The influence of drought and heat stress on the expression of end-use quality parameters of common wheat

The effects of drought and heat stress on quality parameters of wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars were studied under field conditions in a 2-year trial (2009–2010) in northwest Mexico. Under no stress conditions, rapid small-scale parameters [protein (GP; FP) content, SDS sedimentation (SDSS), mixograph peak time (MPT), swelling index of glutenin (SIG), and lactic acid retention capacity (LARC)] showed significant relationship with gluten strength (alveograph energy, W) and bread loaf volume (LV). SIG and LARC were better than SDSS and MPT for predicting W, while SDSS was better than W and SIG for predicting bread LV. Most quality traits were primarily controlled by genotype (G), although environment (E) and G × E also had significant effects. Heat and drought stress showed contrasting effects on LARC, MPT, alveograph parameters [tenacity (P), extensibility (L), P/L ratio, W] and LV. Increase in P and decrease in L resulted in higher tenacity (larger P/L), which may explain the smaller loaf volume under drought stress. In contrast, decrease in P and increase in L, may explain the improved bread volume observed under heat stress. It is advisable to select for wheat quality under both favorable and abiotic stress conditions to identify genotypes with quality stability across environments.     

Breeding Oilseed Crops for Improved Oil Quality

Abstract

Vegetable oils are one of the most valuable commodities in world trade. They are subject to specific quality requirements, both for food and non-food uses, there being a continuous demand for new oil types. Thus, plant breeders have made great efforts over the past four decades to develop those quality features demanded by the industry, mainly related to the fatty acid composition of the seed oil. Initially, breeders had to focus on the natural variation occurring within each oilseed crop and closely related species. From the 1970s onwards, the induction of mutations by treatment of seeds with mutagenizing agents was revealed as an effective system for modifying the fatty acid profile. In fact, mutagenesis has proved to be one of the most successful approaches for creating novel oil types. Nowadays, breeding for improved seed oil quality is in a transitional stage, both from a conceptual and a methodological point of view. First, the concept of oil quality is changing. It is not only defined by its fatty acid composition but also by other parameters, the most important being the triacylglycerol profile and the tocopherol content and composition. Second, molecular techniques for gene identification and manipulation are opening up new possibilities, much more powerful and less random than the traditional ones, for the modification of quality traits. In this review, we aim to offer an overview of seed oil quality as well as its genetic improvement by traditional and biotechnological means.     

Texture,processing and organoleptic properties of chickpea-fortified spaghetti with insights to the underlying mechanisms of traditional durum pasta quality

Nutritionally enhanced spaghetti was prepared from durum semolina fortified with 0–30% desi chickpea ‘besan’ flour. This study examined the dough rheology, processing ease and quality attributes of the fortified spaghetti including protein, starch, texture (firmness, resilience and stickiness), colour, cooking loss, and organoleptic acceptability. Chickpea-fortified spaghetti was acceptable to consumers, had reasonable pasta quality, including lower cooking loss and less stickiness than the control spaghetti and retained firmness better than durum after refrigeration. This study suggests that chickpea-fortified spaghetti may be suited to uses such as fresh pasta, in soups, canning, and microwave re-heating. In addition, this study has added to the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of pasta quality. The main findings were: (1) gluten content/composition appears to be more important than protein content for pasta firmness; (2) the protein–polysaccharide matrix appears to be more important than the starch composition for cooking loss; (3) increased protein and amylose contents were associated with decreased pasta stickiness; (4) cooking loss and stickiness were not necessarily as strongly related as commonly believed. Further research into these theories is necessary to fully understand the underlying mechanisms of pasta quality.     

Forage quality of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) × Caucasian clover (T. ambiguum M. Bieb.) hybrids and their grass companion when grown over three harvest years

Interspecific hybrids between white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) have been developed to introgress the rhizomatous growth habit into white clover, to increase persistence and drought tolerance. The forage quality of T. repens, T. ambiguum and the backcross 1 (BC1) and backcross 2 (BC2) hybrids and companion grass, when grown in mixtures with an intermediate perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) under a cutting‐only management, was measured. In vitro dry‐matter digestibility (DMD), water‐soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and crude protein (CP) concentrations of the legume and grass fractions were measured throughout the growing season over three harvest years. Trifolium repens had a lower WSC but a higher CP concentration than the perennial ryegrass companion in all harvest years and at all cuts. The legume fractions from the BC1 and BC2 hybrid plots had a higher WSC and a lower CP concentration but an in vitro DMD value comparable with white clover throughout the growing season and in each harvest year. The grass fractions from the mixtures with the backcross hybrids had a higher WSC and a lower CP concentration than the grass fraction from the T. repens plots, in all harvest years and throughout the growing season. No difference in in vitro DMD between parental species and backcross hybrids was observed. The implications of these results for the development of these hybrids and animal performance are discussed.     

Factors Affecting Sensory Quality of Cooked japonica Rice

The sensory quality of cooked rice is an important factor in determining its market price, as well as consumer acceptance and breeding efforts aimed at improvement of rice grain quality. In this study,the sensory quality and physicochemical properties of three japonica rice varieties harvested in two different growing locations(Xiangshui and Hangzhou of China) were compared to determine the most important factors affecting the sensory quality. All the three varieties had higher scores for overall sensory quality in Xiangshui than in Hangzhou, indicating that the growing location is a key factor in determining the sensory quality of cooked japonica rice. In addition to growing location, variety(genotype) also had an important effect. Longdao 18 scored the highest for overall sensory quality in the two locations, whereas Longdao 30 had the lowest score in Xiangshui, and both Longdao 20 and Longdao 30 had the lowest scores in Hangzhou. Many physicochemical properties, such as apparent amylose content, protein content, thermal properties and free amino acid contents, showed significant differences between the two locations. Correlation analysis showed that apparent amylose content and protein content had contrasting effects on all the sensory attributes. The overall sensory quality was negatively correlated with protein content(r =-0.89, P 0.01) and positively correlated with gel hardness(r = 0.91, P 0.01),indicating that the protein content and hardness are important physicochemical properties for predicting the sensory quality of japonica rice. These findings will provide guidance for selection from the diverse genotypes available to develop new varieties with the desired eating and cooking quality.     

Changes in NMR Relaxation of Rice Grains,Kernel Quality and Physicochemical Properties in Response to a High Temperature after Flowering in Heat-Tolerant and Heat-Sensitive Rice Cultivars

Abstract

Rice productivity is related to the ability of plants to adapt to heat stress. The heat-tolerant cultivars ‘Nikomaru’ and ‘Chikushi 64’ and heat-sensitive cultivar ‘Hinohikari’ were grown at 30ºC and 25ºC for 49 days after flowering. At 30ºC, only a few white immature kernels were produced in ‘Nikomaru’ and ‘Chikushi 64’, but about 22% of grains had immature kernels in ‘Hinohikari’. The high temperature(30ºC) caused no significant changes in grain dry weight, water content, and the NMR T₁ value during the early ripening stage in ‘Nikomaru’ and ‘Chikushi 64’. It also did not affect grain development, especially with respect to the nucellar epidermis, in ‘Nikomaru’ and ‘Chikushi 64’, but caused clear cessation of development of the nucellar epidermis at 14 days after flowering in ‘Hinohikari’. In addition, high temperature decreased the amylose content and increased hardnessvs. adhesion ratio of cooked rice in both ‘Nikomaru’ and ‘Chikushi 64’ resulting a softer, less sticky texture, but not in ‘Hinohikari’. The maximum viscosity and breakdown values were increased, and final viscosity decreased at 30ºC in all three cultivars. These results suggested that starch in the endosperm of grains changed from a fluid state to a doughy state more slowly in ‘Nikomaru’ and ‘Chikushi 64’ than in ‘Hinohikari’, in which the water content and NMR relaxation time decreased, and transported assimilates accumulated slowly during grain development.     

A method of estimating timeliness costs in forage harvesting illustrated using harvesting systems in Sweden

A method for estimating timeliness costs, depending on dry-matter yield and nutritive value of forage is presented, and used to estimate timeliness costs, to examine different harvesting systems and to present conclusions on machinery selection when harvesting silage for dairy cows in Sweden. Timeliness costs (in € ha⁻¹ d⁻¹) of forage for silage were significantly higher for the first cut compared with the second or third cuts in the season. It is, therefore, important to avoid delaying the first cut. The timeliness costs also varied greatly between years. Harvesting costs decreased with increasing forage area up to a certain threshold area beyond which decreasing machinery costs were outweighed by increasing timeliness costs due to a longer duration of harvest. At increasing transport distances, the difference in cost between different harvesting systems and different sizes of machinery increased. Harvesting of forage by contractors decreased harvesting costs, particularly for small forage areas, since increased annual use of the machinery lowered the machinery costs and enabled larger machines with higher capacity to be used. To avoid high timeliness costs it is important to avoid delays in harvesting.     

地基干涉雷达IBIS-L堰塞湖边坡监测影像质量分析

2014年8月3日16时30分,云南省鲁甸县发生6.5级地震,地震造成两岸山体塌方形成堰塞湖.在堰塞体右岸边坡有大量岩体崩塌,坡度为70°～90°,部分地方有倒悬体,常规手段难以布设仪器监测.故采用先进的GB-SAR系统IBIS-L对右岸裸露新岩体进行变形监测,通过此方式获取的GB-SAR影像质量直接关系到干涉图的生成、相位滤波和相位解缠.该研究根据IBIS-L采集的云南鲁甸红石岩堰塞湖边坡监测数据,通过Kaiser-Bessel窗进行加窗处理后,选用估计热信噪比(TSNR)、时间和空间相关系数、相位稳定性等能够直接表征观测相位的稳定程度特征量,间接分析了GB-SAR影像采集的质量好坏,为进行连续高质量的影像选择提供依据.     

如何提高演唱时的心理素质

要想在演唱过程中把影响心理素质的不利因素转移到要演唱的作品中,必须了解或掌握与演唱有关的各学科理论,自觉地、刻苦地培养良好的、健康的演唱时的心理素质。     

Microbial populations associated with the retting of melon pods ( Colocynthis citrullus L.) during seed recovery

The traditional process for the retting of melon pulp and microbiological characteristics in the recovery of melon seeds ( Colocynthis citrullus L.) were investigated. Melon pods were sliced open and exposed for seven days. The pulp underwent a natural fermentation that was characterised by the growth of microorganisms to 108–1010 cfu/g. The pH fluctuated between 4.8 and 5.1 with a lactic acid content of 0.72%. Bacillus subtilis, B. polymyxa, Lactobacillus fermentum, L. brevis and Streptococcus faecalis were the predominant microorganisms but, significant contributions were made by Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Enterobacter cloacae. Penicillium, Aspergillus and Rhizopus species including the yeasts, Sacharomyces cerevisiae Candida krusei and Deboromyces hansenii were isolated from the fermentation. Growth of microorganisms was completely inhibited in antibiotic-treated samples indicating that the melon pods were the main source of microorganisms for the fermentation.