Search Results (84)

Due to its abundance, bird cherry–oat aphid is the most important vector in Poland of the complex of viruses causing barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV). These viruses infect all cereals. During the growing season, cereal plants are exposed to many species of agrophages, which can limit their growth, development and yield. As observed for many years, global warming contributes to changes in the development of many organisms. Aphids (Aphidoidea), which are among the most important pests of agricultural crops, respond very dynamically to these changes. Under favorable conditions, their populations can increase several-fold within a few days. The bird cherry–oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi L.) is a dioecious species that undergoes a seasonal host shift during its life cycle. Its primary hosts are trees and shrubs (Prunus padus L.), while secondary hosts include cereals and various grass species. R. padi feeds directly on bird cherry tree, reducing its ornamental value, and on cereals, where it contributes to yields losses. The species can also damage plants indirectly by transmitting harmful viruses. Indirect damage is generally more serious than direct feeding injury. Monitoring aphid flights with a Johnson suction trap (JST) is useful for plant protection, which enables early detection of their presence in the air and then on cereal crops. To provide early detection of R. padi migrations and to study the dynamics of abundance, flights were monitored in 2020–2024 with Johnson suction traps at two localities: Winna Góra (Greater Poland Province) and Sośnicowice (Silesia Province). The aim of the research conducted in 2020–2024 was to study the dynamics of the bird cherry–oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi L.) population in relation to meteorological conditions as recorded by a Johnson suction trap. Over five years of research, a total of 129,638 R. padi individuals were captured using a Johnson suction trap at two locations (60,426 in Winna Góra and 69,212 in Sośnicowice). In Winna Góra, the annual counts were as follows: 5766 in 2020, 6498 in 2021, 36,452 in 2022, 5598 in 2023, and 6112 in 2024. In Sośnicowice, the numbers were as follows: 6954 in 2020, 9159 in 2021, 49,120 in 2022, 3855 in 2023, and 124 in 2024. The year 2022 was particularly notable for the exceptionally high abundance of R. padi, especially in the autumn. Monitoring crops for the presence of pests is the basis of integrated plant protection. Climate change, modern cultivation technologies, and increasing restrictions on chemical control are the main factors contributing to the development and spread of aphids. Therefore, measures based on monitoring the level of threat and searching for control solutions are necessary. Full article

Mycotoxins are global contaminants of feedstuffs and feeds that are linked to animal health and performance challenges and subsequently lead to economic burden. Negative effects of mycotoxin consumption may increase as a result of multiple mycotoxin co-occurrences. To assess mycotoxin challenge in Europe, a seven-year survey (2018 to 2024) of 1867 samples of grains (barley, maize, and wheat) and 818 forages (maize silage and grass silage) was conducted to assess the simultaneous presence of 54 mycotoxins using ultra-pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Results were categorized by feedstuff, harvest year, and climatic region to gain insight on mycotoxin occurrence, concentration and co-occurrence. Grains contained a mean 3.6 to 6.7 mycotoxin types per sample, while silages contained 3.1 to 6.0. Barley in the Nordic climate region had some of the highest Fusarium mycotoxin concentrations, while maize silage had consistently higher mycotoxin concentrations across all climate regions. The B trichothecenes and emerging mycotoxins had the highest rates of co-occurrence (52.4% to 74.2% of samples) in grains and maize silage. Co-occurrence data can serve as an initial framework for identifying or reasserting known environmental conditions that favor mycotoxin biosynthesis in distinct fungal taxa and for refining risk assessment of animals simultaneously exposed to multiple mycotoxins. Collectively, this survey shows that mycotoxin contamination and co-occurrence in grains and silages from Europe is expected, with differences occurring by feedstuff type and climatic region. Full article

Eutrophication caused by excessive nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs threatens aquatic ecosystems and requires sustainable solutions. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a fast-growing forage crop with potential for removing nutrients in eutrophic waters; however, a comprehensive understanding of its physiological responses across a wide gradient of concurrent N and P levels is still developing. To investigate this, a 7-day hydroponic experiment was conducted: six N + P enrichment levels, control (0), 70 + 7, 140 + 14, 280 + 28, 560 + 56, and 1120 + 112 mg·L^–1 of total N and P (TN:TP fixed at 10:1), were prepared in hydroponic culture and their effect on seed germination, growth, nutritional quality, photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant activity, and nutrient removal efficiency were studied. Results showed that early germination was inhibited under nutrients and enriched conditions, but this recovered by day 3. A moderate nutrient supply (NP 70 + 7) promoted seedling growth, resulting in maximum plant height, fresh weight, crude protein (6.6%), ether extract (6.1%), and chlorophyll a (10.9%) compared to the control. Root growth was best in control, while high nutrient stress (NP 1120 + 112) led to the highest mortality (23.5%). This mortality was linked to a severe suppression of the enzymatic antioxidant system (SOD, POD, and CAT), indicating a collapse of primary oxidative defense under extreme stress. Nutritional quality improved under NP 140 + 14, which yielded the lowest NDF and ADF and the highest chlorophyll b (15%) and glutathione content (14.9%). Antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, and CAT) were most active in the control and declined with increasing N + P levels, while glutathione peaked under NP 140 + 14. This indicates a potential shift in the plant’s defense strategy, where glutathione plays a key role in mediating tolerance to moderate eutrophic stress. Nutrient removal analysis showed that N removal efficiency was highest under NP 70 + 7 (53.4%), whereas P removal decreased consistently with rising concentrations. Overall, barley grass seedlings tolerated N + P levels up to NP 280 + 28 while maintaining growth and nutrient uptake, a resilience facilitated by its dynamic antioxidant response, suggesting their potential role in phytoremediation of eutrophic waters. Full article

Changes in atmospheric CO₂ are known to influence plant physiology, subsequently affecting the nature of their interactions with their biotic environment. Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), one of the most widespread and damaging viruses of small grains, is transmitted by cereal aphids and has a broad range of cultivated and uncultivated hosts from the Poaceae family. Here, we examined the effects of elevated CO₂ on plant physiology, Rhopalosiphum padi L. performance, and the accumulation of BYDV (strain BYDV-PAV) in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum L.), and green foxtail (Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv.). A growth chamber experiment was conducted under ambient (420 ppm) and elevated CO₂ (700 ppm) with aphid-infested and uninfested plants. Elevated CO₂ significantly increased total plant biomass in all species but did not affect aphid survival or reproduction. The root biomass of winter wheat and foxtail barley, but not green foxtail, increased under elevated CO₂. However, no significant effect of aphids/BYDV was detected on total plant biomass. Transpiration rates varied with host plant and aphid presence but were not affected by CO₂ level. Total water-soluble carbohydrate concentration was unaffected by CO₂ or aphids. BYDV-PAV accumulation varied by host plant species, with winter wheat having the highest virus titer, followed by foxtail barley and green foxtail. Virus titers were increased under elevated CO₂ in all host plant species. We demonstrated that uncultivated grasses are important reservoirs for both BYDV-PAV and the R. padi vector and suggested that elevated CO₂ may enhance virus accumulation across the evaluated host plants. This underscores the need to consider the role of non-crop hosts in developing management plans and/or predicting BYDV dynamics in small grains. Full article

Lunasin is a peptide found in the soybean albumin 2S subunit, which has important bioactivities, such as anticancer and antioxidant. Recently, peptides similar to soybean lunasin have been reported in other cereal and legume seeds; for this reason, it is considered important to carry out a review that compiles this information, whose interest lies mainly in the bioactive properties of these peptides. The peptides reported in the literature contained in barley, wheat, rye, triticale, oat, black nightshade, amaranth, bean, chickpea, grass pea, lentil, and pea are analyzed and described. Isolation methods such as ion exchange chromatography, immunoaffinity column chromatography, Western blot, reversed-phase chromatography coupled to an electrospray ionization source, extraction with water and dialysis, and extraction with PBS, and tests such as internalization, radical scavenging, chelating, cytotoxicity in cancer cell lines essays, and histone acetyltransferase inhibition essays were carried out to identify their anticancer properties. It is worth mentioning that the in silico analyses of proteins in which the lunasin-like peptide is located have been developed in some of these seeds; however, more studies are needed in order to confirm sequence similarity to that of the lunasin peptide. Further work is needed in order to identify the sequence of these lunasin-like peptides and corroborate their similarity to that of the lunasin, such as the development of specific antibodies for each lunasin-like peptide reported in each type of seeds. This document aims to compile the advances in the research on lunasin-like peptides and their bioactivities to have a better understanding of the current advances related to these peptides. Full article

Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBisCO) is the primary regulator of carbon fixation in the plant kingdom. Although the large subunit (RBCL) is the site of catalysis, RuBisCO efficiency is also influenced by the sequence divergence of the small subunit (RBCS). This project compared the RBCS gene family in C3 and C4 grasses to identify genetic targets for improved crop photosynthesis. Triticeae/Aveneae phylogeny groups exhibited a syntenic tandem duplication array averaging 326.1 Kbp on ancestral chromosomes 2 and 3, with additional copies on other chromosomes. Promoter analysis revealed a paired I-box element promoter arrangement in chromosome 5 RBCS of H. vulgare, S. cereale, and A. tauschii. The I-box pair was associated with significantly enhanced expression, suggesting functional adaptation of specific RBCS gene copies in Triticaeae. H. vulgare-derived pan-transcriptome data showed that RBCS expression was 50.32% and 28.44% higher in winter-type accessions compared to spring types for coleoptile (p < 0.05) and shoot, respectively (p < 0.01). Molecular dynamics simulations of a mutant H. vulgare Rubisco carrying a C4-like amino acid substitution (G59C) in RBCS significantly enhanced the stability of the Rubisco complex. Given the known structural efficiency of C4 Rubisco complexes, G59C could serve as an engineering target for enhanced RBCS in economically crucial crop species which, in comparison, possess less efficient Rubisco complexes. Full article

Young barley leaves have been proven to distinguish themselves as highly potent in antioxidant activity, resulting from a high content of bioactive compounds. Due to their short storage time, it is crucial to prolong their shelf life. One of the methods that can be used is spray-drying, as it enables the production of powders that are highly valued in the food industry. This paper aimed to analyze the possibility of producing young barley leaf juice with improved properties. Juices were spray-dried with and without carriers at 100/60 °C inlet/outlet temperature using air of 1.5 g/m³ humidity as the drying medium. Maltodextrin (MD), Nutriose^® (N), and Arabic gum (AG) were used in a ratio 1:3 carrier/juice solids. The results proved that dehumidified air application enabled the production of young barley leaf juice powder, that was free of the carriers, of high retention coefficient (RC) of chlorophyll A and B (80.84 ± 6.56% and 87.05 ± 5.21%, respectively). No statistical difference was noted between variants with maltodextrin (chlorophyll A: 91.22 ± 5.07%, chlorophyll B: 71.72 ± 5.44%), Nutriose^® (chlorophyll A: 72.24 ± 5.32%, chlorophyll B: 67.04 ± 12.41%), and carrier-free powder; thus, the elimination of a carrier can be considered to effectively produce a “clean” label, functional product. The highest degradation among the tested bioactive compounds was noted for vitamin C. Full article

This study was the first report regarding the application of barley malt (BM) for diets of aquaculture species. Triplicate groups of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idellus with an initial size of about 1.2 kg were selected and fed with either BM or commercial feed (CF) to apparent satiation for 8 weeks in outdoor ponds connected with a flow-through aquaculture system. The results showed that the final body weight (1651 g) was lower in the BM fish than in the CF fish (1791 g). The edible part was lower in the BM fish than in the CF fish as indicated by the viscerosomatic index. Except for ash levels, which were lower in the fillet of the BM fish than for that of the CF fish, moisture, protein, and lipid levels were not impacted by the application of BM. Water-holding capacity indicators (drop loss, frozen exudation rate, and cooking loss) of grass carp muscle were not relevant to dietary modifications. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining showed that the diameter of the myofibers was decreased while density was increased in response to the application of BM, which contributed to the improvement in textural properties (hardness, gumminess, and chewiness) in the muscle of the BM fish as compared to the CF fish. Glutamic acid level was highest, followed by aspartic acid, lysine, leucine, alanine, and arginine in grass carp muscle. Except three amino acids (proline, phenylalanine, and histidine), the amounts of the other 15 amino acids, essential amino acids, semi-essential amino acids, nonessential amino acids, and delicious amino acids were not impacted by different treatments, suggesting that the application of BM had a minor effect on the amino acid composition of grass carp muscle. Oleic acid (C18:1n-9), linoleic acid (C18:2n-6), and palmitic acid (C16:0) were the most abundant fatty acids in grass carp muscle. The amounts of poly-unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in the muscle decreased in response to the application of BM as the diet of grass carp, and n-6 PUFAs (C18:2n-6 and C20:2n-6) rather than n-3 PUFAs accounted for this change, which is beneficial for human health. In conclusion, the application of BM had minor impacts on the proximate composition and amino acid composition but improved textural properties and decreased n-6 PUFAs in the fillet of grass carp. Full article

Epichloë endophytes have been found in cool-season grasses and can produce alkaloids that are toxic to vertebrates and insects. Due to their beneficial effects, Epichloë can provide plants with resistance to some abiotic and biotic stresses. The biological and physiological characteristics of the endophytic strains XJE1, XJE2, and XJE3 isolated from wild barley were measured across a range of pH, salt concentrations, and growth values. The phylogenetic position of the Epichloë isolates was examined using the tefA and actG genes. The optimal pH values for mycelial growth of XJE1, XJE2, and XJE3 were 7–8, 6–7, and 8–9, respectively. The isolates grew significantly better at 0.3 mol/L NaCl than at 0.5 mol/L and 0.1 mol/L NaCl. Based on the conidiophore and conidia morphology, growth characteristics, and phylogenetic relationships, the endophyte isolated from wild barley is likely Epichloë bromicola. These isolates exhibited differences in mating types and alkaloid biosynthesis genes. Screening for salt tolerance and alkaloid biosynthetic genes in endophytic strains will provide new insights into useful traits to breed into new forage germplasms. Full article

The high degradability of crude protein (CP) from fresh grass can impair its utilization in ruminants. The presence of a moderate level of polyphenolic substances in the diet of grazing animals could help to overcome this problem. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementation with two varieties of faba bean, with different polyphenol contents, on milk yield and quality, as well as on grazing behaviour, in Cinisara grazing cows. A total of 30 cows, homogeneous per days in milk (61 ± 29) and milk yield (12.9 kg ± 3.2), fed on a mixed pasture (CP 17.9% DM) and supplied with grains (an equal mixture of barley, oats, and wheat) and mixed hay (CP 10.2% DM), were assigned to three dietary treatments and supplemented as follows: control group (C, 10 cows), 1 kg of hay, 6 kg of grains mixture, and 0.4 kg soybean meal; low polyphenols group (LP, 10 cows), 1 kg of hay, 4 kg of grains mixture, and 2 kg/d of faba bean var. Torrelama (total polyphenols 4.4 mg GAE/g DM; CP 28.4% DM); high polyphenols group (HP, 10 cows), 2 kg of hay, 4 kg of grains mixture, and 2 kg/d of faba bean var. Fanfare (total polyphenols 16.4 mg GAE/g DM; CP 28.9% DM). All groups were allowed to graze for 20 h/d on natural pasture forage. The HP supplement tended to increase the milk yield compared to that of the LP and C groups (17.1 vs. 15.3 and 14.6 kg/d, respectively; p = 0.057) but reduced the protein (3.20 vs. 3.39 and 3.47%; p = 0.009) and casein proportions (2.45 vs. 2.67 and 2.74%, respectively; p = 0.007) compared to those from the LP and C treatments. HP milk also showed a higher milk urea nitrogen (MUN) value compared to that of C milk, while an intermediate level was measured in LP milk (25.5 vs. 22.9 and 20.9 mg/dl, respectively; p = 0.036). No dietary effect was evident in the milk fatty acid profile. Eating time at pasture and biting rate were not affected by supplementation. The results do not seem to suggest a difference in the efficiency of use of supplements with different polyphenol contents. In any case, they seem to demonstrate that the use of faba beans, regardless of their polyphenol content, represents a valid alternative to soyabeans, also taking into account the tendency for an increased milk yield found by integrating pasture grazing with faba beans possessing a high level of polyphenols, without significant worsening of the qualitative characteristics of the milk or negatively affecting grazing behaviour. Full article

Many endophytic fungi are approved as plant growth stimulants, and several commercial biostimulants have already been introduced in agricultural practice. However, there are still many species of fungi whose plant growth-promoting properties have been understudied or not studied at all. We examined the growth-promoting effect in spring barley (Hordeum vulgare) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) induced by three endophytic fungi previously obtained from the roots of Festuca/Lolium grasses. Surface-sterilized seeds were inoculated with a spore suspension of Cadophora fastigiata (isolate BSG003), Paraphoma fimeti (BSG010), Plectosphaerella cucumerina (BSG006), and their spore mixture. Before harvesting, the inoculated plants were grown in a greenhouse, with the barley being in multi-cavity trays for 30 days and ryegrass being placed in an original cylindric element system for 63 days. All three newly tested fungi had a positive effect on the growth of the barley and ryegrass plants, with the most pronounced impact observed in their root size. The fungal inoculations increased the dry shoot biomass between 11% and 26% in Italian ryegrass, but no such impact was observed in barley. The highest root increment was observed in barley. Herein, P. cucumerina and C. fastigiata inoculations were superior to other treatments, showing an increase in root dry weight of 50% compared to 20%, respectively. All fungal inoculations significantly promoted root growth in Italian ryegrass, resulting in a 20–30% increase in dry weight compared to non-inoculated plants. Moreover, a strong stimulatory effect of the fungi-emitted VOCs on the root development was observed in plate-in-plate arrays. In the presence of C. fastigiata and P. cucumerina cultures, the number of roots and root hairs in barley seedlings doubled compared to control plants. Thus, in our study, we demonstrated the potential of the grass root-derived endophytes C. fastigiata, P. fimeti, and P. cucumerina as growth promoters for spring barley and Italian ryegrass. These studies can be extended to other major crops and grasses by evaluating different fungal isolates. Full article

Certain plant species have developed the ability to express biological nitrification inhibition (BNI), suppressing the activity of nitrifying microbes and thereby reducing the conversion of ammonium to nitrate. This study assessed the BNI capacity and the rhizosphere ammonia-oxidizing microbiome of two grass species: the endemic Australian Barley Mitchell grass (Astrebla pectinata) and the introduced koronivia grass (Urochloa humidicola), using soils from both agricultural land and native vegetation. In agricultural soil, koronivia grass exhibited significantly higher BNI capacity compared with Barley Mitchell grass. However, in native soil, this trend was reversed, with Barley Mitchell grass demonstrating a significantly greater BNI capacity than koronivia grass (52% vs. 38%). Koronivia grass significantly altered the composition of the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria community in its rhizosphere, leading to a decrease in the Shannon index and bacteria number. Conversely, Barley Mitchell grass reduced the Shannon index (1.2 vs. 1.7) and population size (3.28 × 10⁷ vs. 7.43 × 10⁷ gene copy number g⁻¹ dry soil) of the ammonia-oxidizing archaea community in its rhizosphere to a greater extent. These findings suggest that Australian Barley Mitchell grass may have evolved mechanisms to suppress soil archaeal nitrifiers, thereby enhancing its BNI capacity and adapting to Australia’s nutrient-poor soils. Full article

Nutritional therapy, for example through beer, is the best solution to human chronic diseases. In this article, we demonstrate the physiological mechanisms of the functional ingredients in beer with health-promoting effects, based on the PubMed, Google, CNKI, and ISI Web of Science databases, published from 1997 to 2024. Beer, a complex of barley malt and hops, is rich in functional ingredients. The health effects of beer against 26 chronic diseases are highly similar to those of barley due to the physiological mechanisms of polyphenols (phenolic acids, flavonoids), melatonin, minerals, bitter acids, vitamins, and peptides. Functional beer with low purine and high active ingredients made from pure barley malt, as well as an additional functional food, represents an important development direction, specifically, ginger beer, ginseng beer, and coix-lily beer, as consumed by our ancestors ca. 9000 years ago. Low-purine beer can be produced via enzymatic and biological degradation and adsorption of purines, as well as dandelion addition. Therefore, this review paper not only reveals the physiological mechanisms of beer in overcoming chronic human diseases, but also provides a scientific basis for the development of functional beer with health-promoting effects. Full article

The study investigated compounds present in the invasive grass Hordeum murinum L. subsp. murinum and tested the allelopathic potential of this plant against common meadow species Festuca rubra L. and Trifolium repens L. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) performed separately on the ears and stalks with leaves of wall barley revealed 32 compounds, including secondary metabolites, that may play an important role in allelopathy. Two compounds, N-butylbenzenesulfonamide (NBBS) and diphenylsulfone (DDS), were described for the first time for wall barley and the Poaceae family. The presence of 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one (TMP) has also been documented. Aqueous extracts of H. murinum organs (ears and stalks with leaves) at concentrations of 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5% were used to evaluate its allelopathic potential. Compared to the control, all extracts inhibited germination and early growth stages of meadow species. The inhibitory effect was strongest at the highest concentration for both the underground and aboveground parts of the seedlings of the meadow species tested. Comparing the allelopathic effect, Trifolium repens proved to be more sensitive. In light of the results of the study, the removal of wall barley biomass appears to be important for the restoration of habitats where this species occurs due to its allelopathic potential. Full article

Fusarium root and crown rot (FRCR) negatively impact several economically important plant species. Cover crops host different soil and residue microbiomes, thereby potentially influencing pathogen load and disease severity. The carryover effect of cover crops on FRCR in barley and soybean was investigated. Field trials were conducted in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Two cover crops from each plant group, including forbs, brassicas, legumes, and grasses, were grown in a randomized complete block design with barley and soybean planted in split plots the following year. Barley and soybean roots were assessed for FRCR through visual disease rating and Fusarium spp. were isolated from diseased tissue. Fungal and bacterial communities in cover crop residues were quantified using amplicon sequencing. The disease-suppressive effects of soil were tested in greenhouse studies. The results indicated that sorghum-sudangrass-associated microbiomes suppress Fusarium spp., leading to reduced FRCR in both barley and soybean. The oilseed radish microbiome had the opposite effect, consequently increasing FRCR incidence in barley and soybean. The results from this study indicate that cover crop residue and the associated soil microbiome influence the incidence and severity of FRCR in subsequent crops. This information can be used to determine cover cropping strategies in barley and soybean production systems. Full article