Market Classes Research Articles

Vegetable Crops Grown under High Soil Water Availability in Mediterranean Greenhouses

The soil water availability of six vegetable crop cycles, irrigated with water of 0.4 dS m−1 electrical conductivity, was modified by varying the irrigation frequency in typical Mediterranean greenhouses at SE Spain. The soil matric water potential (SMP) in the middle of the loamy soil layer where most roots usually grow was maintained between −10 and −20 kPa (H), −20 and −30 kPa (C), and −30 and −50 kPa (L) for the crops grown under high, conventional and low soil water availability, respectively, while the total irrigation water applied was similar for the three treatments. The high soil water availability (H) did not improve the fresh weight of total, marketable and first class fruits, or the shoot biomass and partitioning. The irrigation frequency did not affect the total root biomass at the end of the autumn–winter cucumber, but the crop under L distributed its root biomass more homogenously throughout the soil profile than the crop under H. Regulating the soil water availability (maintaining the SMP higher than or close to the level at which crop water stress may occur) over the cycle as a function of crop conditions or farmers’ requirements appears to be a useful management practice for controlling soil root distribution or shoot partitioning.

Collaboration is the key: faculty, librarian and Career Center professional unite for marketing class success

The purpose of this initiative was to address the learning gap between the classroom, company research, and real-world application that often results in low student learning and engagement. Through collaboration between a faculty member, librarian and Career Center professional, students in a Marketing class were able to gain industry knowledge and understand personal branding in a way that was relevant to the real-world job and internship search. This article discusses the partnership an institution, the importance of collaboration between student and academic affairs professionals, and the educational benefits for students.

AAC Crossfield red spring wheat

AAC Crossfield, an awned hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar, combines high grain yield and good agronomic characteristics with excellent resistance to leaf, stem, and stripe rust. AAC Crossfield is significantly shorter than Conquer and AAC Foray, and has maturity, straw strength, and test weight similar to the check cultivars. AAC Crossfield has improved farinograph stability and is eligible for grade in the Canada Prairie Spring Red wheat market class.

‘ND Falcon’, a new pinto bean with combined resistance to rust and soybean cyst nematode

Abstract‘ND Falcon’ pinto bean (PVP‐201900174, Reg. no. CV‐326, PI 690446) is a new cultivar developed by the Dry Edible Bean Breeding Program at North Dakota State University and released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. Pinto bean is the most important dry bean market class in the United States. North Dakota is the largest producer of dry bean in the country, where ∼50% of production is pinto bean. Both biotic and abiotic stresses are the main factors responsible for seed yield reductions. Between 2013 and 2018, ND Falcon was tested across more than 22 environments in North Dakota. Averaged across environments, seed yield of ND Falcon was not significantly different from commonly grown pinto bean cultivars in the region. Nonetheless, ND Falcon is resistant to the most common race (20‐3) of the bean rust pathogen and to soybean cyst nematode (HG Type 0). Therefore, a seed yield advantage under disease pressure would be expected for ND Falcon compared with other pinto bean cultivars while eliminating or reducing the need for fungicide and/or nematicide applications. ND Falcon has desirable upright architecture (type IIa) with short vines. Under North Dakota conditions, ND Falcon shows an average plant height of 53 cm, has a 100‐seed weight of 37.0 g, and matures in approximately 103 d. Other traits of agronomic or economic importance are within acceptable commercial ranges for pinto bean.

Prebiotic carbohydrate concentrations of common bean and chickpea change during cooking, cooling, and reheating.

Thermal processing of pulse crops influences the type and levels of prebiotic carbohydrates present. Pulses such as common bean and chickpea are rich sources of prebiotic carbohydrates, including sugar alcohols (SAs), raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs), fructooligosaccharides (FOSs), resistant starch (RS), and amylose. This study determined the changes in prebiotic carbohydrate concentrations of seven common bean and two chickpea market classes after thermal processing (cooking, cooling, and reheating). A 100-g serving of common bean provides 0.7 to 10.6mg of SAs, 3.9 to 5.2g of RFOs, 57 to 143mg of FOSs, 2.6 to 3.9g of RS, and 25 to 33g of amylose; cooling and reheating reduced RFOs but increased SAs, FOSs, and RS in many cases. A 100-g serving of chickpea (cooked at 90°C for 4 hr) provides 1.2 to 1.7g of SAs, 2.5 to 3.2g of RFOs, 26 to 43mg of FOSs, 3.6 to 5.3g of RS, and 24 to 30g of amylose; cooling and reheating reduced SAs and RFOs but increased FOSs, RS, and amylose concentrations. Processing methods change the nutritional quality of pulse crops by changing the type and quantity of prebiotic carbohydrates.

‘ND Pegasus’, a new great northern bean with upright plant architecture and high seed yield

Abstract‘ND Pegasus’ great northern bean (PVP‐201900176, Reg. no. CV‐328, PI 690448) is a new cultivar developed by the dry bean breeding program at North Dakota State University and released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. Great northern bean is a market class of significant economic importance in the United States. In North Dakota especially, biotic and abiotic stresses are the main factors for seed yield reductions. Between 2013 and 2018, ND Pegasus, along with great northern cultivars commonly grown in the region, was tested across more than 35 environments in North Dakota and other states. Seed yield of ND Pegasus was significantly higher by 560, 414, and 571 kg ha‐1 compared with ‘Matterhorn’, ‘Aries’, and ‘Powderhorn’, respectively. However, seed yield of ND Pegasus and ‘Taurus’ were similar. ND Pegasus has an excellent upright architecture that improves the efficiency of direct harvest. Based on greenhouse and DNA marker data, ND Pegasus is resistant to Bean common mosaic virus and has improved resistance to white mold. ND Pegasus has excellent seed quality (color, shape, and size) and is larger than most commercial cultivars commonly grown in the region. ND Pegasus has acceptable canning quality based on some pilot testing. The average plant height of ND Pegasus is 71 cm, and 100‐seed weight 36.8 g. It matures in approximately 103 d. Other agronomic traits of economic importance are within commercial acceptable ranges.

‘ND Whitetail’, a new white kidney bean with high seed yield and intermediate resistance to white mold and bacterial blights

Abstract‘ND Whitetail’ (Reg. no. CV‐327, PI 690447; PVP‐201900175) is a new white kidney bean cultivar developed by the dry bean breeding program at North Dakota State University and released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. Within the Andean gene pool, kidney beans are the most economically important market classes worldwide, with dark‐red kidney bean being the most commonly grown class, followed by light‐red and white kidneys. There is an increased interest in white kidney bean in the United States, mostly stimulated by novel research claiming additional health benefits related to its consumption. However, biotic and abiotic stresses still limit the full seed yield potential of kidney bean cultivars. Averaged across environments, the seed yield of ND Whitetail was significantly higher by 650, 976, and 459 kg ha−1 than ‘Beluga’, ‘Silver Cloud’, and ‘Snowdon’, respectively. ND Whitetail has an average plant height of 52 cm and matures in approximately 101 d. Results from canning tests showed that ND Whitetail received a canning score of 5.1. ND Whitetail has high levels of resistance to white mold and Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) along with intermediate resistance to bacterial diseases. Given the superior seed yield quality and agronomic performance, useful agronomic traits such as seed size, BCMV resistance, white mold and halo blight resistance, and superior canning quality, ND Whitetail could become an important white kidney cultivar in the United States.

Management and Soil Conditions Influence Common Scab Severity on Potato Tubers Via Indirect Effects on Soil Microbial Communities.

Common scab, caused by Streptomyces scabies and related species, is a potato tuber blemish disease that causes reductions in marketable yield worldwide. Evidence of suppression of common scab by indigenous soil microbial populations has been found in several studies. However, we lack a comprehensive understanding of how common scab severity relates functionally to potato varieties, farming systems, soil physical and chemical properties, and soil microbial communities. These factors may affect disease directly or indirectly by affecting one of the other variables. We performed a survey of 30 sampling locations across 12 fields in Wisconsin and used structural equation modeling to disentangle the direct effects of potato market classes, farm management (conventional versus organic), and soil physiochemical properties on common scab severity from their indirect effects mediated through soil bacterial and fungal communities. We found that, although potato market classes affected disease severity directly, the effects of farm management and soil physiochemistry were best explained as indirect, mediated by their impacts on soil bacterial communities. This suggests that evaluating the consequences of specific management practices for soil microbial communities may be useful for understanding disease pressure across fields.

On-farm multi-location evaluation of genotype by environment interactions for seed yield and cooking time in common bean

Common bean variety choice by farmers in Uganda is driven by seed yield plus end-use quality traits like market class and cooking time. Limited genotype by environment information is available for traits valued by consumers. This research evaluated yield, seed size, hydration properties, and cooking time of 15 common bean genotypes within market classes recognized by consumers along with three farmers’ checks at nine on-farm locations in Uganda for two seasons. Yield ranged from 71 to 3,216 kg ha−1 and was largely controlled by location (21.5% of Total Sums of Squares [TSS]), plus the interaction between location and season (48.6% of TSS). Cooking time varied from 19 to 271 minutes with the genotypes Cebo Cela and Ervilha consistently cooking fastest in 24 and 27 minutes respectively. Comparatively, the local checks (NABE-4, NABE-15, and Masindi yellow) took 35 to 45 minutes to cook. Cooking time was largely controlled by genotype (40.6% of TSS). A GGE biplot analysis uncovered the presence of two mega-environments for yield and one mega-environment for cooking time. Identification of mega-environments for these traits will help expedite common bean breeding, evaluation, and variety selection through reduction of number of test environments needed for phenotype evaluations. The high yielding and fast cooking genotypes from this study can be targeted as parental materials to improve existing common bean germplasm for these important traits.

Managing a Destructive, Episodic Crop Disease: A National Survey of Wheat and Barley Growers' Experience With Fusarium Head Blight.

The main techniques for minimizing Fusarium head blight (FHB, or scab) and deoxynivalenol in wheat and barley are well established and generally available: planting of moderately FHB-resistant cultivars, risk monitoring, and timely use of the most effective fungicides. Yet the adoption of these techniques remains uneven across the FHB-prone portions of the U.S. cereal production area. A national survey was undertaken by the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative in 17 states where six market classes of wheat and barley are grown. In 2014, 5,107 usable responses were obtained. The highest percentages reporting losses attributable to FHB in the previous 5 years were in North Dakota, Maryland, Kentucky, and states bordering the Great Lakes but across all states, ≥75% of respondents reported no FHB-related losses in the previous 5 years. Adoption of cultivar resistance was uneven by state and market class and was low except among hard red spring wheat growers. In 13 states, a majority of respondents had not applied an FHB-targeted fungicide in the previous 5 years. Although the primary FHB information source varied by state, crop consultants were considered to be an important source or their primary source of information on risk or management of FHB by the largest percentage of respondents. Use of an FHB risk forecasting website was about twice as high in North Dakota as the 17-state average of 6%. The most frequently cited barriers to adopting FHB management practices were weather or logistics preventing timely fungicide application, difficulty in determining flowering timing for fungicide applications, and the impracticality of FHB-reducing rotations. The results highlight the challenges of managing an episodically damaging crop disease and point to specific areas for improvement.

Induction of seed coat darkening in common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and the association with cooking time after storage

Carioca is the most important edible dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown in Brazil. It represents the largest dry bean market class in the world. The seed coat of carioca beans will darken under adverse harvest conditions and with the increasing of storage time. In general, darkened seeds are associated with older seeds that suffer from prolonged cooking times. A relatively new ‘slow darkening’ trait is available in carioca that delays seed coat darkening under storage. However, its effect on cooking time is unknown. The objective of this work was to evaluate two induction methods of seed coat darkening and to examine the effect of slow darkening trait on cooking time after storage. Lines derived from four segregating populations resulting from crossings between cultivar BRSMG Madrepérola with slow seed coat darkening, and the parents BRS Estilo, BRS Cometa, BRS Notável and BRS Sublime with normal darkening were evaluated. An experiment inlcuding 220 lines, 55 per population and the five parents, in a 15x15 triple lattice was conducted in the winter growing season in Brasilia. Seed coat darkening and cooking time traits were evaluated. Two methods for inducing seed coat darkening were compared: an accelerated aging test using UV light for 72 hours, and an extended storage for 90 days under ambient conditions. The correlation between the induction methods ranged from 0.77 to 0.85 for the different populations indicating either method could be used to discriminate lines with normal versus slow darkening trait. The percentage of light-colored grain lines was identified by both induction methods of seed coat darkening ranged from 75 to 85.7% in the populations. The genetic correlation between seed coat darkening and cooking time varied from -0.06 to -0.48, indicating that in some populations there is no significant genetic correlation between seed coat darkening and cooking time. Thus, light colored grains are not indicative of low cooking time, when they are considered genotypes with genetic variation for the seed coat darkening.

Plant Biostimulant Effects of Baker’s Yeast Vinasse and Selenium on Tomatoes through Foliar Fertilization

The application of selenium (Se) to tomatoes enhances accumulation of bioactive compounds. The physiological window of Se is very narrow, and Se overdose reduces the yield. Glycine betaine was shown to reduce Se’s negative effects on plants and to potentiate its beneficial effects. In this study, baker’s yeast vinasse (BYV), as an affordable source of glycine betaine, was tested for its interaction with Se in an optimized foliar fertilizer. The application dose was selected after a laboratory experiment, wherein assays on plant height, leaves surfaces, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll fluorescence were done. The Se and BYV supplemented foliar fertilizers were tested for their effects on accumulation of bioactives in drip-irrigated tomatoes cultivated in a greenhouse. Under laboratory conditions, assays demonstrated Se and BYV induced effects on tomatoes plants. Both the stomatal conductance and photosynthesis efficiency increased compared to a water treated control. The greenhouse experiment demonstrated that BYV and Se addition increases the number of tomato fruits in the “extra” marketable class and enhances the accumulation of ascorbic acid, carotenes, polyphenols, and flavonoids. The effects depend on the composition of the foliar fertilizer, the most significant effects being recorded for the foliar applied product with the highest BYV and nitrogen content.

Analysing impact of S&P mid cap and small cap returns on BSE Sensex returns

Stock market plays an imperative role in the development of the economy and for the strong building of the financial system in different sector of the economy. In the recent times, the stock market has experienced radical increase in the volatility which has lead to turbulence in the financial market and various asset classes of the global economies. India has strong financial structure as compared to the other world economies. The present paper investigates the impact of small cap and mid cap returns on the BSE Sensex returns during 2013 to 2018. The results of the study suggest that returns from mid-cap and small cap play significant role in today's capital market. Compared to small cap stocks, mid cap stocks are less risky in BSE Sensex.

Polyphenolic Profiles of Yellow Bean Seed Coats and Their Relationship with Iron Bioavailability.

Previous work with Caco-2 cell cultures has shown that individual polyphenols can either promote or inhibit iron uptake. This investigation was designed to characterize the relationship between iron bioavailability and seed coat polyphenol composition in a panel of 14 yellow beans representing five market classes with the potential for fast cooking time and high iron content. The study included two white and two red mottled bean lines, which represent high and low iron bioavailability capacity in dry beans, respectively. Polyphenols were measured quantitatively by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS)/UV and iron bioavailability of seed coat extracts was measured in Caco-2 assays. Thirteen of the yellow bean seed types contained high concentrations (up to 35.3 ± 2.7 μmol/g) of kaempferol 3-glucoside (k 3-g), a known promoter of iron uptake. A general association between the ratio of promoting to inhibiting polyphenols (P/I) and iron uptake was observed. The presence of iron uptake inhibiting condensed tannins proportionately countered the promotional effects of kaempferol compounds. Unidentified factors present in seed coats other than polyphenols also appeared to affect iron uptake.

Some Nutritional and Physical Properties of Different Zambian Market Classes of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea)

Selected nutritional and physical properties of the two commonly cultivated Zambian market classes of Bambara groundnut (red and brown) were investigated to establish their end-user traits. Nutritional (essential amino acids, proximate and mineral compositions) and physical (hydration capacity, hydration index, swelling capacity, swelling index and 100 seed mass) properties were investigated using established standard methods. All the essential amino acids were present in both the red and brown Bambara groundnuts. The highest amount was recorded for leucine (9.7 g/100g protein) in the brown Bambara groundnut and least for methionine (1.2 g/100g protein) in the red market class. All the essential amino acids except methionine in the brown Bambara groundnut market class were above the recommended WHO/FAO provisional requirements for children (2 – 5 years) and adults. The crude protein values ranged from 14.62-18.55 g/100g, total ash (4.21 – 4.29 g/100g), crude fibre (2.79 – 5.33 g/100g), fat (6.28 – 6.54 g/100g), moisture (8.95 – 9.13 g/100g) and carbohydrate (59.23 – 60.34 g/100g). Potassium was found to be the most concentrated mineral in both market classes, followed by phosphorous, magnesium and calcium, while lead, mercury and arsenic were not detected. The swelling capacity, swelling index, hydration capacity, and hydration index of the two market classes of Bambara groundnuts were not significantly different, whereas their 100 seed mass was significantly different, with the brown recording the highest.

AAC LeRoy Canada Western Red Spring wheat

AAC LeRoy (BW1049) is a hollow stemmed, awned, high-yielding Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat suited to the growing conditions in western Canada. AAC LeRoy was 10% higher yielding than Unity, the highest yielding check in the Central Bread Wheat Cooperative registration trials (2015–2017). Within the same test, AAC LeRoy was 13% higher yielding than Carberry, a popular CWRS wheat variety across the Canadian Prairies. AAC LeRoy matured 2 d earlier than Carberry and 1 d later than Unity, the earliest maturing check suited for eastern prairie growing conditions. AAC LeRoy was 6 cm shorter with better stem strength than Unity. The lodging score for AAC LeRoy was lower than the mean of the checks. The test weight of AAC LeRoy was similar to the mean of the checks. Over the 3 yr of testing (2015–2017), the 1000-kernel weight of AAC LeRoy was higher than all of the checks, with a grain protein content 0.6% units lower than Carberry. AAC LeRoy was rated as moderately resistant to Fusarium head blight (Fusarium graminearum Schwabe), leaf rust (Puccinia triticina Erikss.), stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis Westend.), and stem rust (Puccinia graminis Pers. f. sp. tritici Erikss. & E. Henn), including the Ug99 family of stem rusts. It also had a resistant reaction to loose smut [Ustilago tritici (Pers.) Rostr.] and an intermediately resistant reaction to common bunt [Tilletia caries (DC.) Tul. & C. Tul.]. AAC LeRoy was resistant to orange wheat blossom midge (Sitodiplosis mosellana Géhin). AAC LeRoy was registered under the CWRS market class.

Physicochemical properties and rheological behavior of flours and starches from four bean varieties for gluten-free pasta formulation

Abstract The rheological behavior of gluten-free flour dispersions from four pulse market classes, including great northern, navy, red kidney (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and garbanzo beans (Cicer arietinum) were evaluated and compared to soft wheat as a gluten-containing control. Their starches were isolated and the relationships between flour behavior and starch characteristics were studied. Soft wheat (56%) and garbanzo (39%) flours presented higher starch contents than the Phaseolus vulgaris beans (33–35%), which resulted in the development of stronger gel network structures. It was found that starch amylose content and granule size affected the swelling and pasting properties of both starches and flours. Rheology tests suggested that garbanzo and navy bean flours developed the strongest structures among the gluten-free samples included. Therefore these were chosen to develop gluten-free pasta. The cooking and texture parameters of these pastas were also studied and compared with soft wheat pasta.

Bitcoin and Cybersecurity: Temporal Dissection of Blockchain Data to Unveil Changes in Entity Behavioral Patterns

The Bitcoin network not only is vulnerable to cyber-attacks but currently represents the most frequently used cryptocurrency for concealing illicit activities. Typically, Bitcoin activity is monitored by decreasing anonymity of its entities using machine learning-based techniques, which consider the whole blockchain. This entails two issues: first, it increases the complexity of the analysis requiring higher efforts and, second, it may hide network micro-dynamics important for detecting short-term changes in entity behavioral patterns. The aim of this paper is to address both issues by performing a “temporal dissection” of the Bitcoin blockchain, i.e., dividing it into smaller temporal batches to achieve entity classification. The idea is that a machine learning model trained on a certain time-interval (batch) should achieve good classification performance when tested on another batch if entity behavioral patterns are similar. We apply cascading machine learning principles—a type of ensemble learning applying stacking techniques—introducing a “k-fold cross-testing” concept across batches of varying size. Results show that blockchain batch size used for entity classification could be reduced for certain classes (Exchange, Gambling, and eWallet) as classification rates did not vary significantly with batch size; suggesting that behavioral patterns did not change significantly over time. Mixer and Market class detection, however, can be negatively affected. A deeper analysis of Mining Pool behavior showed that models trained on recent data perform better than models trained on older data, suggesting that “typical” Mining Pool behavior may be represented better by recent data. This work provides a first step towards uncovering entity behavioral changes via temporal dissection of blockchain data.

Thermal and enzymatic treatments reduced α‐galactooligosaccharides in common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) flour

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of enzymatic, thermal, and soaking treatments on antinutritional factors as well as nutritional content of black and pinto beans to produce common bean flours. Black and pinto beans were soaked and treated with either enzymatic complex containing cellulase, hemicellulase, and β-glucanase or thermally treated by autoclave. Black and pinto beans that were bicarbonate-soaked, cooked, and enzymatically treated presented the highest reduction on the α-galactooligosaccharides (α-GOS) content (p < .05) by more than 62% and the tannins content by 58% maintaining the nutritional quality. Similarly, after thermal treatments (autoclaving 3 min) both market classes showed a reduction greater than 49% (p < .05) on the α-GOS concentration and 80% reduction on tannins levels, while still conserving nutritional attributes. The nonspecific enzyme complex presented a side activity and hydrolyzed the α-GOS. α-GOS were reduced in common bean flour while protein and dietary fiber were maintained. Practical applications Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an inexpensive and important source of protein and complex carbohydrates. Enzymatic, thermal, and soaking treatments on black and pinto beans reduced the principal components that produce flatulence and other intestinal discomforts. This could be a more practical option to reduce these components apart from α-galactosidase. As a final product, a common bean flour rich in proteins, dietary fiber, and partially free of α-GOS was obtained, which could be employed as an alternative ingredient in baked, extruded, and specialized foods for people with digestive problems.

Differential Nitrogen and Water Impacts on Yield and Quality of Wheat Classes

High wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield and desirable quality must be considered to avoid market price penalty. Wheat classes and genotypes may respond differently to agronomic management and environmental conditions. Our goal was to characterize the yield, protein, test weight, and falling number of four hard red and four soft white spring wheat cultivars randomized within the five N levels over contrasting environments (rainfed and irrigated) in northwestern Montana. One‐third yield reduction from 2016 to 2017 was attributed to heat stress. Irrigation increased both grain yield and test weight. However, falling number was generally higher under rainfed environment, but was also cultivar dependent. ‘Egan,’ ‘McNeal,’ and ‘Alpowa’ falling number values were more resilient to environmental differences than other cultivars. Overall, soft whites had higher yields than hard reds, but with a stronger negative yield to protein relationship. Achieving high yield in hard reds via irrigation did not reduce grain protein in relation to rainfed, except at very low N (2017 control). The cultivar Egan, with Gpc‐B1 gene for higher grain protein, had similar yield to its parent material and to other hard red, though inferior to ‘Vida’ (characterized by extended green leaf duration after heading) under hot and dry conditions. During the less limiting year (2016), the maximum protein was achieved with much less N under irrigated environment compared with rainfed. Soft whites, due to lower grain protein requirement and lack of yield response to N in our study, can be grown with lower N input than hard reds.Core Ideas Egan (Gpc‐B1 gene cultivar) had superior grain protein with relatively no yield penalty Vida (stay‐green trait cultivar), Alturas, and UI Stone are more resilient under varied growing conditions and management Soft white market class had higher grain yield and stronger protein dilution than hard red