Durum Wheat Grain Research Articles

Durum wheat pasta cooking: A combined assessment of the relevant quality, energy and environmental indicators

The scientific literature currently available on the subject has documented pasta cooking to be the second most environmentally impacting phase in the pasta life cycle after durum-wheat (DW) grain production. Those two phases have, therefore, priority in selecting the improvements that can be made, with the consequential effect of improving the life-cycle environmental profile of pasta products. Under this perspective, the authors tested a previously created electrical cooker for dry pasta from an ancient DW variety cultivated in Sicily, performing a combined assessment of the most relevant quality, energy, and environmental issues. The experiments were carried out both on the short and the long shape of pasta, applying alternatively a 10 and 3 L/kg water-to-pasta ratio.The study attained the proposed goal of proving whether the aforementioned cooker effectively reduces the energy-environmental burdens associated with the cooking of the pasta at issue, without compromising its total quality properties.Induction cooking systems need, however, for a larger share of renewable energy power, so that they can become even more eco-efficient than they are now. This is expected to grow in the next future because of the ongoing national and world transition towards renewable and cleaner energy sources. Therefore, the use of eco-sustainable pasta cookers, such as the one investigated within this article, combined with the replacement of traditional energy sources with renewable ones, and the promotion of environmental education amongst stakeholders of the pasta sector can act as valid strategies for mitigating and improving the cooking environmental impacts.

Effects of Applying Different N Sources on Cd Accumulation, Mineral Micronutrients, and Grain Yield of Durum Wheat

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different nitrogen sources on Cd concentration in durum wheat grains in soils with low and high Cd contamination. Triticum turgidum L. durum, cv. Balcali-2000 was sown as test plant material in plastic pots containing 3.2 kg of soil. Low (0.5) and high Cd (5.0 mg Cd kg− 1 soil) were added to the culture media in the form of 3(CdSO4).8H2O. Nitrogen was also added in the form of Ca(NO3)2.4 H2O in low, sufficient, and high concentrations. In addition, a foliar application of 0.5% urea was used as a further nitrogen supply. The results showed that the total nitrogen content and the Cd concentration of the grains increased with increasing nitrogen application. This increase was more pronounced with a combination of soil nitrogen and foliar urea. While the Cd concentration in the grains was 354 µg kg− 1 at low soil Cd concentration and insufficient nitrogen supply, the Cd concentration in the grains increased by 40% to 498 µg kg− 1 at low Cd concentration and high nitrogen supply. This increase in Cd concentration in the grains was 32% higher under high nitrogen applications than at high Cd-insufficient conditions. In addition, foliar application of urea to durum wheat leaves at low soil Cd concentrations increased the Cd concentration in the grains from 354 µg kg− 1 to 484 µg kg− 1. This study showed that different treatments and amounts of nitrogen sources can affect the uptake and accumulation of Cd in wheat grains at different Cd levels.

Effect of Transient Spark Discharge and Plasma Activated Water Treatments against Fusarium graminearum Infected Wheat Grains under Laboratory Conditions

Over the last decade, more and more attention has been paid to applications of non-thermal plasma in agriculture, where it is used to decontaminate various microorganisms and to improve the seed germination. In this study, we present the results of a newly developed point-to-ring NTP transient spark discharge apparatus (NTP), plasma activated water (PAW) and their combined treatment on Durum wheat and Common wheat grains under laboratory conditions. Transient spark discharge treatment was used as direct treatment while indirect treatment of wheat grains was performed by PAW produced in point-to-plane NTP transient spark apparatus. We found that the degree of grain surface decontamination was in order NTP > PAW > combined treatment. In the case of Durum wheat grain germination, all treatments increased germination with increasing exposure times, while in the case of Common wheat, PAW treatment and combined treatment did not significantly increase the grain germination. In conclusion, plasma treatment has enormous potential for use in agriculture and its possibilities need to be fully explored.

Phenotyping Wheat Kernel Symmetry as a Consequence of Different Agronomic Practices

The use of instrumental methods of analysis in the assessment of indices that record changes in symmetry in the structure of grains to evaluate the quality of durum and soft wheat grain is currently considered a search tool that will allow us to obtain previously unavailable data by finding correlations associated with differences in the shape and ratio of starch granules in conditionally symmetrical and asymmetrical wheat fruits (kernels) formed in different field conditions and with different genotypes. Indicators that had previously shown their effectiveness were used to analyze the obviously complex unique material obtained as a result of growing under critically unique sowing conditions in 2022, which affected the stability of grain development and filling. For the evaluation, a typical agronomic comparative experiment was chosen, which was used to evaluate the soil tillage practices (fallow, non-moldboard loosening, and plowing) and sowing dates (early and after excessive rainfalls), which made it possible to analyze a wider range of factors influencing the studied indices. The soil tillage methods were found to affect the uniformity of kernel fullness and their symmetry, and the sowing dates did not lead to significant differences. This study presents detailed changes in the shape of the middle cut of a wheat kernel, associated with assessing the efficiency of kernel filling and the symmetrical distribution of storage substances under the influence of external and internal physical factors that affect the formation of the wheat kernel. The data obtained may be of interest to breeders and developers of predictive phenotyping programs for cereal grain and seeds of other crops, as well as plant physiologists.

High nutritional value instant flakes produced from various cereal grains

The current study was carried out to prepare functional flakes from various cereals and to assess the nutritional value of breakfast cereal flakes and their sensory acceptability. Oat, soft wheat and durum wheat, barley (hull-less and hulled), triticale, millet and sorghum grains have been used. Physicochemical, functional, phytochemical properties and sensory evaluation were determined. The developed cereal flakes have high nutritional value and are high in dietary fiber. Concerning the overall acceptability of flakes, durum wheat, hull-less barley and triticale were more preferred than the other samples. Meanwhile, hulled barley and millet flakes showed the lowest scores compared with other flake samples due to the lowest score of their appearance and color. Triticale, durum wheat and hulled barley turned to be good alternatives for oat to prepare flakes of high-quality characteristics, as they have high protein (13.46, 11.92 and 11.67%, respectively) and ash contents along with low content of fat and low calories. In terms of nutritional quality, the results indicated that oat flakes were higher in Mg and P content, durum wheat flakes showed higher content of Mn, triticale had the highest content of K and Ca, and millet had the highest content of Zn and Fe. Triticale flakes showed significantly higher content of dietary fiber and water absorption index at room and hot temperatures when compared with other flakes. While comparing total phenolic content, the millet and barley flakes showed the highest values. Additionally, most flake samples had significantly higher values of antioxidant activity compared to oat flakes used as control samples.

Comparison of phenotypic variability of winter durum wheat varieties and lines according to the color characteristics of grain, cereals and pasta

There have been given the study results of grain color characteristics of winter durum wheat varieties and lines (Triticum durum Desf.). There has been studied the effect of factors (‘variety’, ‘year’ and their correlation) on the expression of the main breeding-valuable traits that affect the quality of the final product. The purpose of the current study was to determine the variability of phenotypic characteristics of grain associated with the number of yellow pigments in grain, the color of semolina and finished pasta, to study the correlation between indicators and to identify the most promising ones for further work. Field trials were carried out in the scientific crop rotation laboratory of breeding and seed production of winter durum wheat of the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”. Laboratory and analytical study was carried out in the laboratory of biochemical, technological and agrochemical estimation in accordance with generally accepted methods and GOST. As a result of the study, there has been established that the main effect on such characteristics of grain quality of winter durum wheat as ‘general hardiness’, ‘mass fraction of protein in grain’ and ‘grain color index b’ was produced by the factor ‘year of study’ by 67.0 %, 48 .2 % and 65.4 % respectively. The ‘cereal color index b’, ‘dry pasta color index b’ and visual estimation of dry pasta were mainly influenced by the factor ‘genotype’ by 62.3 %, 82.5 % and 48.3 %, respectively. The severity of the trait ‘content of carotenoid pigments’ depended on all factors. Over the years of the study, the winter durum wheat varieties and lines developed by the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy” according to color characteristics met the international requirements for durum wheat grain. As a result, the varieties ‘Grafit’ and ‘Karotinka’ stood out according to several studied characteristics in connection with which we recommend expanding the production crops of these varieties. There can be recommended to use promising lines 1147/19 and 971/19 and the variety ‘Solntsedar’ in the breeding process as sources with high color characteristics of grain and pasta.

Performance of Symmetric Double Flat Fan Nozzles against Fusarium Head Blight in Durum Wheat

Four types of nozzles were tested on large-scale trials with a 40 m2 plot unit size. The Avi Twin 110-01 (80 L ha−1), 110-02 (160 L ha−1), 110-03 (240 L ha−1), and 110-04 (320 L ha−1) symmetric double fan injector nozzles were tested during the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 growing seasons. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of spray nozzles with regard to deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation in durum wheat grains. Artificial inoculation with Fusarium spp. was performed after durum heads were protected with fungicide. The percentage of heads covered with fungicide droplets, grain yield, yield-related traits, technological quality parameters, and concentrations of DON were determined. Compared to the control (without fungicide treatment), the Avi Twin 04 nozzle caused a reduction of 45.0% in the DON concentration on average across both growing seasons. This positively corresponded to the percentage of heads covered with fungicide droplets, which was highest when this nozzle was utilized. In both trial years, the DON reduction caused by the 110-04 twin nozzle was higher than that caused by the 110-01 nozzle. Treatment with the 110-04 nozzle more effectively improved the grain yield, 1000-kernel weight, and test weight compared to treatment with the 110-01 nozzle and the untreated control. The differences in technological quality were less pronounced when different spray nozzles were used.

The influence of individual elements of agricultural technology on the productivity of durum wheat in the southern forest-steppe of the Omsk region

Relevance. For the manufacture of high-quality pasta, durum wheat grain is used. Improving the productivity of hard spring wheat is an urgent task. The formation of a powerful root system is the key to the full supply of nutrients and plastic substances to the plant. Increased productivity, the number of spikebearing shoots. Plants become more resistant to adverse environmental factors, which is important for spring durum wheat, which is more demanding than spring soft wheat. The timing of sowing and especially the application of mineral fertilizers are a significant factor affecting not only the formation of individual elements of the crop structure, which subsequently form the productivity of plants, but also the formation of the root system. To do this, it is necessary to choose the optimal sowing time, at which the critical phases of plant development fall under the most favorable agrometeorological conditions and the formation of the most powerful root system.Results. The conducted studies allow us to recommend the most optimal terms of sowing and the use of fertilizers to ensure the efficiency of growing durum spring wheat. In dry conditions, when sowing crops without applying fertilizers, sowing in the second ten days of May is most effective. If it is possible to apply nitrogen fertilizers and nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers, it is better to sow durum spring wheat in the second and third decades of May.

Variation in the concentrations of phenolic compounds and carotenoids in the grain of a large collection of Triticum durum Desf. accessions

Carotenoids and phenolic compounds play an important role in durum wheat grain by influencing its health-promoting properties and processing suitability. The aim of this study was to determine the variability in the concentrations of carotenoids and phenolic compounds in genetic resources that can be potentially used to breed new durum wheat varieties. A total of 101 spring accessions from Germplasm Resource Information Network (GRIN) and three reference cultivars were examined. The concentrations of eight flavonoids (apigenin, catechin, kaempferol, luteolin, naringenin, quercetin, rutoside, and vitexin), eleven bound phenolic acids (4-hydroxybenzoic, caffeic, chlorogenic, ferulic, gallic, p-coumaric, protocatechuic, sinapic, syringic, t-cinnamic, vanillic acids, and vanillin), and three carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, and β-carotene) were determined. Quercetin and naringenin were the predominant flavonoids (45.7 and 33.7 mg kg−1, respectively), whereas ferulic acid and t-cinnamic acid were the predominant phenolic acids (660.1 and 498.2 mg kg−1, respectively). The grain of ten accessions (9.8%) contained more than 3 mg kg−1 of lutein, and lutein concentration exceeded 6 mg kg−1 in the grain of five accessions (4.9%). The antioxidant activity of grain (ABTS) was positively correlated with the total content of all analyzed metabolites (r = 0.5435), but no linear correlations were observed between ABTS and each of the three examined groups of compounds.

Study of composite mixtures based on durum wheat semolina and white beans flour for pasta production as specialized food products

Increasing the number of chronic non-communicable diseases around the world is a critical social problem in many countries. In this regard, the creation of specialized foods that correct dysfunctions of the human body is a priority direction in science and food industry. Legumes are characterized by a high content of protein, minerals and trace elements, which determines their possible use as the main raw materials for creating specialized foods. The aim of this research was to present a medical, biological and technological justification for the possibility of producing pasta based on composite mixtures of durum wheat semolina and white bean flour as specialized foods with increased protein content and optimal mineral ratio. Material and methods. The objects of the study were grains of durum wheat (grade Krasnokutka-13), whole meal flour from white beans, composite mixtures in various percentages, and pasta from them. The nutritional and biological value of durum wheat semolina and bean flour was determined experimentally, the nutrient profile of the developed composite mixtures - by calculation. The rheological properties of dough from composite mixtures and the cooking properties of pasta made from them were assessed. Results. It has been established that increase in the proportion of white bean flour in composite mixes elevated calcium and protein content, optimized an amino acid profile, the ratio of calcium to phosphorus, significantly reduced the glycemic load. Bean flour introduction into composite mixtures positively affected the rheological properties of the dough and products from it, in particular, on the speed and energy intensity of dough kneading and aging processes of starched polysaccharides, however, lead to a decrease in dry pasta strength. The pasta made from composite mixtures meets the technological requirements for pasta in terms of a number of basic indicators, namely: the volume of dry pasta, the volume of pasta after cooking and the boilability coefficient. Conclusion. The rheological and technological properties of composite mixtures and their nutrient profile make it possible to recommend them for the production of pasta, as specialized foods.

Study of Wheat Grain Structure by Digital Radiography

Introduction. Analysis of the quality of wheat grain using instrumental methods is an important task due to the permanent growth in annual wheat production and export. Digital radiography is a promising method for studying the internal structure of wheat grain. Along with other methods, digital radiography allows non-destructive testing and comprehensive description of grain parameters.Aim. To determine the capabilities of digital radiography for studying the structure of wheat grain.Materials and methods. Digital X-ray images were obtained using a multifunctional mobile x-ray diagnostic unit produced by JSC "ELTECH-Med" was used with the installation tube voltage of 9 kV. Durum wheat grain samples of different varieties were used. Operations for processing grain images were automated using the scripts developed in Python using the numpy and opencv libraries.Results. The attenuation of X-ray radiation by grain material was studied. Wheat bran was found to exhibit a greater attenuation coefficient than the endosperm, assumably due to the higher concentration of potassium and phosphorus in the wheat outer layer. The calculated ratio of the attenuation coefficients of the bran to the endosperm was 1.27, compared to the experimentally obtained value of 1.36. The influence of the geometric shape of wheat grain on the formation of its X-ray image was determined. A method for describing the geometric shape of wheat grain using second-order curves was presented. A mathematical model for the transmission of X-ray radiation in wheat grain was constructed, taking into account its complex shape and the heterogeneous distribution of macroelements therein. This model allows estimation of the attenuation coefficients of the grain endosperm and outer layer using a non-destructive method.Conclusion. Digital radiography is an effective method for studying wheat when carrying out research and breeding tasks. The proposed model for the transmission of X-ray radiation in wheat grain can be used to numerically determine some indicators of grain quality.

Growth Stimulation of Durum Wheat and Common Buckwheat by Non-Thermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma.

The grains of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) and achenes of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) were tested after treatment with two sources of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (DCSBD, MSDBD) with different treatment times (0, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 s). The effect of these treatments was monitored with regard to the seed surface diagnostics (water contact angle-WCA, chemical changes by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-FTIR); twenty parameters associated with germination and initial seed growth were monitored. A study of the wettability confirmed a decrease in WCA values indicating an increase in surface energy and hydrophilicity depending on the type of seed, plasma source, and treatment time. Surface analysis by attenuated total reflectance FTIR (ATR-FTIR) showed no obvious changes in the chemical bonds on the surface of the plasma-treated seeds, which confirms the non-destructive effect of the plasma on the chemical composition of the seed shell. A multivariate analysis of the data showed many positive trends (not statistically significant) in germination and initial growth parameters. The repeated results for germination rate and root/shoot dry matter ratio indicate the tendency of plants to invest in underground organs. Durum wheat required longer treatment times with non-thermal plasma (10 s, 20 s) for germination and early growth, whereas buckwheat required shorter times (5 s, 10 s). The responses of durum wheat grains to the two non-thermal plasma sources used were equal. In contrast, the responses of buckwheat achenes were more favorable to MSDBD treatment than to DCSBD.

The influence of mineral nutrition on the quality indicators of durum wheat grain on the southern chernozems of the Volgograd region

The influence of mineral nutrition on the quality indicators of durum wheat grain on the southern chernozems of the Volgograd region

Lutein esterification increases carotenoid retention in durum wheat grain. A step further in breeding and improving the commercial and nutritional quality during grain storage

Carotenoid esterification is a common mechanism for carotenoid sequestration, accumulation and storage in plants. Carotenoids are responsible for the bright yellow colour of pasta. Therefore, carotenoid retention during storage is of great importance in the durum wheat food chain.In this work, we investigated the role of carotenoid esterification on carotenoid retention in durum wheat using two consecutive storage experiments. Firstly, we compared two landraces and two durum wheat varieties as a preliminary work. We then compared individuals derived from the BGE047535בAthoris’ cross contrasting for esterification ability.Our results show that carotenoid esterification leads to a higher carotenoid retention during storage in durum wheat. Thus, the use of the carotenoid esterification would be useful as an extra strategy to ongoing efforts to improve carotenoid retention in the durum wheat food chain.

Towards carotenoid biofortification in wheat: identification of XAT-7A1, a multicopy tandem gene responsible for carotenoid esterification in durum wheat

Yellow pigment content, mainly due to the accumulation of carotenoids, is a quality trait in durum wheat grain as it confers the bright yellow color to pasta preferred by consumers. Also, carotenoids are essential nutrients exerting important biological functions in human health. Consequently, biofortification strategies have been developed in many crops to increase carotenoid content. In this context, carotenoid esterification is emerging as a new breeding target for wheat biofortification, as carotenoid esters have been found to promote both carotenoid accumulation and stability. Until recently, no carotenoid esters have been identified in significant proportions in durum wheat grains, and interspecific breeding programs have been started to transfer esterification ability from common wheat and Hordeum chilense.In this work, XAT-7A1 is identified as the gene responsible for carotenoid esterification in durum wheat. Sequencing, copy number variation and mapping results show that XAT-7A1 is organized as tandem or proximal GDSL esterase/lipase copies in chromosome 7A. Three XAT-7A1 haplotypes are described: Type 1 copies, associated with high levels of carotenoid esters (diesters and monoesters) production and high expression in grain development; Type 2 copies, present in landraces with low levels of carotenoid esters (monoesters) or no esters; and Type 3 copies, without the signal peptide, resulting in zero-ester phenotypes.The identification of XAT-7A1 is a necessary step to make the carotenoid esterification ability available for durum and bread wheat breeding, which should be focused on the Type 1 XAT-7A1 haplotype, which may be assessed as a single gene since XAT-7A1 copies are inherited together.

The silencing of TdIPK1 genes enhances micronutrient concentration in durum wheat grain

Phytic acid (PA) is the main storage form of phosphorus in kernel and is considered an anti-nutritional compound because of its ability to bind to essential minerals such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), thus limiting their availability, especially for populations whose diet is largely based on staple crops.This study reports a promising nutrient biofortification approach of durum wheat. The approach was based on the silencing of the gene encoding the inositol pentakisphosphate 2- kinase 1 (IPK1), involved in the last step of the PA biosynthetic pathway, through a Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes (TILLING) approach. Single knockout mutants for the IPK1 homeoalleles were identified and crossed to pyramid the two mutations. Although an elevated number of plants (F2 and F3 progenies) were analysed, no genotypes lacking both the homeoalleles were recovered, suggesting that the expression of IPK1 is crucial for seed formation in the spike and/or for plant germination and development.The characterization of the single null genotypes highlighted that the partial TdIPK1-B1- mutants showed a lower accumulation of PA in the kernel along with a higher content of essential microelements (Fe, Mn, Zn) compared to the control wild-type. The pattern of mineral accumulation was different for the TdIPK1-A1- mutants which only presented a greater accumulation of K.

"Increasing the Quality of Durum Wheat Grain on the Basis of Isolation from it Cerips with a “Black Germ”"

"Increasing the Quality of Durum Wheat Grain on the Basis of Isolation from it Cerips with a “Black Germ”"

Durum wheat-lentil relay intercropping enhances soil mycorrhizal activity but does not alter structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community within roots

In intercropping systems, crop species select host-adapted microorganisms and influence the associated plant-microbial interactions like in the case of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Attempts to assess the impact of intercropping on the activity, diversity, and community composition of AMF remain inconclusive, more so in intercropping systems involving traditional Mediterranean crops such as durum wheat and lentils. We carried out field experiments in Central Italy to assess the impact of relay intercropping durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf. cv. Minosse) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik. cv. Elsa) on soil mycorrhizal inoculum potential (MIP) (2019 and 2020), AMF root colonization (2019, 2020, and 2021), and root AMF diversity and community composition (2020 and 2021), compared to the respective sole crops. Results showed that relay intercropping enhanced lentil grain yield and durum wheat grain protein concentration but marginally reduced durum wheat grain yield and lentil grain protein concentration. In addition, relay intercropping enhanced soil mycorrhizal activity but differentially influenced mycorrhizal root colonization compared to sole cropping. Sequencing analyses generated a total of 234 amplicon sequence variants belonging to Glomeromycota, which were assigned to 31 virtual taxa using the MaarjAM reference database. Glomeraceae and Claroideoglomeraceae were the most abundant taxa but had contrasting abundances in 2020 and 2021. The overall changes in AMF species diversity and community structure were affected by the interaction between crop species and year, and not by intercropping. Claroideoglomus and Septoglomus showed a strong association with lentil roots while Rhizophagus and Paraglomus were associated with durum wheat roots in 2020, affirming host genotype-AMF preferences. The principal component analysis showed that grain protein concentration was associated with selected mycorrhizal parameters such as community richness and AMF root colonization. Further studies on the functional analysis of the different AMF communities selected by the crop genotype and year may reveal the importance of intercropping in maintaining soil functionality and productivity under low-input systems.

Selection of forecrops and sowing time for the new winter durum wheat varieties ‘Yubilyarka’ and ‘Yantarina’

The current study was carried out in the southern part of the Rostov region in the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy” in 2020–2022. The purpose of the current study was to identify the best forecrops and optimal sowing time for the new winter durum wheat varieties ‘Yubilyarka’ and ‘Yantarina’. There has been established that the winter durum wheat varieties ‘Yubilyarka’ and ‘Yantarina’ respond well to the choice of a forecrop and sowing time. The effect of forecrops on productivity of the winter durum wheat varieties ‘Yubilyarka’ and ‘Yantarina’ was 90 % and 85 %, respectively. There has been revealed that weedfree fallow was the best one for the studied varieties, providing the formation of a mean grain productivity of 6.25–6.31 t/ha over the years of the trial when sown from September 10 to 30. At the same sowing time when sown after sunflower, productivity of the varieties of 3.73–4.02 t/ha was the lowest during the entire period of the study. There has been established that for all forecrops, the lowest grain productivity of the varieties ‘Yubilyarka’ and ‘Yantarina’ was obtained when sown on October 10 (late date) and averaged 5.60 and 5.77 t/ha in 2020–2022 when sown after weedfree fallow; 4.16 and 4.35 t/ha when sown after peas; and 3.51 and 3.63 t/ha when sown after sunflower. The studied varieties formed the largest number of productive stems of 540–609 pcs/m2 when sown in weedfree fallow, and the smallest number of 382–410 pcs/m2 when sown after non-fallow forecrops. The quality indicators of grain of the winter durum wheat varieties ‘Yubilyarka’ and ‘Yantarina’ were mainly affected by forecrops and slightly by sowing time. The production of high-quality winter durum wheat grain is cost-effective. The conditional net income reached 52908–53268 rubles/ha, and the profitability of grain production was 127–129 %. When sown after sunflower, the productivity was the lowest during the entire period of study and averaged 3.73–4.02 t/ha over three years. There has been found a productivity decrease on 0.5–0.7 t/ha with a late sowing date (October 10).

From Grain to Genome: Investigating Arsenic Levels in Triticum turgidum ssp durum Desf. Using GWAS

Producing safe and high-quality food is increasingly important, and developing durum wheat varieties with low toxicity is crucial to meeting this demand. Durum wheat breeders can achieve this goal by developing new varieties that are either more resistant to arsenic uptake or better adapted to grow in areas with high arsenic levels. High levels of arsenic can pose serious health hazards, which makes it critical to evaluate the arsenic levels. Therefore, this study evaluated the arsenic levels in diverse durum wheat genotypes, including Turkish-released cultivars and local landraces. The results showed that all genotypes had significantly low and non-toxic levels of arsenic, with an average concentration of 5.24 μg/kg. These concentrations were much lower than the minimum reported in numerous published research studies and well below the risky international standard limits for durum wheat grain (0.1 mg/kg). The study also identified two significant marker-trait associations linked to arsenic contents located on chromosomes 4A and 7B, which explained 11-17% of the phenotypic variation. These findings provide valuable insights into the arsenic levels in durum wheat genotypes and highlight the need for ongoing monitoring to ensure safe and healthy food for consumers. By conducting collaborative genome-wide association studies and employing marker-assisted selection, durum wheat breeders can accelerate the creation of new varieties that have reduced arsenic levels by identifying alleles linked to arsenic content. This study emphasizes the importance of developing low-toxicity durum wheat varieties to ensure the safety and quality of our food supply. The findings can inform breeding programs to develop such varieties and contribute to sustainable agriculture. While the study’s methodology was robust, further research is necessary to confirm and validate the genetic factors contributing to variation in arsenic content among different durum wheat genotypes.