Improvement Of Grain Quality Research Articles

Influence of the predecessor, sowing period and fertilizer in wheat productivity in three-field crop rotations

For the first time, 18-year-old experimental data were analyzed, in which the influence of 3 growth factors of spring soft wheat – a precursor (fallow, vico oatmeal mixture, oats), the sowing period and nitrogen fertilizer were compared. The experiment was carried out under conditions of a 3-field crop rotation on the heavy loamy leached chernozem of the Shadrinsky experimental field of the Kurgan Research Institute in the northwestern zone of the Kurgan region. In influencing the yield of the first wheat, the leading role was played by the previous crop in combination with weather conditions. When comparing the yield during sowing in the 1st and 3rd decades of May, after all 3 predecessors for 14 years, the early period was outperformed. When sowing in the 1st decade of May, the grain harvest of the first rotation crop without fertilizer decreased from 24.8 c/ha after fallow to 16.8–15.8 c/ha after non-fallow precursors. At the 2nd sowing period, the conditions for the formation of the crop were more favorable and ensured the production in the same fields 30.3–21.1–20.5 c/ha, respectively. The yield of the 2nd crop rotation was less. Without fertilizer after the predecessors, it was obtained accordingly 17.5–16.8–15.1 c/ha at the 1st sowing period and 19.5–20.2–18.9 c/ha – at the 2nd term. The fertilizer increased the yield of the first crop mainly after non-paired precursors by 6–9 kg/ha. The yield of the 2nd crop increased with the use of fertilizer after all 3 predecessors, increasing grain harvest by 5–8 kg/ha. The influence of wheat yield growth factors on the accumulation of gluten proteins in grain was greater at an early sowing period and for the first crop rotation. It was more noticeable in the field after fallow: the absence of the 3rd grade of grain quality during early sowing after fallow was noted once in 18 years, when sowing in the 3rd decade – 5 times. The effect of the fertilizer on the gluten content of 1st wheat manifested itself after the non-paired precursors, but only at a dose of N80 and was expressed in its increase by 2–5%, respectively. For 2 crops, the average gluten content, depending on the sowing period, was the same both without fertilizer and with its application. The number of years without grain with grade 3 quality was also almost equal, both for all types of predecessor and the sowing period. An improvement in grain quality from fertilizer was noted in all crop rotation fields and also only at a dose of N80 with an increase in gluten content from 25–26 in the control to 29–30%.

Elite Maize Lines Having Variability in Quality Parameters—A Valuable Starting Material for Grain Quality-Oriented Breeding Programs

Numerous factors, including genetic background, environmental conditions, agricultural practices, and postharvest management, affect maize grain quality. Six maize hybrids with common parental components were evaluated in micro- and production trials during five years, aiming at evaluating grain yield and grain quality traits and ascertaining the pattern of evaluated trait relationships based upon sources of variation (hybrid, year, and parental components). The parental effects were significant for the majority of analyzed quality traits, while the year effect was significant for all examined parameters. The PCAs indicated a considerable impact of the hybrids’ genetic makeup on physical parameters and kernel structure. The findings suggested the possibility of breeding simultaneously for higher protein and starch contents accompanied by a yield increase and higher protein and oil contents followed by a yield reduction. Multiple adverse interactions, which are inherently driven by the kernel structure, hamper the simultaneous breeding for higher oil and starch content. Significant quality parameter variation in the micro-trial was insufficient to provide improvement in grain quality obtained in the production trial. Although the existing variability of elite germplasm in quality parameters can be exploited, the introgression of new germplasm with high values of quality parameters per se is necessary for breeding focused on diverse applications.

Sesame Stalk Compost in Soil Revitalization and Long-term Sustainable Crop Productivity in Organic Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

ABSTRACT Resource depletion is one of the primary concerns of modern agriculture farmers, which needs to be considered for long term sustainability. To assess the effect of sesame stalk compost on the growth, yield, and quality of sesame under organic cultivation, long-term (four years) field experiments were conducted for eight seasons consecutively from 2020 to 2023. The inoculated composts collected after 90 days of composting contain N (1.45–1.50%), P (0.22–25%), K (0.23–0.25%), Fe (510–514 ppm), Zn (150–154 ppm), Cu (286–288 ppm), and Mn (540–542 ppm), which was higher than the uninoculated sesame stalk. Similarly, the humic acid content (122 mg/g of compost), fulvic acid (23–24 mg/g of compost), total humic substances (145–146 mg/g of compost), and CO2–C evolution (186–188 mg/100 g of compost) were significantly higher with microbial inoculated composts than uninoculated compost. The results of the long-term field experiment indicated that application of sesame stalk compost @ 5 t/ha significantly increased the soil organic carbon (6.30 g/kg), soil organic carbon (SOC) stock (11.8 mg/ha), raised the pH to neutralize the acidic pH in red lateritic soil (6.8 to 7.2), reduced the soil bulk density (1.38 to 1.34), penetration resistance (720 kpa to 630 kpa), and available N, P, and K. As a result, the sesame grain yield obtained with application of sesame stalk compost @ 5 t/ha (778–782 kg/ha) was comparable with recommended doses of chemical fertilizers (794 kg/ha). Significant improvement in grain quality (24.2% of protein, 418–422 ppm of Ca, 12.4–12.6 ppm of Zn, 9.6 ppm of Fe and 2.6 ppm of Cu) and oil yield (364.1–367.5 kg/ha) was also observed due to the application of microbial inoculated sesame stalk compost.

Improvement of Quality and Disease Resistance for a Heavy-Panicle Hybrid Restorer Line, R600, in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) by Gene Pyramiding Breeding.

The utilization of heavy-panicle hybrid rice exemplifies the successful integration of architectural enhancement and heterosis, which has been widely adopted in the southwest rice-producing area of China. Iterative improvement in disease resistance and grain quality of heavy-panicle hybrid rice varieties is crucial to promote their sustainable utilization. Here, we performed a molecular design breeding strategy to introgress beneficial alleles of broad-spectrum disease resistance and grain quality into a heavy-panicle hybrid backbone restorer line Shuhui 600 (R600). We successfully developed introgression lines through marker-assisted selection to pyramid major genes (Wxb + ALKA-GC + Pigm + Xa23) derived from three parents (Huanghuazhan, I135, I488), which significantly enhance grain quality and confer resistance to rice blast and bacterial blight (BB). The improved parental R600 line (iR600) exhibited superior grain quality and elevated disease resistance while maintaining the heavy-panicle architecture and high-yield capacity of R600. Moreover, the iR600 was crossed with male sterility line 608A to obtain a new heavy-panicle hybrid rice variety with excellent eating and cooking quality (ECQ) and high yield potential. This study presents an effective breeding strategy for rice breeders to expedite the improvement of grain quality and disease resistance in heavy-panicle hybrid rice.

Organic acid preservation of cereal grains improves grain quality, growth performance, and intestinal health of post-weaned pigs

This study investigated the effect of preserving wheat and barley grains with an organic acid liquid surfactant mould inhibitor compared to conventional artificial drying and assessed its effects on the health and performance of pigs post-weaning (PW). A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was conducted to investigate the interaction between grain preservation method (dried vs. preserved) and zinc oxide (ZnO) inclusion (yes vs. no) on growth performance, diarrhoea scores and incidence, and total tract nutrient digestibility. One hundred and ninety-two pigs (3 pigs/pen; 16 replicates/treatment) were assigned to one of four experimental diets for 35 days: (1) dried grain diet, (2) preserved grain diet, (3) dried grain diet with ZnO and (4) preserved grain diet with ZnO. Diets were formulated to contain similar levels of net energy and standardised ileal digestible lysine. On day 35 PW, 24 pigs (12 replicates/treatment) from the non-ZnO supplemented groups were euthanised and digesta was collected for coefficient of apparent ileal digestibility (CAID), gut microbial population and volatile fatty acid analysis. Stomach tissue was also collected for gene expression analysis, as well as small intestine samples for gut morphology. Notable improvements in grain quality were observed in the preserved grain, including a reduction in grain pH, mould presence, and contamination by mycotoxins, specifically deoxynivalenol in wheat and barley, and ochratoxin A and HT-2 toxin in barley. The preserved grain diet improved average daily gain (ADG; P < 0.01) and body weight (BW; P < 0.01) compared to the dried grain diet. The incorporation of ZnO increased average daily feed intake (ADFI; P < 0.01) and BW (P < 0.05) in the dried grain diet, however, ZnO did not affect ADFI (P > 0.05), and reduced ADG and BW in the preserved grain diet (P < 0.05). Pigs offered the preserved grain diet had reduced faecal scores and diarrhoea incidence compared to those offered the dried grain diet (P < 0.05). Supplementation of ZnO reduced faecal scores and diarrhoea incidence compared to non-supplemented pigs (P < 0.001). On day 35 PW, the preserved grain diet had improved CAID of nitrogen and gross energy (P < 0.05), lower levels of colonic branched-chain volatile fatty acids (P < 0.05), and beneficial shifts in gut microbial populations. Specifically, there was a reduction in ileal Streptococcus (P < 0.001) and an increased abundance of colonic Faecalibacterium (P < 0.05). In conclusion, organic acid preservation improved grain quality, benefiting post-weaned pigs through improved nutrient digestibility and gut health, thus enhancing overall growth performance PW.

Identification of quantitative trait loci and candidate genes for grain superoxide dismutase activity in wheat

BackgroundSuperoxide dismutase (SOD) can greatly scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants. SOD activity is highly related to plant stress tolerance that can be improved by overexpression of SOD genes. Identification of SOD activity-related loci and potential candidate genes is essential for improvement of grain quality in wheat breeding. However, the loci and candidate genes for relating SOD in wheat grains are largely unknown. In the present study, grain SOD activities of 309 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the ‘Berkut’ × ‘Worrakatta’ cross were assayed by photoreduction method with nitro-blue tetrazolium (NBT) in four environments. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) of SOD activity were identified using inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM) with the genotypic data of 50 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array.ResultsSix QTL for SOD activity were mapped on chromosomes 1BL, 4DS, 5AL (2), and 5DL (2), respectively, explaining 2.2 ~ 7.4% of the phenotypic variances. Moreover, QSOD.xjau-1BL, QSOD.xjau-4DS, QSOD.xjau-5 A.1, QSOD.xjau-5 A.2, and QSOD.xjau-5DL.2 identified are likely to be new loci for SOD activity. Four candidate genes TraesCS4D01G059500, TraesCS5A01G371600, TraesCS5D01G299900, TraesCS5D01G343100LC, were identified for QSOD.xjau-4DS, QSOD.xjau-5AL.1, and QSOD.xjau-5DL.1 (2), respectively, including three SOD genes and a gene associated with SOD activity. Based on genetic effect analysis, this can be used to identify desirable alleles and excellent allele variations in wheat cultivars.ConclusionThese candidate genes are annotated for promoting SOD production and inhibiting the accumulation of ROS during plant growth. Therefore, lines with high SOD activity identified in this study may be preferred for future wheat breeding.

Enhancement of Waterlogging Tolerance and Improvement of Grain Quality in Waxy Maize With Exogenous EDAH: A Mixture of Ethephon and Diethyl Aminoethyl Hexanoate

ABSTRACTGlobal warming has led to more frequent extreme weather events, such as heavy summer rains, in the Huang‐Huai‐Hai region. These events significantly impede the growth and development of waxy maize in the area and disrupt the stable progression of the industry. However, there is a lack of effective agricultural measures to mitigate the impact of waterlogging, and the underlying regulation mechanisms remain unclear. To fill this knowledge gap, we conducted a two‐year experiment to assess whether exogenous EDAH (a mixture of ethephon and diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA‐6), ethephon: DA‐6 = 27%: 3%) application during the waxy maize V6 stage, combined with 10 days of waterlogging treatment at the V6, VT and R2 growth stages. The results indicate that exogenous EDAH mitigates the adverse effects of waterlogging stress to a certain extent. It is noteworthy that exogenous EDAH increases the leaf area index and photosynthetic parameters of waxy maize, enhances the activity of catalase in ear leaves at the R3 stage, inhibits the accumulation of malondialdehyde and delays premature aging of plants. Furthermore, exogenous EDAH delays premature ripening of grains caused by waterlogging, increases the moisture content of fresh waxy maize grains during the fresh edible period, but does not effectively mitigate the yield losses caused by waterlogging. However, exogenous EDAH effectively improves grain quality under waterlogging stress, increasing the soluble sugar content and total protein content while reducing starch content, ultimately enhancing the edibility of fresh ears. Through TOPSIS comprehensive evaluation, it can be inferred that exogenous EDAH effectively mitigates the overall impact of waterlogging on waxy maize at both the V6 and VT stages. This research sheds light on potential strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of waterlogging on agricultural productivity and grain quality.

Organisation of labour remuneration during grain harvesting in agricultural enterprises

Modernisation of scientific recommendations on remuneration of labour for harvesting grain crops in enterprises is relevant, as it can potentially contribute to higher yields, higher gross harvest, and labour income of employees, reduction of losses and improvement of grain quality, and more efficient use of technical and human resources. The purpose of this study was to substantiate the scientific principles of organising labour remuneration for grain harvesting in agricultural enterprises, considering the current changing conditions. The following methods were employed in the study: abstract-logical, monographic, statistical-economic, and systematic approaches. The study covered the organisational foundations for harvesting grain crops in enterprises, which begin with the formation of labour collectives and their technical support, work and rest regimes, and keeping a summary record of the working time of the personnel involved. The study established the regulatory aspects of labour remuneration regulation and application of the tariff scale, additional payments and allowances, and increase of tariff rates of remuneration for certain three categories of employees of enterprises engaged in grain harvesting: machine operators, drivers, and employees in receiving units. It was proved that remuneration for most employees in agricultural enterprises is formed based on the tariff system of remuneration, which fully ensures the differentiation and validity of wages depending on the quantity and quality of work performed. The study proposed the key methodological approaches to labour organisation and formation of the tariff scale and corresponding hourly wage rates for grain harvesting, which should be included as content in collective agreements, regulations on remuneration, and regulations on bonuses in agricultural enterprises. The current tariff scale offers the possibility of raising inter-grade coefficients to strengthen the incentive function of wages in grain harvesting. The study considered possible extra payments and allowances, bonus payments, which are recommended to be applied selectively to further stimulate the production staff of the enterprise to better quantitative and qualitative indicators of their work. The practical significance of the findings of this study lies in the possibility of their direct use in agricultural enterprises to provide financial incentives to production personnel for productive work in harvesting grain crops, on which the economic condition of farms largely depends

Cooked Rice Textural Properties and Starch Physicochemical Properties from New Hybrid Rice and Their Parents.

Although great progress has been made in the development of hybrid rice with increased yield, challenges for the improvement of grain quality still remain. In this study, the textural properties of cooked rice and physicochemical characteristics of starch were investigated for 29 new hybrid rice derived from 5 sterile and 11 restorer rice lines. Except for one sterile line Te A (P1) with high apparent amylose content (AAC) (26.9%), all other parents exhibited a low AAC. Gui 263 demonstrated the highest AAC (20.6%) among the restorer lines, so the Te A/Gui 263 hybrid displayed the highest AAC (23.1%) among all the hybrid rice. The mean AAC was similar between sterile, restorer lines and hybrid rice. However, the mean hardness of cooked rice and gels of sterile lines were significantly higher than that of restorer lines and hybrid rice (p < 0.05). Pasting temperature and gelatinization temperatures were significantly higher in the hybrids than in the restorer lines (p < 0.05). Cluster analysis based on the physicochemical properties divided the parents and hybrid rice into two major groups. One group included P1 (Te A), P12 and P14 and three hybrid rice derived from P1, while the other group, including 39 rice varieties, could be further divided into three subgroups. AAC showed significant correlation with many parameters, including peak viscosity, hot peak viscosity, cold peak viscosity, breakdown, setback, onset temperature, peak temperature, conclusion temperature, enthalpy of gelatinization, gel hardness and cooked rice hardness (p < 0.05). Principal component analysis revealed that the first component, comprised of the AAC, peak viscosity, breakdown, setback, onset temperature, peak temperature, conclusion temperature and gel hardness, explained 44.1% of variance, suggesting AAC is the most important factor affecting the grain quality of hybrid rice. Overall, this study enables targeted improvements to key rice grain quality attributes, particularly AAC and textural properties, that will help to develop superior rice varieties.

Optimized barley phytase gene expression by focused FIND-IT screening for mutations in cis-acting regulatory elements.

Induced modification of plant gene expression is of both fundamental and applied importance. Cis-acting regulatory elements (CREs) are major determinants of the spatiotemporal strength of gene expression. Yet, there are few examples where induced genetic variation in predetermined CREs has been exploited to improve or investigate crop plants. The digital PCR based FIND-IT technology was applied to discover barley mutants with CRE variants in the promoter of the nutritional important barley grain phytase (PAPhy_a) gene. Mutants with higher or lower gene expression and ultimately higher or lower mature grain phytase activity (MGPA), respectively, were discovered. Field trials and inositol phosphate profiling during germination showed that PAPhy_a does not influence agronomic performance under the trial conditions but it does shorten the lag time of phosphate mobilization during germination. Higher endogenous MGPA is an improvement of grain quality for feed use as it improves the phosphate bioavailability for monogastric animals. Moreover, as the targeted CRE motifs of the PAPhy_a promoter are shared with a range of seed expressed genes like key cereal and legume storage genes, the current results demonstrates a concept for modulating individual gene expression levels of a range of seed genes.

High-performance ultraviolet Cs3Cu2I5 photodetector derived from two-step annealing process

Perovskite based ultraviolet photodetectors have great potential in fire warning, disease treatment and missile guidance, etc. owing to its high mobility, large absorption coefficient and solution processability. However, poor stability and toxic lead element hinder it further applications in current stage. Recently, all-inorganic lead-free perovskite Cs3Cu2I5 demonstrates great potential in ultraviolet detection for its outstanding long-term stability and suitable bandgap. Nevertheless, pinholes and roughness of film lead to leakage current and lower carrier mobility, restricting detection performance. Herein, a two-step annealing method was introduced to optimize the nucleation and crystallization of Cs3Cu2I5 grains. Owing to the improvement of grain quality, fewer pinholes and precipitated phases occurred during crystallization process, thus, resulting in compact and smooth film surface. The hole and electron mobilities of the two-step annealed film were promoted up to 0.697 cm2/(V·s) and 1.579 cm2/(V·s) respectively. As a consequence, the constructed Cs3Cu2I5 photodetector exhibits high on/off ratio of 6.3 × 104, a shorter response time of 26.2 ms (τrise)/49.9 ms (τfall), external quantum efficiency of 3.04%, moderate responsivity of 8.46 mA/W and detectivity of 3 × 1013 Jones. Basing on these merits, an ultraviolet imaging was demonstrated. This work provides an effective but simple strategy to endow Cs3Cu2I5 photodetector with improved performance for further applications in the future.

Opportunities of Digital Transformation in Post-Harvest Activities: A Single Case Study of an Engineering Solutions Provider

The purpose of this article is to identify opportunities that digital transformation in post-harvest activities offers to an engineering solution provider. The research method is a simple case study. The object is a company based in southern Brazil that provides engineering-integrated digital solutions to grain producers, including products and services. The specific objectives are to describe the company’s digital products and services, identify opportunities and players, and discuss how players can take advantage of opportunities owing to business process digitalization. The main results include separating products into three technological layers and identifying five types of opportunities (financing, commercialization, operation, logistics, traceability, and insurance), eight types of players, and the main opportunities for each player. The most significant opportunities are risk reduction in insurance contracts, improvement in grain quality, increments in food safety, and accurate information on grain movements. The main implication of the study is that grain producers and other players can explore opportunities, and solution providers can evolve toward complete digitalization by integrating service into the current offerings of post-harvest engineering solutions.

Joint analysis of phenotype-effect-generation identifies loci associated with grain quality traits in rice hybrids

Genetic improvement of grain quality is more challenging in hybrid rice than in inbred rice due to additional nonadditive effects such as dominance. Here, we describe a pipeline developed for joint analysis of phenotypes, effects, and generations (JPEG). As a demonstration, we analyze 12 grain quality traits of 113 inbred lines (male parents), five tester lines (female parents), and 565 (113×5) of their hybrids. We sequence the parents for single nucleotide polymorphisms calling and infer the genotypes of the hybrids. Genome-wide association studies with JPEG identify 128 loci associated with at least one of the 12 traits, including 44, 97, and 13 loci with additive effects, dominant effects, and both additive and dominant effects, respectively. These loci together explain more than 30% of the genetic variation in hybrid performance for each of the traits. The JEPG statistical pipeline can help to identify superior crosses for breeding rice hybrids with improved grain quality.

Identification of waxy genotype in sorghum genetic resources using waxy gene-based markers and iodine staining methods

Sorghum is widely recognized as a versatile crop with significant value in the production of food and energy. Sorghum with waxy trait (low amylose) is more palatable to the food industries and more appealing to consumers than nonwaxy variety. However, waxy sorghum has not yet been introduced to Indonesia, making it difficult to use sorghum to support the government of Indonesia's initiative to diversify the country's main foods. This study aimed at identify the waxy traits in a set of sorghum germplasm collected in Indonesia using waxy gene-based markers and iodine staining screening approaches. A total of 48 (27 introduced and 21 local) sorghum accessions collected in the IAARD gene bank along with 4 national sorghum varieties, which were subjected to both molecular analysis and iodine staining assay. The presence of waxy allele in the sorghum gene bank collection was identified using DNA markers associated with two waxy alleles (wxa and wxc). Iodine staining assay performed in the present study was applied to verify the waxy phenotype in sorghum grain and waxy genotypes in sorghum pollen. Based on molecular analysis and pollen staining, five local sorghum accessions were classified as heterowaxy sorghum. These accessions showed reddish-brown color in their endosperm after treated by iodine staining which confirmed them as waxy phenotype. These findings would be beneficial for further improvement of grain quality in sorghum breeding programs

ПРОДУКТИВНОСТЬ И ПОКАЗАТЕЛИ КАЧЕСТВА ЗЕРНА ОЗИМОЙ ПШЕНИЦЫ ПРИ РАЗНЫХ СХЕМАХ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ МИКРОУДОБРЕНИЙ И СТИМУЛЯТОРОВ РОСТА В УСЛОВИЯХ СРЕДНЕГО ПОВОЛЖЬЯ

The research was carried out to study the effect of water softener, biostimulants, macro- and microfertilizers on the yield and quality characteristics of winter wheat grain. The work was carried out in the Republic of Tatarstan in 2018–2020 on leached chernozems. The experiment was carried out according to the scheme: water softener (factor A) - there is no softener, Pekacid water conditioner; growth stimulants and trace elements (factor B) - without the use of drugs, Nutrivant, Stimax, Carbamide, Stimax + Carbamide, Stimax + Nutrivant, Nutrivant + Carbamide, Stimax + Nutrivant + Carbamide. Foliar treatment of winter wheat crops with the growth stimulator Stimaks together with a fertilizer containing microelements, against the background of mineral fertilizers applied by the calculation method to obtain 5 tons of grain per 1 ha, ensured the formation of high yields. The maximum yield in the experiment (5.72 t/ha) was noted in the variant with the use of a three-component tank mixture Stimax + Nutrivant + Urea using Pekacid. The use of a water softener increased the yield of grain in all variants of the experiment. The increase in the control was 0.06 t/ha, and the maximum (0.13 t/ha) was in the variant with the treatment of crops with a mixture of Stimaks + Nutrivant + Urea. The combined use of microfertilizers and growth stimulants when feeding plants in the tillering phase (by spraying) of winter wheat led to an improvement in grain quality. The largest increase in gluten in the experiment (3.3%) was noted in the variant with the tank mixture Stimaks + Nutrivant + Urea and the use of a water conditioner. The highest (27.8%) gluten content was noted in the favorable year 2018 when using the mentioned three-component tank mixture. The increase, compared with the option without drugs, is 2.2%. The use of each drug separately reduced the yield and quality of grain.

Effects of water deficit at different stages on growth and ear quality of waxy maize.

Extreme weather has occurred more frequently in recent decades, which results in more frequent drought disasters in the maize growing season. Severe drought often decreases remarkably plant growth and yield of maize, and even reduces significantly the quality of maize production, especially for waxy maize. To study the changes in plant growth, fresh ear yield, and fresh grain quality of waxy maize under water deficits occurring at different growth stages, and further strengthen the field water management of waxy maize, water deficit experiments were carried out under a rain shelter in 2019 and 2020. Water deficit treatments were imposed respectively at the V6-VT (DV6-VT), VT-R2 (DVT-R2), and R2-R3 (DR2-R3) stages of waxy maize, and treatment with non-water deficit in the whole growing season was taken as the control (CK). The lower limit of soil water content was 50% of field capacity for a water deficit period and 65% of field capacity for a non-water deficit period. In this study, water deficits imposed at V6-VT and VT-R2 stages decreased plant growth rate and leaf gas exchange parameters, accelerated leaf senescence, and limited ear growth of waxy maize, which resulted in 11.6% and 23.1% decreases in grains per ear, 19.4% and 7.3% declines in 100-grain weight, 20.3% and 14.2% losses in fresh ear yield in 2019 and 2020 growing seasons, respectively, while water deficit at R2-R3 stage had no significant effect on ear traits and fresh ear yield, but the fresh ear yield with husk of DR2-R3 decreased by 9.1% (P<0.05). The obvious water deficit imposed at the V6-VT and VT-R2 stages also lowered grain quality. Water deficits at the V6-VT and VT-R2 stages led to accelerated maturity, resulting in increased total protein, starch, and lysine content in grains at the R3 stage and decreased soluble sugar content. Principal component analysis revealed that when water deficits occurred in the waxy maize growing season, they firstly altered maize physiological processes, then affected ear characteristics and yield, and finally resulted in significant grain quality changes. In conclusion, a water deficit during V6-VT and VT-R2 not only reduced fresh ear yield but also adversely affected grain quality. However, water deficit during R2-R3 had little effect on total protein, starch, and soluble sugar content,but increased obviously lysine content. The above results suggested that avoiding serious water deficits at the V6-VT and VT-R2 stages of waxy maize while imposing a slight water deficit at the R2-R3 stage has not only little effects on fresh ear yield but also a remarkable improvement in grain quality.

The level of intensity of soft winter wheat varieties infection by Fusarium link pathogens and their identification on grain

In today's environment, an important task of agricultural production is to increase yields and improve the quality of agricultural products. A reliable and environmentally beneficial factor for sustainable yield increase and improvement of grain quality is the development of new varieties with group resistance to diseases and a high level of adaptability. The effectiveness of selection for immunity directly depends on the diversity of donor resistance genes, and the search for new sources of resistance has been and remains an urgent issue. The aim of the study was to determine the level of infection of soft winter wheat varieties with Fusarium head blight pathogens and to identify them. Varieties of soft winter wheat from different breeding institutions of Ukraine were used in the research: Institute of Plant Industry named after V.Y. Yuriev NAAS (IPI), Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (IPPG), Institute of Plant Protection NAAS (IPP), Institute of Irrigated Agriculture NAAS (IA), National Research Center "Institute of Agriculture NAAS" (NRC IA). Phytopathological analysis was used to determine the species composition of the Fusarium pathogen, and the proportion of species was determined by the ratio of infected wheat grain samples to their total number. A higher (15-18%) level of Fusarium infection intensity was observed in the varieties Perfect, Turunchuk, Ovid, Vodograi, and Mirolyubna. During the years of research, winter wheat grain was colonized by the following species of Fusarium ear blight: F. sporotrichiella, F. monilifopme, F. graminearum, F. culmorum, F. avenaceum, F. gibbosum F. sambucinum and F. oxysporium. The species F. monilifopme and F. oxysporium dominated, with a prevalence of 16.2 and 1.7% on wheat grain, respectively. The winter wheat varieties with the lowest (1.2-4.5%) damage by pathogens of the genus Fusarium are recommended for use in wheat breeding for immunity. The use of stable source material in practical breeding will help to curb the growth of pathogen infection without the use of chemical protection agents.

Organic amendments and nitrogen levels influences grain quality of Rice (Oryza sativa) – Wheat (Triticum aestivum) cropping system

A field experiment was conducted at Ludhiana and Amritsar during kharif and rabi 2018–19 and 2019–20 to see the effect of different organic amendments and nitrogen levels on grain quality parameters of rice and wheat. The results revealed that at both locations milling quality such as brown, milled as well as head rice recovery and L:B of rice grain were found significantly higher with treatment in which poultry manure (PM) was applied to rice followed by green manure (GM) and farmyard manure (FYM). N100 recorded better milling quality and L:B which was at par with N75. Residual effects of green manure and organic amendments on physical grain characteristics, viz. grain appearance score, hectolitre weight, grain hardness and chemical grain characteristics, viz. sedimentation value, protein content, gluten content of succeeding wheat crop were recorded higher in PM which was significantly superior than GM and FYM at both locations. Whereas, N100 and N75 found to be superior as compared to N50 and control. The improvement in grain quality may be attributed to the increased availability of nutrients coupled with increased absorption and assimilation by plants on long term basis.

Genetic diversity analysis and GWAS reveal the adaptive loci of milling and appearance quality of japonica rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Northeast China

Milling and appearance quality are important contributors to rice grain quality. Abundant genetic diversity and a suitable environment are crucial for rice improvement. In this study, we investigated the milling and appearance quality-related traits in a panel of 200 japonica rice cultivars selected from Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces in Northeast China. Pedigree assessment and genetic diversity analysis indicated that cultivars from Jilin harbored the highest genetic diversity among the three geographic regions. An evaluation of grain quality indicated that cultivars from Liaoning showed superior milling quality, whereas cultivars from Heilongjiang tended to exhibit superior appearance quality. Single- and multi-locus genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were conducted to identify loci associated with milling and appearance quality-related traits. Ninety-nine significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected. Three common SNPs were detected using the mixed linear model (MLM), mrMLM, and FASTmrMLM methods. Linkage disequilibrium decay was estimated and indicated three candidate regions (qBRR-1, qBRR-9 and qDEC-3) for further candidate gene analysis. More than 300 genes were located in these candidate regions. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was performed to discover the potential candidate genes. Genetic diversity analysis of the candidate regions revealed that qBRR-9 may have been subject to strong selection during breeding. These results provide information that will be valuable for the improvement of grain quality in rice breeding.

Maize Endosperm Development: Tissues, Cells, Molecular Regulation and Grain Quality Improvement

Maize endosperm plays important roles in human diet, animal feed and industrial applications. Knowing the mechanisms that regulate maize endosperm development could facilitate the improvement of grain quality. This review provides a detailed account of maize endosperm development at the cellular and histological levels. It features the stages of early development as well as developmental patterns of the various individual tissues and cell types. It then covers molecular genetics, gene expression networks, and current understanding of key regulators as they affect the development of each tissue. The article then briefly considers key changes that have occurred in endosperm development during maize domestication. Finally, it considers prospects for how knowledge of the regulation of endosperm development could be utilized to enhance maize grain quality to improve agronomic performance, nutrition and economic value.