Wheat Supply Research Articles

Exploring the Antioxidant Perspective of Sorghum and Millet

The aim of present investigation was to determine chemical composition and antioxidant activity of sorghum and millet. Antioxidant activity was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and β-carotene assay and total phenolic content (TPC). Individual phenolic acids were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography. TPC ranged 0.166–0.362 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g in sorghum and 0.275–0.305 mg GAE/g in millet. The major phenolic acid identified in sorghum was chlorogenic acid (11.90–39.10 μg/g) while in millet was m-coumaric acid (21.50 μg/g). DPPH was found to be 88.4–94.2% in sorghum and 47.1–48.2% in millet. β-carotene revealed wide range in sorghum (16.8–43.0%) and millet (20.6–28.8%). Sorghum had higher antioxidant activities and phenolic acids than millet. Cookies were prepared from wheat-sorghum and wheat-millet composite flour at ratios of 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40 and 50:50. Cookies were evaluated for organoleptic properties and found highly acceptable at 10 and 20% level. Practical Applications Sorghum and millet have the potential to be used as substitute to wheat flour. These are rich in antioxidants and act as anticancer moieties owning to their unique phytochemical composition. Besides numerous health benefits, these are still under research and hardly used for food purposes in Pakistan. Due to proposed health benefits of phenolic compounds, it is essentially important to determine their levels in sorghum and millet. Present study reinforces recommendation to use sorghum and millet in short supplies of wheat leading to food security. These may also be used for development of baked products with acceptable organoleptic properties. Present research will be helpful for breeders to develop varieties of their own interest. It can be utilized by processors to procure varieties according to their demand. Consumers will get better awareness to utilize these cereals for intended health benefits.

Europe's diminishing bread basket

Global demand for wheat is projected to increase significantly with continuing population growth. Currently, Europe reliably produces about 29% of global wheat supply. However, this might be under threat from climate change if adaptive measures are not taken now.

VIABILIDADE DE IMPLANTAÇÃO DO CONTRATO FUTURO DE TRIGO NA BM&FBOVESPA

Este trabalho procura avaliar a viabilidade de implantação do contrato futuro de trigo pela BM&FBOVESPA. Para isso, utiliza-se a teoria de sucesso e fracasso de contratos futuros como suporte teórico e metodológico para a pesquisa, a qual apresenta características consideradas necessárias à viabilidade de lançamento de um novo contrato futuro e subdivide-se em duas avaliações complementares, denominadas abordagens macro e micro. A primeira busca identificar se o mercado do trigo em grão no Brasil é adequado para se negociar o contrato futuro da commodity, enquanto a segunda avalia o perfil dos agentes da cadeia produtiva do trigo, que são os potenciais usuários desse contrato. Em geral, evidencia-se que o mercado físico do trigo atende a grande parcela dos atributos considerados necessários à implantação de um contrato futuro. No entanto, pesam contra o lançamento desse contrato o tamanho do mercado físico e a intervenção governamental, de modo que o lançamento do contrato futuro de trigo no Brasil é considerado um movimento precipitado.

Creating Value in the Durum Wheat Supply Chain: the Barilla experience in Contract Farming in Italy

Barilla is an Italian Family company founded in Parma more than 130 years ago. It is now the leading company in the world pasta market. Durum Wheat is the main raw material with a total consumption of around 1.5 Million tons per year. Due to the limited world production of around 30 Million tons the durum wheat market is susceptible to specific risks regarding Supply Security, Quality Security and Price Volatility. Barilla has developed a detailed analysis of these risks and specific tools to mitigate them: Geographical diversification of Durum wheat origins, Stock management, Cross Financial hedging with other cereals markets, and Cultivation Contracts. This last tool consists of a vertical integration in the supply chain starting from plant-breeding companies, through farming organizations, offering farmers specific premiums in order to improve the quality and safety of the durum wheat grown close to Barilla mills, creating value along the whole supply chain. This approach also helps to improve durum wheat cultivation practices and sustainability of the crop from the economic and environmental standpoints.

Amino acid availability in ruminants of cereals and cereal co‐products

Microbial corrected in situ estimates of the ruminal undegraded fraction (RU) and intestinal effective digestibility (IED) of amino acids (AA), except tryptophan, of rye, wheat and corn grains, wheat bran, wheat and barley distilled dried grains and corn gluten feed were measured on three rumen- and duodenum-cannulated wethers using (15)N-labelling techniques and considering ruminal rates of particle comminution and outflow. The lack of microbial correction led to overestimations of the intestinal digested fraction that rose with the increase in ruminal degradability. Thus these overestimations varied widely among feeds (from 4.3 to 32.1% for total analysed AA) and among AA. Digestion led to large changes in the AA supply that were greater in the rumen than in the intestine. The impact of these changes on the protein value is conditioned by the magnitude of the undegraded protein fraction. Microbial contamination taking place in the rumen and changes in the AA supply with digestion should be considered to attain accurate estimates of AA digestion. Globally, digestion improved the AA supply in rye, wheat and wheat distilled dried grain and decreased it in corn and corn gluten feed by reducing the supply of valine and basic AA, especially lysine.

Estimation of cost-effective methods for detection of deoxynivalenol in wheat at collector intake

This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of different methods to determine deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat, being non-instrumental assays (dipsticks), instrumental chemical analytical methods, predictive models, and their combinations, at collector intake.A Monte Carlo simulation model encompassing the wheat supply chain from farm field to miller intake was developed. Testing of incoming batches was done at collector intake, using one out of six scenarios for detection methods. Instrumental testing of each batch was done at miller intake. Three different thresholds for DON concentration, being 500μg/kg, 1250μg/kg and 1750μg/kg, above which the batch of wheat was not accepted by the miller, were applied. The model calculates total testing costs, costs associated with non-accepted wheat batches, and total amount of non-accepted wheat, using input data for The Netherlands.Results showed that, on average, the predictive DON model, either alone or in combination with either the dipstick method or the instrumental analytical method, or no testing was most cost-effective for the entire supply chain. However, the amount of rejected wheat and related costs could be very high. Using an instrumental method resulted into the lowest amount of rejected wheat, but also into the highest chain costs.The developed model provides insight into the most cost-effective testing strategy, and division of related costs over chain actors. The use of the model could lead to better appointing (the limited) resources for food safety control.

Supply response of wheat in Bangladesh: cointegration and vector error correction analysis

Numerous past studies on wheat cultivation in Bangladesh is criticized for using the weaker Nerlovian Partial Adjustment models and also for analytical interpretation through Ordinary Least Square (OLS) creating spurious results for time series data. This problem can be avoided if Econometric technique of co-integration is used. It is for this the present paper estimates the supply response of wheat in Bangladesh by using the modern technique of co-integration with Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). Our unit root analysis indicates that underlying data series were not stationary and are all integrated of order one, that is I(1). The Johansen multivariate co-integration approach indicates the presence of a co-integrating relationship in the supply response model. Wheat acreage is significantly influenced by price of wheat, and other competing crops such as Boro rice. The non-price factors weather has a highly positive effect on wheat area in the short-run. The wheat supply elasticity’s are found to be inelastic both in the short-and long-run. The long-run and short run price elasticity’s were 0.95 and 0.47, respectively.

Spectral assessments of phenotypic differences in spike development during grain filling affected by varying N supply in wheat

AbstractSingle plant traits such as green biomass, spike dry weight, biomass, and nitrogen (N) transfer to grains are important traits for final grain yield. However, methods to assess these traits are laborious and expensive. Spectral reflectance measurements allow researchers to assess cultivar differences of yield‐related plant traits and translocation parameters that are affected by varying amounts of available N. In a field experiment, six high‐yielding wheat cultivars were grown with N supplies of 0, 100, 160, and 220 kg N ha–1. Wheat canopies were observed spectrally throughout the grain‐filling period, and three spectral parameters were calculated. To describe the development of the vegetative plant parts (leaves + culms) and the spikes, plants were sampled four times during grain filling. Dry weights and the relative dry‐matter content were recorded for leaves + culms and spikes. The N status of the plants was assessed by measuring the total N concentration and by calculating the aboveground N uptake. Good correlations were found between spectral indices and single plant traits throughout grain filling but varied with N supply and development stage. The normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI, was strongly affected by the saturation effects of increased N concentration. The red‐edge inflection point, REIP, predicted plant traits with r<?h.3>2 values up to 0.98. However, in plants with advanced senescence, the REIP was less efficient in describing plant traits. The NIR‐based index R760/R730 was closely related to yield‐related plant traits at early grain filling. Compared to the REIP, the R760/R730 index was resistant to strong chlorophyll decays being able to predict plant traits at late grain filling, with r<?h.3>2 values of up to 0.92. Spectral reflectance measurements may represent a promising tool to assess phenotypic differences in yield‐related plant traits during grain filling.

Water-saving irrigation modes based on water supply and demand of winter wheat and summer maize

节水灌溉是解决水资源短缺问题的重要途径之一。在长期田间试验的基础上, 运用Hydrus-1D模型对研究区冬小麦 夏玉米轮作条件下的田间水分运移过程进行了模拟分析, 探讨适宜的节水灌溉模式。结果表明, 表征土壤水分实测值与模拟值精度关系的Nash-Suttcliff效率系数Ens为0.652~0.903, 均大于0.5, 模型效果良好; 在灌水量为520 mm的传统灌溉模式下, 1.6 m土层深层土壤水分无效渗漏量为189 mm, 占地表总入渗补给水量的22.3%, 土壤水分无效渗漏大, 且与降雨和灌溉关系密切; 根据作物水分供需状况及土壤水分状况得出夏玉米、冬小麦季的灌溉量分别为50 mm、320 mm, 比传统灌溉模式共节水100 mm。改进后的灌溉模式对于土壤水分渗漏具有良好的控制作用, 土壤水分渗漏峰值明显降低, 根据作物供需与土壤水分状况提出的节水灌溉模式能减少土壤水分渗漏, 提高灌溉水利用效率。

Modelling of Multi-Mitigation Strategies for Maritime Disruptions in the Wheat Supply Chain

This paper assesses potential mitigation strategies for maritime disruptions occurring during the containerised transport of wheat in wheat supply chains (WSC). The assessment focuses on four major mitigation strategies (inventory and sourcing mitigation, contingency rerouting, recovery planning, and business continuity planning) in order to determine their suitability for managing potential disruptions in the WSC. In this paper, a Markovian-based methodology is the prime means used to evaluate the WSC mitigation strategies. The results of the continuous time period of the Markov chain application suggest that optimised mitigation strategies include the measurement and prediction of WSC costs and time functions over a one-year period.

Price-supply flexibility of wheat market in the Czech Republic

The paper explores of the price-supply flexibility of the Czech commodity market for food quality wheat in the period 1995–2011. For this analysis, inversion definition of the supply function was applied. The model of the inverse supply function in the Czech wheat market was based on the double log-linear construction. The parameters of the given supply model were estimated using OLS-HAC method. The developed regression model of the supply function was statistically tested. Ordinary and dynamic price flexibility of the wheat supply on the Czech commodity market was determined in relation to the parameters of the developed econometric model. In accordance with the estimations, the ordinary price-supply flexibility achieved +0.3492% and the dynamic price-supply flexibility of the first order was –0.2210%. Within the interpretation of both estimated coefficients of the price-supply flexibility, the multi-factor nature of the commodity supply function must be respected. Moreover, it is important to distinguish the short-term and long-term period within the evaluation of the price-supply flexibility.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. and T. turgidum L. ssp. durum) Kernel Hardness: I. Current View on the Role of Puroindolines and Polar Lipids.

Wheat hardness has major consequences for the entire wheat supply chain from breeders and millers over manufacturers to, finally, consumers of wheat-based products. Indeed, differences in hardness among Triticum aestivum L. or between T. aestivum L. and T. turgidum L. ssp. durum wheat cultivars determine not only their milling properties, but also the properties of flour or semolina endosperm particles, their preferential use in cereal-based applications, and the quality of the latter. Although the mechanism causing differences in wheat hardness has been subject of research more than once, it is still not completely understood. It is widely accepted that differences in wheat hardness originate from differences in the interaction between the starch granules and the endosperm protein matrix in the kernel. This interaction seems impacted by the presence of either puroindoline a and/or b, polar lipids on the starch granule surface, or by a combination of both. We focus here on wheat hardness and its relation to the presence of puroindolines and polar lipids. More in particular, the structure, properties, and genetics of puroindolines and their interactions with polar lipids are critically discussed as is their possible role in wheat hardness. We also address future research needs as well as the presence of puroindoline-type proteins in other cereals.

Supply and Demand for Cereals in Pakistan, 2010-2030

This paper presents the projections of future demand and supply for these two main cereals for 2010, 2015, 2020, 2025, and 2030. For projecting household demand, the Almost Ideal Demand System (LA-AIDS) is estimated for eight food items using the data of nationally representative household survey. The results are used to project the household demand under three different scenarios. These scenarios are: a business-as-usual situation (per capita income is assumed to grow at a rate of 3 percent per year), an optimistic situation (assumed growth rate of per capita income 4 percent per year), and a pessimistic situation (per capita income is assumed to grow by 2 percent per year). Cereal supply is projected using a short-run production function approach (with such variables as area and share irrigated fixed exogenously at observed levels). This projection is then used to estimate the levels of wheat and rice produced for 2009-2030, with the projections of the exogenous determinants of production based on linear time trend models. The results show that the demand for wheat and rice will more than double by 2030. The projections of supply show an increase in the output of wheat and rice by 2030. From 2008 to 2030, the demand for wheat will increase from 19 million tons to 30 million tons. Projection estimates of wheat supply based on the production function technique show that by 2030, wheat output will reach 28 million tons, and rice output will be 11 million tons. The demand for wheat is expected to be greater than its supply whereas production of rice will be higher than consumption.

Structural genes of wheat and barley 5-methylcytosine DNA glycosylases and their potential applications for human health

Wheat supplies about 20% of the total food calories consumed worldwide and is a national staple in many countries. Besides being a key source of plant proteins, it is also a major cause of many diet-induced health issues, especially celiac disease. The only effective treatment for this disease is a total gluten-free diet. The present report describes an effort to develop a natural dietary therapy for this disorder by transcriptional suppression of wheat DEMETER (DME) homeologs using RNA interference. DME encodes a 5-methylcytosine DNA glycosylase responsible for transcriptional derepression of gliadins and low-molecular-weight glutenins (LMWgs) by active demethylation of their promoters in the wheat endosperm. Previous research has demonstrated these proteins to be the major source of immunogenic epitopes. In this research, barley and wheat DME genes were cloned and localized on the syntenous chromosomes. Nucleotide diversity among DME homeologs was studied and used for their virtual transcript profiling. Functional conservation of DME enzyme was confirmed by comparing the motif and domain structure within and across the plant kingdom. Presence and absence of CpG islands in prolamin gene sequences was studied as a hallmark of hypo- and hypermethylation, respectively. Finally the epigenetic influence of DME silencing on accumulation of LMWgs and gliadins was studied using 20 transformants expressing hairpin RNA in their endosperm. These transformants showed up to 85.6% suppression in DME transcript abundance and up to 76.4% reduction in the amount of immunogenic prolamins, demonstrating the possibility of developing wheat varieties compatible for the celiac patients.

A review of the methodology to detect and identify Karnal bunt—a serious biosecurity threat

Tilletia indica, the cause of Karnal bunt of wheat, replaces part of the seed with a black powdery mass containing millions of spores and produces a strong unpleasant odour like rotten fish. The fishy smell has serious consequences for the marketability of wheat. The fungus is thus subjected to very strict quarantine regulations in countries not known to have the pathogen. The pathogen is spread through natural or human dissemination of spores. Research had shown that a detectable level of the disease would indicate the pre-existence of the pathogen for several years. Once present, this pathogen is extremely difficult to eradicate. Early detection at the incursion stage is thus very important to prevent disease establishment and the spread of the pathogen in a new area. Early detection in the field is unlikely. The key to its detection is thus the deployment of strategic surveillance and quarantine regulations in the wheat supply chain with the use of very sensitive and accurate diagnostic tools to detect and identify a small number of spores. This paper reviews the development of diagnostic assays of increasing sensitivity and specificity for the identification and differentiation of T. indica and other Tilletia spp. contaminants commonly found in wheat grains.

Sit down at the ball game: How trade barriers make the world less food secure

This paper analyses the impacts of trade policy responses to rising world food prices by carrying out a series of stylised experiments in the wheat market using a world trade model, GTAP. The sequence of events that is modelled comprises a negative wheat supply shock and subsequent implementation of an export tax by a major net exporter and a reduction in import tariffs by a small importer. The effects of trade policy responses are contrasted with those of full liberalisation of the wheat market. At the core are the (opposite) effects on producers and consumers, as well as the terms of-trade and trade tax revenue effects. Food security is shown to depend crucially on changes in prices but also in incomes that are associated with changes in factor returns. The results reveal that major net exporters are generally better off when implementing export taxes for food security purposes. Large exporting countries export price instability causing world food prices to rise further. Net importing countries lose out and have limited leeway to reduce tariffs or subsidise imports. Liberalising wheat trade mitigates rising prices and contributes to food security, but to the detriment of production in Africa and Asia, making them more dependent on and vulnerable to changes in the world market. Concerted action at the WTO forum is required, notably clarifying and sharpening the rules regarding export measures.

Association of a bitter taste receptor mutation with Balkan Endemic Nephropathy (BEN)

BackgroundBalkan Endemic Nephropathy (BEN) is late-onset kidney disease thought to arise from chronic exposure to aristolochic acid, a phytotoxin that contaminates wheat supplies in rural areas of Eastern Europe. It has recently been demonstrated that humans are capable of perceiving aristolochic acid at concentrations below 40 nM as the result of high-affinity interactions with the TAS2R43 bitter taste receptor. Further, TAS2R43 harbors high-frequency loss-of-function mutations resulting in 50-fold variability in perception. This suggests that genetic variation in TAS2R43 might affect susceptibility to BEN, with individuals carrying functional forms of the receptor being protected by an ability to detect tainted foods.MethodsTo determine whether genetic variation in TAS2R43 predicts BEN susceptibility, we examined genotype-phenotype associations in a case–control study. A cohort of 88 affected and 99 control subjects from western Bulgaria were genotyped with respect to two key missense variants and a polymorphic whole-gene deletion of TAS2R43 (W35S, H212R, and wt/Δ), which are known to affect taste sensitivity to aristolochic acid. Tests for association between haplotypes and BEN status were then performed.ResultsThree major TAS2R43 haplotypes observed in previous studies (TAS2R43-W35/H212, -S35/R212 and –Δ) were present at high frequencies (0.17, 0.36, and 0.47 respectively) in our sample, and a significant association between genotype and BEN status was present (P = 0.020; odds ratio 1.18). However, contrary to expectation, BEN was positively associated with TAS2R43-W35/H212, a highly responsive allele previously shown to confer elevated bitter sensitivity to aristolochic acid, which should drive aversion but might also affect absorption, altering toxin activation.ConclusionsOur findings are at strong odds with the prediction that carriers of functional alleles of TAS2R43 are protected from BEN by an ability to detect and avoid aristolochic acid exposure. Evidence for a positive association between high-sensitivity alleles and BEN status suggests instead that possession of toxin-responsive receptor variants may paradoxically increase vulnerability, possibly by shifting attractive responses associated with low-intensity bitter sensations. The broad-spectrum tuning of the ~25-member TAS2R family as a whole toward xenobiotics points to a potentially far-reaching relevance of bitter responses to exposure-related disease in both individuals and populations.

Has climate change opened new opportunities for wheat cropping in Argentina?

As a result of climate change, and in particular rainfall changes, agricultural production is likely to change across the globe. Until now most research has focused on areas which will become unsustainable for agricultural production. However, there are also regions where climate change might actually improve conditions for growth. In the western Pampas region of Argentina, average annual rainfall has increased by 100–200 mm over the last 70 years, mainly during summer. Wheat is grown during winter, primarily on stored soil water and the main factor limiting plant production in this area is rainfall. Using the well tested simulation model APSIM-NWheat, we studied whether recent climate change has potentially opened new opportunities for wheat cropping in Argentina. Simulation results indicated that the additional rainfall in the Pampas of Argentina has increased the achievable yield (defined as the yield limited by solar radiation, temperature, water and nitrogen supply) of wheat in the currently cropped region, but less than expected based on the large amount of additional rainfall. The higher achievable yield from additional rainfall could potentially allow an expansion of profitable wheat cropping into currently non-cropped areas, where the achievable wheat yield increased in average from 1 t/ha to currently 2 t/ha. However, the poor water-holding capacity of the sandy soils which dominate the region outside the current cropping area limits the systems ability to use most of the increased summer rainfall. Nevertheless, the current higher achievable yield indicates a suitability of the region for cropping, which will slightly decline or remain unchanged depending on summer rainfall storage, with current and future climate change, including projected changes in rainfall, temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentration. Factors other than just the achievable yield will eventually influence any future development of this region for cropping, including the high sensitivity of the sandy soils to erosion and nutrient leaching, current relatively high land prices, restrictions on clearing for cropping, the distance to the nearest port and current unsuitable cultivars withstanding the high frost risk.

Climate change increases deoxynivalenol contamination of wheat in north-western Europe

Climate change will affect the development of cereal crops and the occurrence of mycotoxins in these crops, but so far little research has been done on quantifying the expected effects. The aim of this study was to assess climate change impacts on the occurrence of deoxynivalenol in wheat grown in north-western Europe by 2040, considering the combined effects of shifts in wheat phenology and climate. The study used climate model data for the future period of 2031–2050 relative to the baseline period of 1975–1994. A weather generator was used for generating synthetic series of daily weather data for both the baseline and the future periods. Available models for wheat phenology and prediction of deoxynivalenol concentrations in north-western Europe were used. Both models were run for winter wheat and spring wheat, separately. The results showed that both flowering and full maturation of wheat will be earlier in the season because of climate change effects, about 1 to 2 weeks. Deoxynivalenol contamination was found to increase in most of the study region, with an increase of the original concentrations by up to 3 times. The study results may inform governmental and industrial risk managers to underpin decision-making and planning processes in north-western Europe. On the local level, deoxynivalenol contamination should be closely monitored to pick out wheat batches with excess levels at the right time. Using predictive models on a more local scale could be helpful to assist other monitoring measures to safeguard food safety in the wheat supply chain.

Willingness to sell wheat to the government: a case study in Golestan province of Iran

In Iran, especially after the revolution, there has been extensive support for the self-sufficiency in wheat production, including government procurement. If this trend continues, the market mechanism will be inactive. In this study the factors influencing the increasing tendency of producers to sell the products have been studied in Golestan province. For this purpose, the wheat supply function in an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model was estimated utilizing collected data from 252 wheat producers in this area. In this model, the sale to production ratio was used instead of sale quantity which normally used in literature, because the production quantity is a dominant variable and could eliminate the effect of other variables. The results showed that growth in production does not have any important effect on this tendency. On the other hand, relative prices, selling customs and self-consumption rate, have meaningful effect on this willingness to sell tendency. Also there has been no significant difference between large and small producers. Based on these results, the producers' behavior can be interpreted by price signals even in the semi-traditional agriculture. Also by transition from self-sufficiency based economy to a market based economy, this variable becomes more effective.