The placement of variants is sequential on 25 m2 in a 4-fold repetition. As for Leon variety, it was found that barley field germination in field conditions was 88%. Double treatment of the agrocenoses with growth-regulating product contributed to better plant survival by harvesting time (more than 80%), in particular, with Biodux and Obereg (86 and 87%, respectively). Formation and growth of productive stems up to 1.28-1.33 was observed after the first spraying in the tillering phase. The second spraying in the stalk-shooting phase contributed to formation of heavy grain, Obereg impact was especially outstanding, where the mass of a thousand of grains exceeded the control by 2.9 g. The application of growth-regulating biological products increased the number of grains per head (on average, 1 pc more than in the control). It can be concluded that there is yield increase under the influence of growth-regulating products due to all elements of barley productivity, especially under the influence of Obereg and Biodux.

Ozone Efficiency on Two Coleopteran Insect Pests and Its Effect on Quality and Germination of Barley.

Simple SummaryRhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius) and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) are notorious global pests, destroying various stored grains, including barley, wheat, oats, maize, and rice. Ozone (O3) is a promising fumigant to control pests in stored grain since it can safely and rapidly auto-decompose without leaving residues, however, relatively few studies have focused on the toxicity of O3 on stored grain pests in stored barley. In this study we not only explored the susceptibility of all life stages of R. dominica and T. castaneum in barley seeds to different durations of gaseous O3, but also investigated the effect of O3 on germination ability, seedling growth, and quality of barley. O3 was effective against all life stages of two species in barley under sufficient exposure times without negative impacts affecting the commercial quality of barley. However, the germination ability and seedling growth were adversely impacted at longer O3 exposure times. Thus, it is imperative to select an optimal O3 exposure time to achieve the desired functional outcome, such as malting, animal feeding, and human consumption.Ozone (O3) is a potential fumigant to control pests in stored grain since it can safely and rapidly auto-decompose without leaving residues. In this study, the efficacy of O3 on all life stages of Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius) and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) in barley and the physiological effects on barley and its quality were investigated. Complete control of all life stages of pests was obtained at 700 ppm for 1440 min of ozone exposure without negatively impacting the contents of soluble protein, moisture content, seed colour, hardness, and the weight of thousand barley seeds. The eggs and pupae of these two insects were the more tolerant stages than their larvae and adults. Prolonged exposure times (40 to 1440 min) and mortality assessment intervals (1, 2, and 7 days) increased O3 efficacy due to the reaction characteristics and delayed toxicity. Aging barley seeds appeared to be more sensitive to prolonged ozone duration than new seeds. A total of 20 and 40 min could promote germination rate, and longer O3 exposure (1440 min) was unfavourable for germination and seedling growth. Thus, it is imperative to select an optimal O3 exposure time to transfer ozone into quality contributors of final products and achieve the desired functional outcomes.