Millet Research Articles

Development and characterization of Japanese soy sauce-like fermented seasoning with various ingredients

Ten types of ingredients, including pressed barley, sprouted brown rice, red sorghum, amaranth, glutinous millet, upland rice, rice bran, chickpeas, rapeseed pomace, and perilla pomace, were utilized to develop a soy sauce-like seasoning. Free amino acid, aroma compound, and sensory evaluation values were measured in comparison to regular soy sauce (fermented with soybean and wheat). The content of free amino acids was highly correlated with the total nitrogen content, with regular soy sauce showing the highest value. The taste attribute amino acids levels were also high in regular soy sauce, rapeseed pomace, and perilla pomace, which attributed to a rich flavor. Except for sprouted brown rice and pressed barley, the remaining nine seasonings exhibited distinctive or elevated content of aroma compounds. Sensory evaluation separated eleven seasonings into sprouted brown rice, together with upland rice, and the rest. PLSR analysis identified sixteen free amino acids as flavor key contributors and twenty-four key aroma contributors. Among the eleven types of seasoning, regular soy sauce was characterized by a sweet and umami taste, while rapeseed pomace was predominantly bitter. The aroma of regular soy sauce was mainly derived from grains and tea, whereas rapeseed imparted distinctive flavors of broth smell and a fragrant aroma.

Effects of Planting Practices on Soil Organic Carbon during Old Apple Orchards’ Reconstruction on the Loess Plateau

Changes in the soil organic matter are related to the land-use change of sustainable agricultural production. However, few studies have been reported on the effects of changes in planting practices on SOC during the reconstruction period of old apple orchards. In this study, 4 treatments were applied during the reconstruction period of old apple orchards (more than 20 years old) on the Loess Plateau: thinning and replanted apple saplings (TR); all felled and planted corn (CR); all felled and planted millet (MT); all felled and planted potato (PT). It was found that: SOC was ranked as MT > PT > CR > TR, and decreased with soil depth, obeying the power function law; this first decreased and then increased, with the lowest ranking of the year being obtained in August in a year; MT was the most effective in increasing SOC, with an average annual growth rate of 0.54 g/(kg∙year). In this study, the complex relationship between rainfall, temperature, solar radiation, soil moisture content, and soil organic carbon was established. The results not only provide a reference for the reconstruction of old apple orchards, but also provide support for sustainable agricultural production in the fragile ecological zone of the Loess Plateau.

180 Effects of Forage Mixtures on Rumen Fermentation Parameters as Assessed by Continuous Culture

Abstract The impact of using diverse forage mixtures on rumen performance is poorly characterized. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of feeding diverse pastures on rumen performance using in vitro continuous culture fermenters. Treatments were assessed using a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Each 10-d period included 7-d of adaption followed by 3-d of sample collection. Dietary treatments (DM basis) included 1) 50% orchardgrass + 50% alfalfa (OG-ALF); 2) 50% OG-ALF + 50% red clover (RC); 3) 50% OG-ALF + 50% pearl millet (MIL); and 4) 50% OG-ALF + 50% sorghum x sudangrass (SUD). Forage diets (131 g DM/ fermenter/ d) were divided into 4 portions/d (33%, 0600 h; 17%, 0720 h; 33%,1800 h; 17%, 1920 h). Fermenter pH measurements were collected every min for the entire experiment. Methane concentrations were measured using a gas probe and recorded twice daily (0530 h,1730 h) in triplicate on d 7, 8, 9, and 10. Daily total effluent samples were collected on d 8, 9, and 10 for VFA analysis. Results were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS. There were no differences in total VFA concentrations (P = 0.08), molar proportions (P = 0.22), or individual VFA ratios (P > 0.05) as a result of treatment. Fermenter pH did not differ between fermenters as a result of treatment (P > 0.05). Fermenters receiving OG-ALF had the greatest methane concentration (50.8 mg/dL), which was higher (P < 0.05) than methane concentrations in fermenters receiving MIL (6.2 mg/dL), SUD (6.9 mg/dL), or RC (21.2 mg/dL). Methane concentrations from the MIL, SUD and RC treatments did not differ (P > 0.05). This indicates that binary forage mixtures may have lower nutritional value compared with diverse mixtures, and this diversification could provide nutritional benefits.

Amino acid profiles and in vitro antioxidant properties of cereal-legume flour blends

Legumes and cereals stand a great chance as remedies to overcome incidences of protein malnutrition and oxidative stress. Cereal grains such as wheat (WT), millet (ML), maize (MZ) and acha (AC) were blended with cowpea (CP), peanut (PN) and soybean (SO) at varying levels to produce four different blends. Protein contents of the cereal-legume blends were determined and found to be higher as the inclusion level of legumes increased in the blends. Amino acid profiles and antioxidant properties of the flour blends were evaluated. Results showed that leucine was the most abundant (6.52-8.45 g/100 g) essential amino acid in the flour blends while total content of essential amino acids increased as the level of legume incorporation increased in the WT/SO (31.3-36.2 g/100 g) and MZ/CP (34.5-37.4 g/100 g). The antioxidant properties showed that MZ50:CP50 exhibited greater ferric reducing antioxidant power while WT70:SO30 and AC50:SO50 had stronger metal chelation activity and ML50:PN50 scavenged the most DPPH radicals when compared to the other flour blends. The results suggest that the composite flours have the potential to be used as ingredients for the formulation of food products with high levels of essential nutrients in addition to antioxidant benefits.

Beef Production on Rotationally Grazed F1 Pennisetum Hybrid and Elephant Grass (Pennisetum Purpureum Schum.) Pastures

Comparative studies of elephant grass and the F1 hybrids between the 'maiwa' cultivar of millet ( Pennisetum americanum ) and elephant grass ( P. purpureum ) indicated a superiority in quality of the hybrids. To ascertain this potential superiority animal performance was measured by estimating beef production on F1 Pennisetum hybrid and elephant grass pastures consisting of random mixtures of genotypes which were grazed from July 28 to December 6, 1972 (132 days) by 18 to 24 months old White Fulani (Bunaji) Zebu heifers. Each pasture was divided into six 0.07-ha paddocks which were grazed in intervening rest periods of 30 to 35 days. Total liveweight gains per hectare, of animals grazing F1 Pennisetum hybrid and elephant grass pastures were 246.71 and 171.77 kg respetively. Mean daily liveweight gain per 100 kg body weight of animals on the F1 Pennisetum hybrid pasture was 0.18 kg of animals grazing elephant grass. Dry matter (DM) utilisation and average daily intake of the F1 hybrids and elephant grass were respectively, 46 and 35% and 2.2 and 2.0% of body weight while 11.71 kg and 15.85 kg of F1 Pennisetum hybrids and elephant grass, respectively, were consumed per kg of liveweight gain. The superior performance of animals grazing F1 Pennisetum hybrids was attributed to the higher intake and more efficient conversion of the hybrids. Stand mortality of F1 Pennisetum hybrids and elephant grass at the end of the study were 25 and 15%, respectively. greater animal output can be expected from F1 Pennisetum hybrids selected for improved DM production quality and plant persistence.

Enhancing growth and yield potential of foxtail millet through potassium application in eastern dry zone of Karnataka

As we know that intensive cropping with high yielding varieties makes considerable demand on the soil nutrients and application of nitrogen alone is not a prescription to obtain higher yields without other nutrients supplement. The red soils of Southern Karnataka are natively rich in potassium, hence potassium is not recommended for foxtail millet in Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka. However, long-term intensive cropping without its application resulted in low to medium status and reduced potassium supply to crop plants and consequently crop yields. By considering nutritional aspects, different levels of potassium have been applied to foxtail millet. Totally twelve treatments were tested which includes absolute control, recommended dose of fertilizers as per UAS, Bangalore package (40:40:0 kg N, P2O5 and K2O per hectare, same level of nitrogen, phosphorus and 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 kg of potassium, 50 kg nitrogen, 45 kg phosphorus, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 kg of potassium. These treatments were replicated thrice using RCBD. The initial soil was low in potassium (119.84 kg ha-1), neutral in reaction (6.59), low organic carbon (0.47%), low available nitrogen (136.42 kg ha-1), phosphorus (16.62 kg ha-1) and sandy loam in texture. From the experiment it was clear that, application of 40 kg nitrogen, 40 kg phosphorus and 40 kg potassium along with 7 tonnes of FYM is performed well by recording highest plant height, number of tillers, panicle length, panicle weight, grain yield and straw yield. Application of increased levels of potassium significantly increased the yield potential of the foxtail millet.

Cultivo de plantas forrageiras de apelo regional para o Semiárido brasileiro sob a perspectiva de técnicas agrometeorológicas para melhoria da resiliência: uma revisão

A baixa disponibilidade de forragem devido à escassez hídrica e o efeito das mudanças climáticas são problemas enfrentados pelos produtores rurais das regiões semiáridas. Para contornar esses efeitos, pesquisas mostram a importância da utilização de espécies que sejam adaptadas às condições ambientais. Dentre essas espécies, a palma forrageira é um importante alimento para dietas de ruminantes, de alta aceitabilidade, rico em energia e alto teor de água, além da sua implantação no campo ser de baixo custo. O milheto é uma outra espécie usada, pois apresenta tolerância aos estresses hídrico e salino, além de ser um alimento útil para suplementação junto com a palma forrageira. O emprego de práticas agrícolas como irrigação, cobertura morta e consorciação pode auxiliar no sistema de produção dessas culturas. Além disso, a aplicação de parâmetros agrometeorológicos são relevantes para garantir o melhor planejamento e a tomada de decisão agrícola. Nesta revisão, objetivou-se abordar práticas agronômicas, análises estatísticas e indicadores agrometeorológicos empregados em pesquisas voltadas às culturas da palma forrageira e do milheto em sistemas de produção. Pesquisas foram feitas nas bases bibliográficas da Scopus, ScienceDirect, Mendeley e Google Scholar. As práticas agrícolas uso mínimo de irrigação, cobertura morta e consorciação são essenciais nos sistemas de cultivo da palma forrageira e do milheto. Em conjunto ao manejo dessas culturas, o uso de indicadores agrometeorológicos atrelados à análise multivariada permite o melhor planejamento e tomada de decisão na produção.

Control effects of different herbicides on weeds as well as their effects on growth and deve-lopment of broomcorn millet

Selecting a herbicide suitable for broomcorn millet is a key issue in high efficiency and safe production of broomcorn millet and ecological environment improvement. We compared the control effects of 22 different herbicides on weeds as wells as their effects on growth and development of glutinous millet (Yumi 2) in the field. The results showed that, 1) soil applied Goyou, Butachlor, atrazine, and Benzipram, and stem- and leaf-applied WP mixture of tribenuron-methyl·carfentrazone-ethyl·MCPA-Na, Sigma Broad, Tengjing, Taoshi·Youxian and Kuofei had little phytotoxi-city, with broomcorn millet seedlings growing normally, and the other herbicides had phytotoxicities on broomcorn millet. 2) All the herbicides controlled weeds in the field to some extent, with better performance of soil applied herbicides than the stem- and leaf-applied ones, and affected plant height, functional leaf SPAD and spike weight per plant of broomcorn millet. 3) Compared with manual weeding, all herbicides reduced yields of glutinous millet. Compared with no herbicides application, some herbicides had yield-increasing effects. Among the soil applied herbicides, Go-you, Butachlor, atrazine, and Benzipram performed better in weeding control, increasing the yield of broomcorn millet by more than 60% compared with no herbicide control. Among the stem- and leaf-applied herbicides, Sigma Broad and WP mixture of tribenuron-methyl·carfentrazone-ethyl·MCPA-Na performed better in weeding control, increasing the yield of glutinous millet by more than 50% compared with no herbicide control. Therefore, applying 38% atrazine or 44% Monosulfuron to soil before the emergence of broomcorn millet, or stem- and leaf-applied 3.6% mesosulfuron-methyl or 55% WP mixture of tribenuron-methyl·carfentrazone-ethyl·MCPA-Na after the emergence of broomcorn millet, performed better in weeding control and with limited effects on the growth and development of broomcorn millet.

Structuring Diluted Wheat Matrices: Impact of Heat-Moisture Treatment on Protein Aggregation and Viscoelasticity of Hydrated Composite Flours

The influence of heat-moisture treatment (HMT) and flour hydration (DY) on the restoration of dough viscoelasticity of wheat/non-wheat binary matrices was investigated by applying fundamental and empirical rheological procedures, and the protein structural reorganization was monitored by measuring residual protein solubility in different media, and by assessing the accessibility of thiol groups inside the protein network. Single chestnut (CN), chickpea (CP), millet (MI), and teff (T) flour samples submitted to HMT (15% moisture content, 1 h and 120 °C) were blended with wheat flour at 10% (CN, CP) and 30% (MI, T) of replacement, and binary matrices hydrated at low (L), medium (M), and high (H) DY. Structuring ability of HMT was mainly observed in cereal flour blends (T, MI), where higher elastic moduli and lower loss tangent together with solid-like elastic structure over higher shear stress were observed as compared with treated non-cereal flour blends (CN, CP). Increased flour hydration significantly weakened blends structure, inducing a stepped decrease in dynamic moduli values particularly noticed in cereal blends at highest level of flour hydration, and a shift from elastic-like to viscous-like structure at lower shear stress in non-wheat cereal matrices. The formation of a protein network with reinforced compact structure associated to the presence or formation of intramolecular (CN, CP, T) and intermolecular disulphide bonds (CN, CP, MI, T), water-soluble (CN, MI) and water-insoluble aggregates (CP, T) is feasible to achieve with proteins of non-wheat flours submitted to HMT, particularly in high DY doughs. The lower the amount of free thiols in high molecular weight proteins encompassing high degree of crosslinking, corresponded to thermally treated samples (T, MI) blended at L and M hydration levels. For thermally treated samples, the lower the amount of free thiols in high molecular weight proteins encompassing high degree of crosslinking, corresponded to T and MI binary matrices blended at L and M hydration levels. These samples exhibited a solid-like elastic structure over higher shear stress and showed increased tolerance to stress/strain before losing the structure.

Impact of different cover crops and termination methods on collard yield

A three-year experiment was conducted in Cullman, AL, to determine the impact of iron clay pea, sunn-hemp, soybean, velvet Bean, sorghum Sudan, and pearl millet cover crops terminated with two methods (rolling and flail mowing) on collard (brassica oleracea var. acephala, L.) yield. Overall, each of the three growing seasons (2013, 2014, and 2015) produced significant differences in cover crop biomass production among cover crops. Across three growing seasons sorghum Sudan and Pearl Millet generated the highest biomass (23,752 and 23,333 kg ha -1 respectively). During the same period, sunn hemp produced 10,908 kg/ha -1 and soybean, velvet bean and iron clay pea produced lower biomass (6,754, 6,068, and 4,360 kg ha -1 , respectively). Termination rates of cover crops used in this study were mostly below 90%. Termination rates above 90% have been recommended by agricultural extension services to plant cash crop into cover crop residue. In all three growing seasons volumetric soil moisture content during evaluation have showed that plots with rolled residue consistently held more VMC than the standing cover crops, indicating that rolled cover crop residue better preserved soil moisture content. Collard green yield was significantly different in each growing season for different covers and termination methods. Averaged over three growing seasons, the highest collard yield was observed for iron clay pea (12,623 kg ha -1 ), Velvet bean (11,020 kg ha -1 ) and sunn hemp (10,802 kg ha -1 ). Data suggest that higher collard yield was obtained with legume cover crops with the benefit of released nitrogen into the soil and utilized by collards. In addition, across all years, the average collard green yield was higher for cover crops which were flail mowed (11,875 kg ha -1 ) compared to rolled/crimped cover crops (7,349 kg ha -1 ).

Nutritional Compositions of Varieties of Foxtail Millet and Proso Millet Developed in Korea

Nutritional Compositions of Varieties of Foxtail Millet and Proso Millet Developed in Korea

Acute Effects of Three Cooked Non-Cereal Starchy Foods on Postprandial Glycemic Responses and in Vitro Carbohydrate Digestion in Comparison with Whole Grains: A Randomized Trial.

Plant origin, processing, and domestic preparation may affect the postprandial glycemic response (PGR) of starchy foods. The objective of this study was to examine the possibility of integrating domestically cooked non-cereal starchy foods commonly consumed in Northeast Asia into glycemic management diet, and compare their glycemic characteristics with those of waxy and non-waxy whole grains and starchy beans. In a randomized crossover trial, ten healthy subjects consumed dried lily bulb (LB), lotus seed (LS), adlay (AD), waxy black rice (BR), millet (MI), and adzuki bean (AB), pre-soaked and each cooked for two time durations. Acute PGR tests and in vitro carbohydrate digestion were carried out for each test food. Both the LS and AB meals achieved low glycemic index (GI 21–51), while the other starchy foods failed to show significant difference with rice (GI 83–109). The hydrolysis indexes of LS and AB were 37.7%–61.1%, significantly lower than other test foods. The in vitro tests indicated that pre-soaking resulted in high rapidly digestible starch (RDS) and low resistant starch (RS). Careful choice of whole grain materials, minimized pre-soaking, and moderate cooking may be critical factors for successful postprandial glycemic management for diabetic and pre-diabetic.

Influence of planting time of the seed yield and quality millet

One of the best crops grown in Mongolia is Mongolian rice, which is drought-tolerant, has a good reproductive ability, easy processing and easy to prepare for food. The survey was conducted the field of the IPASI in Khongor soum of Darkhan-Uul aimag in 2017. The Saratovskaya 853 varieties were sown on May 20, 30 and 10 June. Spacing between 0.5 m and 15 cm between plants / total 18 stages at 15 cm in apart, each field is 1 m2 (width 83.3 cm, length of 120 cm ) the irrigated area, on May 20, the yield has 61.6 h/ha of seed was reduced to 4.8 h/ha from May 30, 8.5 h/ha from the June 10 th.
 Усалгаатай нөхцөлд бог будааны үрийн ургац, тэжээллэг чанарт тарих хугацааны нөлөө
 Хураангуй: Бог будаа нь хүнс, тэжээлийн нэг наст үет ургамал. Манай орны тариачин ардууд ганд тэсвэртэй,үржих чадвар өндөр, боловсруулах багаж төхөөрөмжийн шаардлага бага, хүнс тэжээлд хэрэглэхэд амар хялбар зэрэг өвөрмөц онцлогтой түгээмэл тариалагдаж байсан унаган таримлын нэг бол бог будаа юм[1]. Туршлага судалгааг 2017 онд Дархан-Уул аймгийн Хонгор сумын нутаг дахь УГТХүрээлэнгийн судалгааны талбарт явууллаа. Бог будааны Саратовская-853 сортыг мөр хооронд 15 см зайтайгаар 6 см гүнд үрэнд зориулан 5 дугаар сарын 10, 20, 6 дугаар сарын 10 гэсэн хугацаанд нэг га талбайд 3 сая.ширхэг нормоор тус бүр 3 давталmтайгаар нэг дэвсгийн хэмжээ 1м2 нийт 9 дэвсэгт тариалсан. Бог будааны үрийн ургацаар 5 дугаар сарын 20-ны хувилбар хамгийн өндөр буюу 61.6 ц/га хүрч 5 дугаар сарын 30-ныхаас 4.8 ц/га, 6 дугаар сарын 10-ныхаас 8.5 ц/га тус тус илүү байна.
 Түлхүүр үг: Таримал, талбай, хувилбар, давталт

Income Vulnerability of West African Farming Households to Losses in Pollination Services: A Case Study from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in West African countries is developing rapidly in response to population growth and changing consumer preferences. Furthermore, UPA offers opportunities to secure income and social integration for the urban poor. However, little is known about household (HH) income security effects of the ongoing shift in UPA land use from crops that do not rely on insect pollinators for fruit development (e.g., sorghum and millet) to pollinator-dependent crops. In our study we developed a Household Vulnerability Index (HVI) for 224 HHs along a rural–urban gradient of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The HVI indicates to which degree total HH revenue could be affected by a decline in insect pollinators. HH specific relative reduction of agricultural revenue ranged from 0 to −0.83, a reduction in HHs’ revenue of up to 83%, depending on the crops’ level of pollinator dependency. Half of the studied HHs (n = 108) showed an HVI of 0 and remained unaffected by a decline in pollinators. Nevertheless, mean HVI was highest for urban HHs; making these HHs most vulnerable for loss of pollination services. As in urban areas changes in insect-mediated pollination services are expected, the development of resilient UPA systems must consider “pollinator-friendly” landscape management.

Behaviour of the Angoumois grain moth ( Sitotroga cerealella Oliv.) in different grain substrates and assessment of losses

The Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella, is a primary stored grain pest, which development occurs within a single grain. The respond of the pest to various offered grain substrates was studied in no choice laboratory experiment (temperature 27±1oC; relative humidity 60-80%), by rearing moth populations on entire grains (corn, wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass) and mechanically damaged grains (corn in fractions with/without embryo, polished rice). The pest behaviour was determined by observation of the entrance and exit hole position on different grains. The food consumption was estimated after adult emergence, by measuring of mass losses of infested grains. Mass losses were correlated with quantitative and qualitative grain parameters. The development was successfully accomplished in all grain substrates, except in Kentucky bluegrass. Strategies of larval penetration and exit hole position depended on morphological properties of grains. As a rule, the development of an individual was completed in a single grain, but in polished rice the transfer from one to another grain was observed. The highest loss of infested grain was recorded in corn grains (55.48 mg), the lowest in tall fescue grains (2.40 mg). Positive correlations were detected between the mass losses and protein, lipid and sugar content, negative in relation to cellulose and ash content.

Strengthening national food safety for improved food security in Nigeria: Presentation

A review of literature concerning the quality and safety of eight key staple products in Nigeria, West Africa, was made. These products included stored rice, maize, cashew, yam, cassava, millet, sorghum, and beans. Food safety notifications, both national and international concerning mycotoxins, pesticides, and quality in these foods are highlighted. Across these commodities, a significant number of non-conformances were found, arising from a combination of factors including lack of technical knowledge, supply chain management, and public institutional and policy challenges. The paper discusses the subsequent impact on health, well-being, and the economy. Current strategies aimed at improving food quality and safety in the country was also examined. Recommendations in addressing some significant issues are given.

Comparison of bactericidal effects of two types of pilot-scale intense-pulsed-light devices on cassia seeds and glutinous millet

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the bactericidal effect of two types of pilot-scale intense pulsed light (IPL) devices constructed in our laboratory. Cassia seeds and glutinous millet, with initial microbial loads of 2.04 × 104 and 5.03 × 103 CFU/g, respectively, were treated by cyclone-type and belt-type IPL devices at total fluences of 3.89–54.43 J/cm2. The maximum microbial reductions of the cassia seeds and glutinous millet were 0.74, and 0.66 log/g, respectively, when using the cyclone-type IPL, and 2.63 and 0.55 log/g when using the belt-type IPL device. The geometric mean diameter of cassia seeds and glutinous millet was 0.25 and 0.13, respectively. The cassia seeds having larger particle size than glutinous millet showed a greater bactericidal effect when treated with the belt-type device. Therefore, the design of the treatment chamber can have an improved bactericidal effect on cassia seeds, demonstrating the importance of selecting a suitable IPL device according to the size of the sample to be treated.

Quality Assessment of Complementary Food Produced Using Fermentation and Roasting Methods

This study aimed at assessing the quality of complementary food made from corn, millet and soybean using roasting and fermentation methods. There were two different compositions from each of the method. The functional properties, chemical composition, protein quality and sensory attributes of the formulated diets were determined and the results were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means were separated by Duncan multiple range tests. The difference between the control and the test diets was determined by t-test (P Results showed that there was significant difference in the water absorption and swelling capacity but the bulk density of the samples were not significantly different at P There was significant difference (P crude fiber (14.0-19.8%), fat (12.3-12.6%) and protein (14.6-16.9%) while roasted samples was high in ash (2.3-3.2%), carbohydrate (50.0-52.8%) and energy (351.8-368.7%). The feed efficiency ratio of the control group was low (8.2) while the groups on roasted samples had higher feed conversion ratio (12.6 and 14.5). The PER of the test samples were comparable to PER for regular diet and the result of t-test showed that the regular diet was not significantly different from the test diets at P. Furthermore, the results of sensory evaluation showed that there was no significant difference in the sensory quality of the test diets. The potential of roasted complementary food and fermented complementary food in meeting infant nutritional need was comparable.

Increasing the chlorine active sites in the micropores of biochar for improved mercury adsorption

A series of biochars were prepared from rice(RI), tobacco(TO), corn(CO), wheat(WH), millet(MI), and black bean straw(BB). These biochars were used to study the mechanism of elemental mercury(Hg0) adsorption by hydrochloric acid modified biochars. The biochars were modified by 1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) and then used in a fixed-bed Hg0 adsorption experiment. As would be expected, the results indicated that HCl modification increased the Hg0 adsorption performance of the six biochars. After modification, the Hg0 adsorption efficiency of tobacco biochar increased from 8.2% to 100.0%, and the average Hg0 adsorption capacity of the biochars increased by 61 times. The acid modification dissolved the metal compounds in the biochar, reducing the metal content and increasing the average surface area of the biochar. The average surface area of the raw biochars increased from 29.9 to 110.1 m2/g after HCl modification. The extra surface area was mostly created in the micropores, leading to a significant increase in the amount of micropores. These micropores effectively adsorbed the Cl atoms, which acted as active sites for Hg0. In the adsorption process, Hg0 diffused into the interior of modified biochars via mesopores, and finally the adsorbed Cl in the micropores reacted with Hg0 to form HgCl2.

Impact of Flag Leaf Removal on Grain Development and Nutrients Deposition in Pearl Millet Developing Grains

Flag leaves play an important role in synthesis and translocation of photoassimilates in the pearl millet plant, affecting grain yield; similarly it was believed to be a major source of remobilizing micronutrients (Fe and Zn) for the seeds. At the same time, the seed’s sink strength plays an important role in dry matter accumulation. To investigate the relative contribution of pearl millet flag leaves to protein, micronutrient (Fe and Zn) and phytate accumulation, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of flag leaf removal on grain test weight (1000 grain weight), protein, micronutrients (Fe and Zn) and Phytate deposition in developing grains of two pearl millet cultivars viz. HC 20 and WHC 901-445. Flag leaf was removed on anthesis. Major effect of flag leaf removal was observed on test weight and protein content. A reduction of 10-12% in test weight and 4-6% in protein content was recorded in flag leaf removed plants than that of control plants. No significant reduction was observed in both the micronutrients (Fe and Zn), while phytate content behaved cultivar specific, a significant reduction was observed in HC 20 while it was unaffected in WHC 901-445. Perusal, a significant reduction was observed in all the nutrients in respect of test weight basis. From this investigation it is concluded that flag leaf plays vital role in grain maturation i.e. in supply of carbohydrate and protein fractions that might have limited role in micronutrient remobilization and transportation to developing grains in pearl millet.