Soft Grains Research Articles

Quantifying the impact of an abrupt reduction in mineral nitrogen fertilization on crop yield in the European Union

Contemporary crop production in Europe relies on nitrogen (N) fertilization. Fertilizer prices soared in 2021–2022, and remained at historical high levels in 2023. These high prices invoked an immediate concern on the possible consequences for Europe's food production.In this study, we use a biogeochemical model framework to estimate the impact of reducing mineral N fertilization on crop yields in the European Union (EU). First, crop yields simulated with the biogeochemical DayCent model are evaluated against subnational yield data averaged for 2015–2018 reported by Eurostat and National Statistical Institutes in the EU for soft wheat, barley, grain maize and rapeseed. Then, we simulate three different scenarios where mineral N fertilization across the EU is abruptly reduced by respectively 5, 15 and 25 %, and compare yields to the projected baseline for contemporary conditions (2019–2022).The model evaluation gives r2 values ranging from 0.28 (rapeseed) to 0.61 (soft wheat) and root mean square errors (RMSE) ranging from 0.6 (rapeseed) to 1.95 t ha−1 (maize). The model shows a reduction in yield per crop at the EU level up to 2.1, 6.4 and 11.2 % with the 5, 15 and 25 % reduction scenario, respectively. Different crops show different percentage reduction in yield following a reduction in mineral N fertilization, showing a legacy effect over the years and depending on the availability of organic fertilizer. The strongest relative yield reduction occurs for soft wheat for all three scenarios. Even with 25 % drop in mineral N fertilization, maize yield in the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark is not significantly reduced, because of the high N surplus and large share of organic fertilization in these countries.This process-based modelling study provides spatially explicit, high resolution information on the response of crop yields to N fertilizer input reductions, helping policy-makers in decision-making on food security and environmentally-friendly food systems.

Quantitative characterization of local deformation-fracture behavior in ferrite-martensite dual-phase steels with different martensite distributions

Low-carbon dual-phase (DP) steels, composed of a soft ferrite phase and a hard martensite phase, are known as promising advanced high-strength steels (AHSSs) due to their high strength and good ductility at low fabrication cost. However, the deformation behavior of DP steels is still not fully understood because of their complex mixed-phase distribution and mechanical interactions between two phases during deformation. The present study quantitatively investigated the effect of martensite distribution on mechanical properties and local deformation-fracture behavior, using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. Two types of DP structures were prepared: one with a chained martensite distribution (chained DP) and one with an isolated martensite distribution (isolated DP). The chained DP specimen exhibited a superior tensile property, achieving both high strength and large ductility compared to the isolated DP specimen. DIC strain analysis revealed that the chained DP structure showed relatively homogeneous deformation due to the greater contribution of martensite to plastic deformation. In contrast, the isolated DP specimen experienced significant strain localization in the soft ferrite grains. Despite high global strains, non-plastically deformed zones were observed in the central regions of large, isolated martensite particles. Notable differences in micro-void evolution were also observed between the two specimens. The chained DP specimen had a large number of randomly distributed micro-voids, ranging from 0.5 μm to 2 μm in size. In contrast, the isolated DP specimen contained fewer micro-voids, with some aligned at an angle of ∼65° to the tensile direction, potentially leading to early tensile fracture.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi affected soft wheat quality properties and nutritional index by regulating the composition and secondary structure of protein

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation has important regulatory influence on plant growth and nitrogen uptake, which are intimately associated with soft wheat yield and quality. The study aimed to investigate the impact of AMF inoculation on soft wheat grain yield, protein compositions, protein quality, secondary structure of gluten, dough properties and biscuits baking quality. In this study, AMF inoculation significantly increased grain yield. AMF inoculation decreased grain protein content by 5.1%, glutenin content by 8.5%, GMP by 14.3%, and HMW-GS by 8.8% compared with CK. Conversely, AMF inoculation increased the ratio of gliadin/glutenin. Further analysis showed AMF treatment had a looser gluten network than CK, significantly reduced β-sheet and β-turn content, while α-helix content increased. The nutritional index of grain protein was slightly reduced under AMF inoculation, yet the biological value was improved. Reduced wet gluten content, gluten performance index and dough development time under AMF treatment through regulation of soft wheat protein composition and gluten protein structure. Therefore, biscuits in AMF treatment showed reduced thickness, hardness, significantly greater spread ratio and sensory score compared with CK. These indicate that AMF application would be a beneficial agronomic practice to synergistically optimize yield and grain quality in soft wheat.

Evaluation of Federal Crop Insurance Corporation methods to estimate soft winter wheat grain yield in the Eastern United States

Evaluation of Federal Crop Insurance Corporation methods to estimate soft winter wheat grain yield in the Eastern United States

Problems and effectiveness of breeding of winter wheat varieties with increased environmental stability

Aim. The search of adaptive response peculiarities to adverse environmental factors is an important condition of development of varietal technologies and control of adaptive potential of winter wheat varieties. Methods. The studies were carried out in accordance with the field test methodology. The wheat varieties of different types of growing, different genetic and ecological origins were studied. Results. The alternative variety Clarisa and the new universal varieties of winter wheat Perlyna, Askaniyska, Askaniyska Bereginya were characterized by the highest yield at different times of spring vegetation recovery. Thus, on average over the years of research, they exceeded the standard variety of Kherson Bezosta by 0.51–1.27 t/ha in terms of yield, and under unfavorable conditions of the late recovery of spring vegetation, their advantage was at the level of 0.58–1.34 t/ha. Conclusions. For stable production of high-yielding winter soft wheat grain, use new varieties of the universal type Askaniyska, Askaniyska Bereginya, Perlyna and alternative types Clarissa, Solomia for different agrophones for late sowing periods according to different predecessors.

Strain localisation and grain boundary-mediated deformation in pure titanium at low and high temperatures: In-situ optical microscopy and digital image correlation

Heterogeneous deformation occurs between grains in polycrystalline α-titanium. Understanding the role of temperature in local deformation is essential for its applications in extreme environments such as cryo- or high-temperature, but the underlying mechanism still remains elusive. Here we report a study of grain-scale deformation behaviour in CP-Ti plate at the temperature range from −60 °C to 280 °C. The full-field strain measurements were conducted on the tensile samples loaded parallel (RD) and transverse (TD) to the rolling direction, using in-situ optical microscopy and digital image correlation (OM-DIC). The DIC local strain maps were coupled with scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction analysis. The grain boundary sliding and slip transfer occurred depending on the geometric relationship (i.e., deformation compatibility) between adjacent grains at 20 °C, and a micro-crack was observed at the {101‾1} twist boundary. The strain was recovered in the grains in the RD sample favourable for slip, whilst more accumulated in the grains in TD sample unfavourable for slip at 280 °C. The plasticity of grains differs with decreasing temperature to −40 °C, resulting in the presence of soft/hard grain pairs. The strong strain localisation between the soft and hard grains led to the cracking along the GBs (RD) and cross the grains (TD). Interestingly, the cracking was significantly reduced with decreasing temperature to −60 °C due probably to the temperature dependence of the plasticity of grains. The strain-hardening behaviour of α-Ti polycrystals was significantly affected by the temperature and crystal orientation dependence of grain-scale deformation mechanism.

Failure analysis of 12Cr1MoVG outlet header for the reheater of the boiler under high temperature and high-pressure environment

ABSTRACT After operating for 11,640 h, a boiler failed due to multiple cracks generated in the inner wall of the outlet header for the reheater. A thorough analysis was conducted in this work, including evidence and specimen collection, chemical composition analysis, tensile and impact test analysis, metallographic analysis, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, and electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) characterisation, to reveal the causes of cracks in the outlet header of the reheater. The tensile strength-Rm and the average micro-Vickers hardness of the outlet header is 496 MPa and 168 HV, respectively. Besides, the microstructure was found to meet the requirements of the relevant standards. The grains near the crack exhibited different degrees of deformation, and the deformation degree increased with the decreasing distance from the crack. In addition, the grains with the Schmid factor value greater than 0.3 accounted for 99.8% near the crack, indicating that the grains surrounding the crack were predominantly soft orientation grains. Thus, many deformation bands mainly composed of low-angle boundaries were induced inside the grains near the crack. Eventually, it was concluded that alkali stress corrosion and thermal fatigue resulted in the failure of the outlet header.

Investigation into the mechanisms of Corrosion-Induced rolling contact fatigue crack initiation and propagation in pearlitic rails

Corrosion stands as a pivotal causative agent for the initiation and propagation of rolling contact fatigue (RCF) cracks on rail surfaces. This study aims to scientifically delineate the corrosion fatigue behavior of U75V rails. The study identifies the presence of oxidative corrosion and graphitization on the rail surface. Carbides near the rail surface cause stress concentration, reducing the rail’s RCF residence. Oxide corrosion engenders internal oxide inclusions within cracks, expediting RCF crack propagation. Furthermore, grain refinement and discordant deformation between soft and hard grains near the rail surface give rise to sub-surface microporosity and microcracking. These findings advance our comprehension of rail RCF and offer insights for guiding rail maintenance and informing new rail design strategies.

How heterogeneous microstructure determines mechanical behavior of laser powder bed fusion AlSi10Mg

Laser powder bed fusion AlSi10Mg exhibits hierarchical and heterogeneous microstructure, which leads to anisotropic mechanical properties. The present work systematically investigated strength, ductility and their correlations to heterogeneous microstructure along different loading directions. Two AlSi10Mg samples presenting distinct features of Al–Si cellular structures and melt pool borders were analyzed, using combined tensile tests and digital image correlation measurements at both macro and micro scales. In addition, crystal plasticity modeling and simulation were conducted to reveal the deformation behavior and propensity to damage in the melt pool interiors and at the melt pool borders. Strain localizations are found in both the building direction and the perpendicular direction, due to weaker melt pool border and soft grain orientation, respectively. With the experimental and numerical results, it is demonstrated that the strength anisotropy mainly originates from the elongated Al–Si cellular structure, while the melt pool border plays a secondary role. Moreover, the ductility and its anisotropy appear to be determined by combined effects of strain localization, propensity to damage and constraints to crack formation. The findings of the present work unveil clearly how hierarchical and heterogeneous microstructure renders the macroscopic mechanical properties of additively manufactured Al alloys in different loading directions.

Hydrogen diffusion and precipitation influenced by non-uniformly distributed stress in zirconium alloy with different textures

Hydrogen embrittlement is a crucial factor for the performance and life of zirconium alloys in nuclear industry. During service, the residual stress in the materials induces re-distribution of hydrogen, which further affects the fracture behavior. This study is dedicated to investigating the hydrogen diffusion and precipitation under the meso‑scale non-uniform deformation field. The texture effect of hydrogen behavior was examined by considering three different texture scenarios: grains with c-axis deviating from the tensile direction of random angle, 0°and 90° The cases were termed Random, T000, and T0900 respectively. The crystal plasticity finite element method (CPFEM) was employed to simulate the stress-assisted diffusion of hydrogen atoms in the polycrystalline zirconium alloy. It is determined that the T0900 case gets fewer regions with higher hydrostatic stress gradient, which helps relieve the hydrogen concentration. Compared to the T0900 texture, the interaction between soft and hard grains in the Random and T000 texture conditions results in higher stress gradient and severe hydrogen concentration. Statistical analysis was conducted and the hydrogen concentration in the three textures presents a normal distribution. T0900 gets a relatively lower overall hydrogen concentration while the T000 texture gets severe hydrogen concentration larger than 120 wt.ppm. In Random and T000 textures, hydrogen tends to accumulate at grain interior and boundaries, and continuous hydrogen concentration band forms along adjacent GBs. The T0900 scenario is free of large continuous hydrogen concentration zones, which helps reduces the adverse effects of hydrogen diffusion and precipitation. The findings of the work advance the understanding of the hydrogen behavior affected by stress heterogeneity and texture, which is the basis for the exploration of hydrogen embrittlement.

Phenotyping Wheat Kernel Symmetry as a Consequence of Different Agronomic Practices

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

Uniaxial deformation behaviors and mechanism of Ti–6Al–4V alloy with bi-oriented grains

It is of great importance to investigate the deformation and damage mechanisms of polycrystalline materials with soft crystal orientations, considering the soft grains are usually the fatigue crack initiation sites. In this study, a Ti–6Al–4V alloy fully consisted of <01 1‾ 0> and <1‾ 21‾ 0> α (soft) grains was prepared and its uniaxial deformation behavior was investigated. Interestingly, no significant asymmetry on the tension-compression yield strength was found in this alloy with bi-grain orientations, though mechanical asymmetry was generally found in the traditional Ti alloys with strong texture. After high temperature solution treatment, the preferred bi-orientations were retained and the asymmetry degree of yield strength did not change, showing an excellent stability in texture and mechanical performance. Deformation mechanisms during tension and compression were studied and discussed. This work provides a new understanding on the deformation and damage mechanisms in the grains with soft crystal orientations, and may guide the microstructural design of Ti alloy for pursuing high mechanical and fatigue performances in the future.

Simultaneously enhancing strength–ductility synergy in refractory high entropy alloys by a heterogeneous structure design

Improvement in the strength of metallic materials is often achieved at the expense of material ductility; this long-standing conflict is referred to as the strength–ductility trade-off. In this study, the composition design of high-entropy alloys was combined with the design of multiscale microstructures, and heterogeneous refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEA) with multi-sized grains were fabricated via a simple rolling-annealing treatment process, which significantly alleviates the strength–ductility trade-off. The RHEA annealed at 970 ℃ was composed of fully-recrystallized grains of size 25 μm surrounded by nanosized grains. Owing to the heterogeneity in the structure, dislocations preferentially accumulated at soft recrystallization grain boundaries, thus inducing dislocation interactions such as cross-slip and jog, strengthening the soft region grains, and resulting in Heterogeneous deformation-induced (HDI) strengthening. This mechanism resulted in a significant increase in the work hardening rate during tensile deformation and ensured a high tensile strength of 905 MPa, while improving its uniform elongation to 10.6%. Thus, the proposed heterogeneous design accomplished by simple thermal treatments presents a novel strategy to develop a new generation of high-strength and high-ductility high-entropy alloys.

Amino acid composition of proteins and technological indicators of grain quality of genotypes and varieties of spring soft wheat in northern Kazakhstan

The purpose of the paper was to carry out a biochemical and technological evaluation of spring soft wheat grain and to determine the total amino acid composition for the selection of the most valuable genotypes with a high content of essential amino acids. This paper presents the results of biochemical and technological studies of the grain and flour of spring soft wheat plants grown in northern Kazakhstan. The research involved 170 genotypes of spring soft wheat from northern Kazakhstan, 16 of which had the highest grain quality. In the grains of the studied samples, the protein content and the number of essential and nonessential amino acids were determined, and the biological value of the protein was evaluated using the amino acid score method. A strong positive correlation was established between phenylalanine and lysine (r = 0.98), and a weak negative relationship was established between protein content and methionine (r = -0.02) and between methionine and lysine (r = -0.17). Based on the obtained data, the most valuable varieties and lines (256/14 and 53/14) with high-quality information about grain, flour, and bread and the most balanced amino acid composition of proteins were selected because these varieties are important for enhancing the nutritional value and overall utility of these wheat varieties in food production and human consumption. The utilization of such genotypes in breeding programs and agricultural practices holds the promise of yielding crops with improved protein quality and nutritional content, ultimately contributing to enhanced food security and dietary health in the region

Magnetic, Electric, and Antimicrobial Properties of Chromium‐ Doped Cobalt Zinc Ferrite Nanoplates

AbstractIn the present work, Co0.5Zn0.5CrxFe2‐xO4 (CZFCO) (x=0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) has been successfully driven from self‐ignited sol‐gel method, using citric acid as a chelating agent. The powder XRD patterns are confirming the formation of single‐phase cubic crystallographic structure with satisfying the Fd‐3m space group. The Rietveld refinement process is carried out to obtain the structural information, including lattice parameters, cell volume, and bond length. Crystallite size and micro‐strain values are found by the Debye Scherrer formula as well as by HR‐TEM the particle size is shown at about 7.86 nm and the presence of two distinct lattice fringes. The SEM digital images display soft wart grains nature, where the majority of grains are forming a dense agglomerate nature with nano plate texture. EDS spectra reflect the presence of all the elements without impurities. The formations of spinel ferrite and metal‐oxygen bond were approbated by FT‐IR Spectra. Further, RT UV‐Vis spectra (DRS) show a decrease in the optical band gap from 1.56 eV to 1.46 eV. The magnetic properties indicate soft ferromagnetic behaviour and as increasing Cr dopant saturation magnetization and coercivity significantly decrease while in the case of X=0.5 suddenly enhanced the Ms, this well corroborates with cation distribution. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique has confirmed the presence of all elements and shows the valance of the Cr is +3 and +2 states at respected octahedral and tetrahedral sites. RT dielectric studies firmly agreed with the Maxwell‐Wagner type of polarization following Koop's theory. RT Impedance spectra suggest consent of the Debye type of relaxation and the Cole‐Cole map shows semi arc‐shaped curve fitted with Gaussian distribution. The imaginary and real parts of the relative permeability of frequency‐dependent curves decayed and firmly showed the favourable character of electric properties. Finally, all the antimicrobial activity results suggested the potential utility of derived compounds as antibacterial agents.

Registration of ‘FL16045‐25’: An early‐maturing, high‐yielding, disease‐resistant soft red facultative wheat cultivar for the southern United States

Abstract‘FL16045‐25’ (Reg. no. CV‐1207, PI 704484), a soft red, facultative doubled‐haploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar, was developed and tested as FL16045DH‐25 by the University of Florida and released in October 2022. FL16045‐25 was derived from the cross MD07W478‐14‐5/GA06112‐13EE16. It is well adapted from Texas to Virginia and provides producers with an early‐season, facultative (Vrn‐A1_short), medium‐height, awned, semi‐dwarf (Rht2) cultivar that has high yield potential, good straw strength, good grain volume weight, and good end‐use quality. It expresses moderate‐to‐high levels of resistance to most diseases prevalent in the southern United States. Molecular marker analysis confirms the presence of Sbm1, Yr17/Lr37/Sr38, Lr18, Sr36/Pm6, Pm54, and Pm1a‐linked disease‐resistant genes. The yield average of FL16045‐25 from 41 environments during 2020–2022 ranged from 4211 to 5782 kg ha−1, which is competitive with check cultivars that are widely used in the southern part of the United States. The grain volume weight of FL16045‐25 ranged from 749 to 785 kg m−3 (32 environments), which was higher than most of the checks. FL16045‐25 has soft grain texture with softness equivalence varying from 51.3% to 59.3% and sodium carbonate solvent retention capacity (SRC) ranging from 66.8% to 68.5%. Flour yields on a Quadrumat Senior milling system varied from 68.7% to 69.5%. Flour protein content varied from 8.9% to 9.1%. Cookie spread diameter varied from 19.4 to 19.5 cm. The presence of TaSus2‐2B, Sucrose Synthase2 gene on 2B or 2G:2B, was confirmed by marker analysis.

Investigation of Grain Yield and Biscuit Quality Capacities of Soft Bread Wheat (T. aestivum L.) Advanced Lines

The study was carried out with a total of 24 bread wheat genotypes including 20 advanced lines and 4 check varieties (Gerek79, Carisma, Bayraktar2000, and Artico) with soft grain structure and four replications according to the randomized complete block design in Hamidiye and Karabayır locations of Eskişehir during the 2014-2015 growing season. In the study, grain yield, thousand grain weight, test weight, kernel hardness, Zeleny sedimentation value, ash content and protein content were investigated in the genotypes. According to the results of the analysis of variance performed for the traits examined in the study, the differences between location, bread wheat genotypes and interaction averages were found to be statistically significant, except for Zeleny sedimentation value and protein content, respectively. It is understood that there is a wide variation between genotypes and locations for other traits, except for the protein ratio trait. While location effects are higher than genotype effects for thousand grain weight, test weight, ash content and protein content, genotype effects are higher than location for single kernel characterization system and Zeleny sedimentation value. The mean grain yield of biscuit wheat genotypes ranged from 4425 kg ha-1 to 2000 kg ha-1. Considering the trial quality results; it was observed that there was a high rate of variation between genotypes for thousand grain weight (32.67-48.61 g), test weight (82.40-75.25 kg hl-1), kernel hardness (17.08-39.68), Zeleny sedimentation value (20.63-33.00 ml) and ash content (0.478% - 0.610%), respectively. While BİS-3, BİS-6, BİS-9, BİS-18, BİS-21 and BİS-22 were best-performed lines for grain yield, BİS-3, BİS-9, BİS-11, BİS-12, BİS-13 and BİS-19 were the prominent lines for biscuit-making quality trait. It was concluded that it would be appropriate to include these lines in yield trials before registration as a variety of candidates.

Heterogeneous Microstructure and Tensile Properties of an Austenitic Stainless Steel

Stainless steel (SS) exhibits excellent ductility; however, its low strength hinders its practical applications. To achieve good synergy between strength and ductility, a heterogeneous structure was introduced into a newly developed nitrogen-alloyed low-nickel austenitic steel, QN1803. The received QN1803 was cold-rolled and annealed at 993 K for different durations, and the microstructural evolution and tensile mechanical properties were investigated. The yield strength (1130 MPa) of the QN1803 annealed at a temperature of 993 K for 15 min was approximately three times higher than that of the as-received sample (314 MPa). The short annealing time of 15 min yielded a heterogeneous structure with grain size distributions ranging from nanoscale to micron-scale. The annealed QN1803 exhibited typical dislocation cells and dislocation walls caused by slipping after cold rolling. During annealing, a step-like lamellar structure is formed. The high yield strength was obtained from the large number of twins and hard ultrafine grains. The good ductility is due to the large number of dislocations generated in the soft grains and the GNDs around the heterogeneous interfaces. Additionally, the lamella structure of the material also contributes to improved ductility to a certain degree. The aim of this paper is to develop new materials with both high yield strength and excellent toughness based on more economical materials cost.

Investigation of neighboring grain effects on load shedding in titanium alloys under cold dwell fatigue

Load shedding under cold dwell fatigue in titanium alloys has been a threat to the safety of the aero-engine since it is responsible for crack formation. The strain incompatibility between the soft-hard grain pair arises from the significant creep in the soft grain during the dwell period, which is fundamentally related to the load shedding. Such deformational heterogeneity is not only affected by the soft-hard grain itself but also by its neighboring grains, but the effect of the latter is rarely reported. In this paper, the effect of neighboring grains, including location, crystal orientation, texture, etc., on load shedding is quantitatively investigated using a three-dimensional rate-dependent crystal plasticity model by controlling the microstructural morphology of the grains. In particular, the mechanism that the dwell fatigue cracks tend to nucleate from the sample's interior rather than the free surface is revealed. Restriction of rigid body rotation from neighboring grains can further enhance load shedding. The crystal orientation of individual and group neighboring grains sitting at different locations with respect to the soft-hard grain pair is evaluated. The grain directly attached to the hard grain has the strongest influence. The statistics of load shedding are analyzed by conducting hundreds of simulations with different textures. Stronger textures are found to be able to enhance load shedding and thus deteriorate the service lifetime. The change of locations showing the highest stress during the dwell period arising from plastic deformation in neighboring grain may lead to the phenomenon of reverse load shedding. Understanding the neighboring grain effects from both the mechanistic basis and the statistical point of view is important in integrity evaluations and service life assessments of titanium components in aero-engines.

Molecular and genetic basis for improving the quality of soft wheat grain

The increase in agricultural territories in Azerbaijan can no longer cover the problem of shortage of high-quality baking flour in the domestic market. Thus, there is a need to improve the quality of grain harvested from existing areas to obtain more grain products. The purpose of this study is to review and investigate the physico-chemical and genetic parameters of local and introduced soft wheat varieties to further identify promising areas of breeding. For this purpose, a PCR study of individual loci of the Wx genes responsible for amylose synthesis and electrophoresis of Glu genes encoding gluten quantity and quality were performed. In addition, for the varieties Shafaq 2 and Gonen, which were selected during the research for the test baking of bread, a PCR analysis was performed to compile the gliadin formula of the varieties using a sample of the Bezostaya 1 variety as a marker. The physico-chemical characteristics were determined according to quality standards, as well as baking bread sample. During the pilot sowing, one of the varieties – Girmizi Gul1, was sown on plots with various tillage methods – traditional, minimal, and zero. Thus, it was determined that the varieties Gonen and Ekinci 84 contain a zero allele of the Wx-B1 – Wx-B1b gene, which means that their endosperm contains higher-quality starch, and the varieties Askeran, Azemetli 95, Gonen, Kirmizigul, Nurlu 99, Tale 38, and Ugur, in turn, contain a zero allele of the gene GluA1 – GluA1d, which on the contrary worsens the gluten quality of these varieties. As for tillage, the traditional system showed itself to be the best, the minimal tillage was slightly worse, and the zero tillage system turned out to be the least suitable in these conditions. Thus, the obtained data outline further areas for conducting research and open up prospects for targeted selection for alleles of the considered genes