This study evaluated nutritional and anti-nutritional qualities of raw (RM), fermented (FM), and germinated (GM) yellow maize (Zea mays) using traditional home methods. All analyses were performed according to standard procedures. Proximate analysis revealed that germination increased the fiber (10.19 g/100 g) and fat contents, whereas fermentation increased the crude protein (13.56 g/100 g) and carbohydrate (74.03 g/100 g) contents. Antinutrients varied with processing: total phenols decreased from 0.50% in raw maize (RM) to 0.05% in germinated maize (GM); phytate ranged from 289.87 to 450.56 mg/100 g; alkaloids ranged from 7.28 to 12.48%; and tannins ranged from 5.39 to 9.17 mg/100g. The total amino acid content was 82.18 (RM), 79.79 (FM), and 82.33 (GM) g/100 g of crude protein, with valine being the first-limiting amino acid. Germination improved protein quality, whereas fermentation reduced the presence of certain anti-nutrients and protein content. These findings demonstrate that both methods can enhance the nutritional value of maize, thereby supporting the development of an improved maize-based diet.

Occurrence and ecological risks of potentially toxic elements in composts from recycling facilities at Himalayan cities, India: Unveiling the route of waste-to-soil contamination.

High-quality soybean seeds possess genetic, physical, and physiological characteristics that directly influence crop yield. The use of hyperspectral sensors combined with machine learning (ML) can streamline and accelerate seed germination testing. Therefore, the objectives of this study were: (i) to evaluate whether leaf and seed reflectance can effectively predict the physiological quality of soybean seeds using ML algorithms, and (ii) to identify which algorithm provides the highest prediction accuracy. Thirty-two soybean genotypes were evaluated in a controlled experiment. Leaves and seeds were analyzed using a hyperspectral sensor capable of measuring reflectance across the 350 to 2500 nm range. The resulting data were subjected to ML analysis with two types of input: spectral variables from leaves and seeds. The output variables predicted included germination test (GERM), electrical conductivity (EC), first germination count (FGC), vigorous tetrazolium test (VIG-TZ), and viable tetrazolium test (VIAB). Predictions were performed using stratified 10-fold cross-validation with ten repetitions (100 runs per model). All model parameters were set to the default configuration in Weka version 3.8.5. The ML models used for prediction included artificial neural networks (ANN), REPTree and M5P decision trees, random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and ZeroR, with the latter serving as a control algorithm. The models showed consistent performance in predicting physiological variations in seeds, with better results when seed reflectance was used as input. For germination (GERM), the M5P, RF, and SVM algorithms obtained the highest correlations (r = 0.565–0.575). In predicting electrical conductivity (EC), M5P showed greater accuracy with leaf data (r = 0.506), while SVM performed best with seed data (r = 0.658). For first germination count (CPG), M5P was the most accurate with leaf data (r = 0.720), while M5P, RF, and SVM showed r between approximately 0.735 and 0.777 with seed data. In tetrazolium vigor (TZVG), RF showed the best performance (MAE 0.25), again highlighting seed reflection, which resulted in the lowest errors and highest correlations. Overall, the M5P, RF, and SVM algorithms achieved the most robust results, especially when used with seed spectral data. The highest germination prediction accuracy was achieved by the M5P, SVM, and RF algorithms for both input types. Seed reflectance yielded the best accuracy and the lowest MAE and RMSE values. Leaf reflectance also enabled accurate predictions, indicating that this input can serve as an early, in-field strategy for predicting soybean seed physiological quality.

Abstract The utilisation of sorghum flour in food processing remains limited due to its hard grain texture, poor functional properties, and the presence of anti‐nutritional compounds such as tannins and phytic acid. To enhance its technological and nutritional applicability, two sorghum varieties (SL 45 and SL 46) were subjected to dry heat (HT), heat‐moisture treatment (HMT), and germination (GT). The treated flours were evaluated for their physicochemical characteristics, bioactive profiles, anti‐nutritional factors, in vitro starch digestibility, X‐ray diffraction, and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy properties. All three treatments significantly ( p ≤ 0.05) reduced tannin, phytic acid, and fat contents, while improving bioactive components, antioxidant activity, and flowability properties. HMT‐treated SL 46 exhibited the lowest fat content and the highest phenolic content, whereas germinated SL 46 showed the greatest reductions in tannins and phytic acid. Both HT and HMT significantly ( p ≤ 0.05) decreased in vitro starch digestibility, and all treatments caused a slight reduction in crystallinity. Overall, the study demonstrates that targeted thermal and GTs can effectively improve the nutritional, functional, and structural qualities of sorghum flour. These findings provide practical insights for selecting suitable processing methods to produce high‐quality, value‐added sorghum‐based food products on an industrial scale.

ABSTRACTBackground and ObjectivesThe study aims to assess the influence of pre‐milling techniques such as germination (GT) and hydrothermal treatment (HTT), as well as post‐milling processes, including flour particle size, on milling outcomes, and to examine their nutritional and functional attributes of sorghum grain. The study aims to assess the influence of pre‐milling techniques such as GT and HTT, as well as post‐milling processes, including flour particle size, on milling outcomes, and to examine their nutritional and functional attributes of sorghum grain were investigated.ResultsMilling fractionation revealed a higher yield of finer fractions in GT (63.60%) and coarser fractions in HTT (27.80%). Nutritional components like fat, protein, and minerals were predominantly found in the finer fractions across all treatments. HTT demonstrated superior water‐holding capacity and lower oil‐holding capacity compared to GT. GT fractions exhibited a higher solubility index and lower gelation capacity (14%). Pasting properties, including peak viscosity, hot paste viscosity, and cold paste viscosity, were notably enhanced in finer fractions.ConclusionsThe proposed study revealed that germination and HTTs effectively alter the physical, chemical, and functional properties of sorghum grains. These treatments modified the structural integrity of sorghum grains and influenced their milling efficiency and yield. Sorghum fractionation based on processing and particle size generates specific nutrient‐rich fractions with distinct functionalities, offering the potential for the development of innovative functional food products.

The amount of genetic variability is the foundation for genetic change in any plant breeding program, and the amount of double reduction can influence genetic gain and the amount of future genetic diversity in polyploid species. Our study investigates these factors using variance components analysis on a dataset comprising 13,131 potato breeding lines and phenotypic data from Scandinavian environments spanning 17 years (2003 to 2021). Pedigree information was used in quantitative genetic models to estimate additive genetic variance and the relative importance of additive and non-additive genetic variance. We used two models, a baseline model (M1) without effects due to specific combining ability (SCA) and M2 (including SCA due to interaction between parental genomes). Two cross-validation (CV) schemes [5-Fold and leave-one-breeding-cycle-out (LBCO)] were used to evaluate the prediction ability (PA) of each model. We estimated the rate of double reduction phenomenon (DRP) by determining the rate best fitting the data using a marginal likelihood approach. Our findings showed a wide range of variation in different traits, with very large proportion of additive genetic variance in dry matter content (DMC), but intermediate additive genetic variance for relative yield (RY), germination (GR), and withering (WNG). All traits showed modest non-additive genetic variance. Furthermore, genotype x environment interaction played a significant role in trait variability but is still much smaller than the additive genetic variance. After using different DRP rates, we found that a model with a 0.05 DRP rate provided the best fit to the data. Heritability estimates indicated a strong genetic basis for DMC, while other traits showed more moderate heritability, which shows contributions from both additive and interaction factors. Model comparison by 5-Fold CV and LBCO and the log likelihood ratio test (LRT) highlighted the importance of considering SCA when capturing trait variability. In 5-Fold CV, PA ranged from 0.296 to 0.812 in M1 and 0.300 to 0.813 in M2. Under LBCO CV, PA ranged from 0.180 to 0.726 in M1 and 0.180 to 0.728 in M2. However, an increase in PA in Model 2, which incorporates SCA, compared to Model 1, can be attributed to the inclusion of SCA effects. Furthermore, the LRT results indicated a highly significant difference between the models. CV and LRT suggest the need for genetic models that account for both additive and SCA effects. Our analysis also showed that genotype x environment interactions should be accounted for in order to maximize the accuracy of predicted breeding values of tetraploid potato clones. The rate of double reductions was small and insignificant.

The salinity of water and soil is a constraint that has an extreme effect on germination and the establishment of crops. Therefore, it is pivotal to boost crop salt tolerance in global semi-arid regions. By mixing Si in an ME medium, a new complex of nanoparticles (Si-CTS-HPC-ME NPs) was synthesized, and we investigated the role of Si-CTS-HPC-ME NPs on Cyamopsis tetragonoloba germination and tolerance against salinity stress. Thus, this study examined the influence of Si-CTS-HPC-ME NPs at different concentrations (N1: 0, N2: 40 and N3: 80 mg L−1) on some germination and seedling growth parameters and the ion homeostasis of Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L. (cluster bean) seedlings under three salinity levels (S1: 0, S2: 6 and S3: 12 dS m−1). With increasing salinity, the energy of germination (GE), index of germination (GI), index of vitality (VI), seedling vigor index (SVI), fresh weight (SFW) and dry (SDW) weight of seedlings, plumule length (PL), and radicle length (RL) parameters gradually decreased, while the mean germination time (MGT) and coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG) increased in salt-stressed cluster bean seedlings in comparison to the control. However, the usage of Si-CTS-HPC-ME NPs was effective in enhancing cluster bean tolerance to salinity by enhancing total phenols and flavonoids and improving K+, Si, and Ca2+ uptake, thus reducing lipid peroxidation, decreasing sodium ion uptake and potassium leakage, and promoting germination parameters compared with non-NP-treated seedlings. Meanwhile, 40 mg L−1 Si-CTS-HPC-ME NPs exhibited an effective response in saline conditions compared with the other NP treatments. Consequently, the application of Si-CTS-HPC-ME NPs in salt-stressed cluster bean seedlings can serve as an effective technique to enhance salinity tolerance in saline conditions under arid and semi-arid climatic conditions.

Development of novel process for production of high-protein soybean semolina and its functionality.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the germination and growth of seedlings in Stylosanthes spp. subjected to the presence of aluminum. The experiment was conducted at the State University of Feira de Santana (UEFS) using a completely randomized design (CRD) in a 5x3 factorial scheme, with five aluminum concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 µM of AlCl3*6H2O) and three genotypes (two Stylosanthes cultivars: Campo Grande, BRS Bela, and the accession BGF 08-034), with four repetitions. The parameters evaluated were seed germination (GER), fresh mass of the seedling (FMS), dry mass of the seedling (DMS), radicle length (RL), and colorimetric quantification of Evans Blue dye (EBD). It was observed that, at the highest aluminum concentration, BRS Bela and the accession exhibited better germination. For the FMS results, Campo Grande stood out in all treatments, which also showed a significant increase in DMS. Regarding RL in the treatment with 200 µM of Al+3, BRS Bela and the accession significantly differed from Campo Grande. In the quantification of EBD, a dye absorption that was 1.5 to 2.5 times greater was observed at the tips of the roots of seeds exposed to the Al ion compared to the control. Therefore, Stylosanthes spp. genotypes exhibit considerable variability in tolerance to aluminum, with accession BGF 08-034 and BRS Bela being more tolerant to the presence of Al.

Effect of triple-frequency sono-germination and soaking treatments on techno-functional characteristics of barley

Ethnobotanical observation of the preparation of 'Zhuchu'-a local rice beer by the Mao, a Naga tribe from Manipur (India) is being reported. Founded germinated paddy ('Khekhrii') is used as starter for brewing the 'Zhuchu', a popular harmless drink of the Mao Naga tribe.

Pig farming is recognized as an activity with great polluting potential. The aim was to investigate possible environmental risks of effluents from the stabilization pond (SP) and the raw effluent (RE) from the biodigestion process of swine residues, in different concentrations in the models Lactuca sativa and Allium cepa. Seeds were germinated in different dilutions, 100% (C1), 50% (C2), 25% (C3), 12.5% (C4), 6.25% (C5), 3.12% (C6), 0.78% (C7), and 0.39% (C8). Distilled water was used as the negative control (CN) and trifluralin (0.84 g/L-1) as the positive control. Germination (GR), root growth (RG), cell cycle, and oxidative stress (OS) were analyzed. To assess OS, the activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) and the quantification of glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) were analyzed. Data were submitted to ANOVA (one way), followed by the Kruskal-Wallis mean test (P ≤ 0.05). Chemical analysis showed high values of Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn. Dilutions (C1, C2, C3 RE) and (C1 and C2 SP) inhibited GR and RG of L. sativa and A. cepa than other concentrations. The mitotic index showed a reduction in C5 (RE), C6, and C7 (SP) of L. sativa and C3 and C4 (SP) of A. cepa in relation to CN and higher frequencies of chromosomal alterations. Regarding the OS, only the concentrations of SP treatment showed statistical difference in relation to the NC: in L. sativa model, GSH at (C5 and C8) concentrations and LPO (C7); in A. cepa model, SOD (C3 and C4), GST (C4, C5 and C6), GSH (C5 and C8), and CAT (C3 and C7). The alterations in metabolism are possibly related to the metals, such as zinc and copper, observed in high amounts in the raw waste. The results allowed us to conclude that the raw and stabilization pond effluents offer environmental risks, requiring caution and monitoring in the use of these effluents.

Abstract Background and ObjectivesBiological processing is considered one of the most effective technologies used to eliminate adverse traits and improve the quality of cereal. To compare the effects of different biological processing methods on the nutritional value and bioactivity of whole‐grain wheat (WGW), solid‐state fermentation (SSF), germination (GT), solid‐state fermentation (SSF), germination (GT), and phytase treatment (PT) were performed.FindingsAfter biological processing, protein, insoluble dietary fiber, and bound flavonoid contents significantly increased, while phytate, bound phenolic, and free flavonoid contents obviously decreased. The molar ratio of phytate content to mineral content, including PA/Ca, PA/Fe, and PA/Zn, significantly reduced by 13.8%–42.0%, 8.4%–73.4%, and 17.9%–45.0%, respectively, suggesting the improvement of mineral bioavailability. The greatest reduction of phytate content was found in WGW after PT. In comparison to SSF and PT, GT significantly improved phenolic content and 2,2‐azinobis (3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) and 1, 1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging abilities of free phenolic extract in WGW. As compared to GT and PT, the ORAC of the free phenolic extract in WGW obviously improved after SSF with strains of Lactobacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Monascus sp.ConclusionsOverall, SSF, GT, and PT showed high efficiency in phytate degradation, and GT and SSF, in particular, improved the nutritional value and bioactivity of WGW.Significance and NoveltyThis study provides data supporting the use of different biological processing methods based on different objectives when preparing WGW products.

The adverse edaphoclimatic conditions in the Orinoquía region affect the soybean crop cycle, deteriorating seed quality. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the genotype (G), the environment (E), and their interaction (GxE) on the yield and seed quality of six soybean varieties (Corpoica Superior 6, Orinoquía 3, Soyica P34, Corpoica Taluma 5, and Agrosavia Primavera 11 of Colombian origin and Barreira of Brazilian origin) in five environments of the Orinoquía Colombia region, two in the second half of 2020 (LIBB: La Libertad and TALB: Taluma) and three in the first half of 2021 (LIBA: La Libertad, TALA: Taluma, and LEONAS), to determine their adaptation domain. Highly significant differences (P<0.01) were observed between G, E, and GxE for germination (GER) and seed yield (SY). A similar situation was shown by the vigor index (VI), although without differences between environments. The GGE biplot for GER, and SY separated environments by year halves. Taluma during the first half was the most discriminating environment for the response variables, useful for genetic breeding programs with a seed quality approach. Only in La Libertad during the second half was GER above 80%. The most stable variety per environment was Soyica P34 in two response variables, and the best with specific adaptation were Corpoica Superior 6 and Orinoquía 3. These last two reached higher average values in GER (69.6%; 63.1%), VI (13.3; 13.4), and SY (1473 kg ha-1; 1404 kg ha-1).

Hovenia dulcis is a non-native species with high capacity for invasion in subtropical forest fragments. In this study we used a greenhouse experiment simulating field abiotic and biotic conditions to investigate the germination and growth to determine the mechanisms associated with the high invasion potential of this species. We evaluated the effects of abiotic factors (light) and biotic factors (litter mass and litter type) on ecophysiological parameters: germination (GR), initial establishment (RR and ER) and shoot and root growth in a greenhouse experiment. Interactions between factors were compared using GLM, to select the best model and the factors that influence each parameter evaluated. GR, RR and ER were negative influenced by light intensities, when the low intensity presents more germination and establishment of individuals than intermediate intensity. Additionally, shoot height and root length were negatively influenced by the light intensity with a higher stem elongation in low light intensities. We found no interactions between the abiotic and biotic conditions tested. However, when evaluated individually, germination, establishment and growth were better in low light conditions regardless of the litter mass and litter type. These results challenge the classification of H. dulcis as an intolerant shade species.

Bromeliads are used in landscaping due to the beauty of their leaves and flowers. The use of plant regulators such as nitric oxide (NO) promotes the stimulus of germination and it has been a way out to enhance production and reduce the search for plants in nature and nanoencapsulation aims to optimize its effect. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of using free and nanoencapsulated NO donor on the germination of D. excelsa. The treatments consisted of soaking the seeds for 5 minutes with s-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), chitosan/sodium tripolyphosphate nanoparticles containing GSNO (NP CS/TPP-GSNO) and empty (NP CS/TPP) at doses: 15 mM and 20 mM. The control consisted of imbibition in distilled water. For each treatment, 4 replications of 50 seeds were used. The following variables were evaluated: percentage of germination (GER), first germination count (FGC), germination speed index (GSI), average germination time (AGT) in addition to the length (SL) and seedling dry weight (SDW). To characterize the seeds, water content and viability were evaluated. D. excelsa seeds had 9.9% water content and 64% viability. For GER, treatments with GSNO ranged from 43 to 60%. The application of GSNO stimulated the germination process of D. excelsa and the nanoencapsulation did not cause any difference in the results compared to the free GSNO. It was concluded that the application of 15 or 20 mM of the GSNO donor is recommended for stored seeds of D. excelsa.

This study investigated the possibility of using phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) with plant-growth-promoting (PGP) capabilities to improve the growth properties of rice plants under ferruginous ultisol (FU) conditions through bio-priming. The following PSB with PGP properties were used in this study: Bacillus cereus strain GGBSU-1, Proteus mirabilis strain TL14-1, and Klebsiella variicola strain AUH-KAM-9, which were previously isolated and characterized based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Biosafety analysis of the PSB isolates was conducted using blood agar. The rice seeds were then bio primed with the PSB for 3, 12, and 24 h and then sown in a composite FU soil sample. Differences in germinat ion bioassay were investigated 15 weeks after bio-priming using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), morphology, physiology, and biomass parameters. The composite FU soil used in this study had high pH, low bioavailable phosphorus, low water-holding capacity, and high iron levels, which resulted in low growth properties of rice seeds without bio-priming in the FU soil. Germination parameters were improved in seeds bio primed with the PSB, especially after 12 h of priming, compared with seeds without priming. SEM showed higher bacterial colonization in bio primed seeds. Bio-priming of rice seeds with the studied PSB under FU soil conditions significantly improved seed microbiome, rhizocolonization, and soil nutrient properties, thereby enhancing the growth properties of rice. This indicated the ability of PSB to solubilize and mineralize soil phosphate and improve phosphorus availability and soil properties for optimum plant usage in phosphate-stressed and iron toxic soils.

Influence of delta-hexachlorocyclohexane (δ-HCH) to Phytophthora ×alni resistant Alnus glutinosa genotypes − Evaluation of physiological parameters and remediation potential

Growth, sporulation and germination of Verticillium alfalfae on media

Purpose Using the effective approaches for modifying the recycled wood as a novel bulky agent improves the quality of soil amendment. This study aimed to compare the stability and maturity of the soil amendments produced by the compostation of forest industrial waste and sewage sludge on seed germination. Method Three materials, namely sawdust, sewage sludge, and chicken manure were mixed at different ratios (dry weight basis) to reach the initial bulk density of 0.40 Kg.L-1, the temperature of 30 °C, the C/N ratio of 25, and the moisture content of 60 %. A pilot-scale composting process was applied to monitor the aeration rate, temperature, and moisture contents during the process over time. The comparison of physico-chemical, phytotoxicity, and germination indices among the samples was performed in three repetitions. Results The results of this study indicated that the sustainable conditions (i.e., the temperature of 70 °C, aeration rate of 0.30 L.Kg-1DM.min-1, and moisture content of 50-60 %) can have a significant effect on the thermophilic stage for compost curing without any inhibitory repercussion. Increasing the germination index of cress (Lepidium sativum) up to 79 % proved that the toxicity of industrial sewage sludge was declined through the elimination of heavy metals. Conclusion This study revealed that the availability of bulky agents such as wood residue can reinforce the microbial activity by continuously decreasing the C/N ratio to the minimum value of 13.2.