Search Results (18)

The review summarizes the historical and current research on perennial grain breeding in Russia within the context of growing global interest in perennial crops. N.V. Tsitsin’s pioneering work in the 1930s produced the first wheat–wheatgrass amphiploids, which demonstrated the capacity to regrow after harvest and survive for 2–3 years. Subsequent research at the Main Botanical Garden in Moscow focused on characterizing Tsitsin’s material, selecting superior germplasm, and expanding genetic diversity through new cycles of hybridization and selection. This work led to the development of a new crop species, Trititrigia, and the release of cultivar ‘Pamyati Lyubimovoy’ in 2020, designed for dual-purpose production of high-quality grain and green biomass. Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) is native to Russia, where several forage cultivars have been released and cultivated. Two large-grain cultivars (Sova and Filin) were developed from populations provided by the Land Institute and are now grown by farmers. Perennial rye was developed through interspecific crosses between Secale cereale and S. montanum, demonstrating persistence for 2–3 years with high biomass production and grain yields of 1.5–2.0 t/ha. Hybridization between Sorghum bicolor and S. halepense resulted in two released cultivars of perennial sorghum used primarily for forage production under arid conditions. Russia’s agroclimatic diversity in agricultural production systems provides significant opportunities for perennial crop development. The broader scientific and practical implications of perennial crops in Russia extend to climate-resilient, sustainable agriculture and international cooperation in this emerging field. Full article

Vegetables and fruits, high in starch and sugars, are promising substrates for bioethanol production, but can also yield valuable nootropic compounds, such as α-glycerylphosphorylcholine (α-GPC). This compound is a known cognitive enhancer that works by increasing the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter essential for learning and memory. In this study, select root and tuber crops, as well as fruits, were subjected to Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation to observe the co-production of ethanol and α-GPC. The ethanol yields from these substrates were comparable to those from wheat (var. AC Andrew), ranging from 30.44 g/L (beet) to 70.04 g/L (lotus root). Aside from ethanol, α-GPC was also produced, with purple top turnip yielding 0.91 g/L, the second highest concentration after wheat (used as a reference), which produced 1.25 g/L. Although α-GPC yields in the tested substrates were lower than those from cereal grains (e.g., wheat and barley), a noteworthy observation was the production of methanol in many of these substrates. Methanol was detected in all feedstocks except wheat, with concentrations ranging from 0.10 g/L (cassava) to 1.69 g/L (purple top turnip). A linear regression analysis revealed a strong correlation between methanol and α-GPC content (R² = 0.876; slope = 0.52), suggesting a potential link in their biosynthetic pathways. These feedstocks not only proved effective as substrates for bioethanol production, but also showed potential for generating value-added compounds such as α-GPC. This dual-purpose potential presents new market opportunities for producers by leveraging both biofuel and nootropic compound production. Furthermore, the observed relationship between methanol and α-GPC production warrants further investigation to elucidate the metabolic pathways involved. Full article

Interest is increasing in grazing winter canola (Brassica napus) as an alternative crop in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) rotations in the Southern High Plains (SHP) of the USA and similar environments. In this stidy, winter cereal rye (Secale cereale) and winter canola pastures (forage) were compared for two winter growing seasons at New Mexico State University’s Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari, NM, USA, to determine the relative effect of pasture type on late-gestation beef cows and growing yearling cattle, along with the effect of grazing on canola grain production. Canola grain yields were reduced by 25% when canola was grazed until removal approximately one month after grazing was initiated, but before the onset of rapid regrowth after winter (641 vs. 486 kg grain ha⁻¹ for never grazed or grazed canola, respectively, p < 0.0256). No differences existed for forage mass, nutritive value, or animal performance, although forage mineral composition of canola could be a concern. Grazing winter canola as a dual-purpose crop in the SHP and similar environments is feasible when proper grazing management is applied; producers should anticipate a 20–25% reduction in grain yield, but expect animal gains to offset that loss. Full article

Winter wheat is used as forage at the tillering stage in many countries; however, the regrowth pattern of wheat after mowing remains unclear. In this study, the growth patterns of wheat were revealed through cytological and physiological assessments as well as transcriptome sequencing. The results of agronomic traits and paraffin sections showed that the shoot growth rate increased, but root growth was inhibited after mowing. The submicroscopic structure revealed a decrease in heterochromatin in the tillering node cell and a change in mitochondrial shape in the tillering node and secondary root. Analysis of the transcriptome showed the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions; 2492 upregulated DEGs and 1534 downregulated DEGs were identified. The results of the experimental study showed that mowing induced expression of DEGs in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway and increased the activity of PAL and 4CL. The upregulated DEGs in the starch and sucrose metabolism pathways and related enzyme activity alterations indicated that the sugar degradation rate increased. The DEGs in the nitrogen metabolism pathway biosynthesis of the amino acids, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis metabolism, and in the TCA pathway also changed after mowing. Hormone content and related gene expression was also altered in the tillering and secondary roots after mowing. When jasmonic acid and ethylene were used to treat the wheat after mowing, the regeneration rate increased, whereas abscisic acid inhibited regrowth. This study revealed the wheat growth patterns after mowing, which could lead to a better understanding of the development of dual-purpose wheat. Full article

Due to the expanding population and the constantly changing climate, food production is now considered a crucial concern. Although passive satellite remote sensing has already demonstrated its capabilities in accurate crop development monitoring, its limitations related to sunlight and cloud cover significantly restrict real-time temporal monitoring resolution. Considering synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, which is independent of the Sun and clouds, SAR remote sensing can be a perfect alternative to passive remote sensing methods. However, a variety of SAR sensors and delivered SAR indices present different performances in such context for different vegetation species. Therefore, this work focuses on comparing various SAR-derived indices from C-band and (Sentinel-1) and X-band (TerraSAR-X) data with the in situ information (phenp; pgy development, vegetation height and soil moisture) in the context of tracking the phenological development of corn, winter wheat, rye, canola, and potato. For this purpose, backscattering coefficients in VV and VH polarizations $({\sigma }_{VV}^0$, ${\sigma }_{VH}^0$), interferometric coherence, and the dual pol radar vegetation index (DpRVI) were calculated. To reduce noise in time series data and evaluate which filtering method presents a higher usability in SAR phenology tracking, signal filtering, such as Savitzky–Golay and moving average, with different parameters, were employed. The achieved results present that, for various plant species, different sensors (Sentinel-1 or TerraSAR-X) represent different performances. For instance, ${\sigma }_{VH}^0$ of TerraSAR-X offered higher consistency with corn development (r = 0.81), while for canola ${\sigma }_{VH}^0$ of Sentinel-1 offered higher performance (r = 0.88). Generally, ${\sigma }_{VV}^0$, ${\sigma }_{VH}^0$ performed better than DpRVI or interferometric coherence. Time series filtering makes it possible to increase an agreement between phenology development and SAR-delivered indices; however, the Savitzky–Golay filtering method is more recommended. Besides phenological development, high correspondences can be found between vegetation height and some of SAR indices. Moreover, in some cases, moderate correlation was found between SAR indices and soil moisture. Full article

This study is the first to assess the effects of clipping, cultivar, season, and their interactions on the protein composition of six old and ancient wheat cultivars (n = 6). For this, nitrogen content, the proportion of wheat protein fractions, and the molecular weight distribution of the extractable and unextractable glutenin polymers were investigated as a function of cultivar and clipping in two consecutive seasons. The relationships between genotypic variation in grain nitrogen and protein fraction content under clipping and non-clipping conditions were also assessed. Clipping delayed and shortened the grain filling period of all of the cultivars. The protein composition of some cultivars behaved differently to clipping due to differences in the environmental conditions of S1 (exceptional dry season) and S2 (rainy season). In S1, clipping decreased the ratio of gliadins over glutenins (GLI/GLU) (<1) of Cappelli and Giovanni Paolo, while in S2, clipping improved the GLI/GLU of Giovanni Paolo, Monlis, and Norberto. The unextractable polymeric proteins were not affected by clipping. Khorasan was shown to be indifferent to clipping in S1 and S2. These results suggest that it is possible to have ancient/old wheats suitable for a dual-purpose system, in different climatic conditions, while maintaining good grain quality traits. The increased market demand for ancient and old wheats presents an economic opportunity for farmers who adopt the dual-purpose technique to cultivate these resilient crops again and increase their profit margins and revenues. Full article

Dual-purpose cover crops (DPCCs) are gaining popularity for their potential to provide additional forage, while also providing significant ecosystem services. In the Northeastern United States, DPCCs can be incorporated into corn silage (Zea mays L.) production, increasing the environmental sustainability and economic resiliency of dairy systems. In a three-year field study, rye (Secale cereale L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and triticale (xTriticosecale) DPCCs provided an average of 4.1 Mg ha⁻¹ of forage, without impacting subsequent corn silage yield. The relative feed values of triticale and wheat were 120 and 122, respectively, significantly greater than that of rye at 109. DPCCs removed 60 kg ha⁻¹ of nitrogen (N) and 20 kg ha⁻¹ of phosphorus (P) on average at harvest; this removal is important for nutrient management in manured systems with high P levels. The results of this experiment suggested that in addition to capturing nutrients from the fall manure application, DPCCs captured nutrients already present in the soil. The DPCC residue left in the field after harvest represented 46% of the total plant biomass, and returned 1.6 Mg ha⁻¹ of carbon. Decomposition trends of DPCCs demonstrated nitrogen immobilization dynamics. Twenty percent of all the residual nitrogen was released in the first week after termination. The residual biomass continued to decompose, but the nitrogen decomposition was arrested. While, in this study, corn yields were not impeded, our findings demonstrated the potential to affect the fertility needs of corn in a multi-year rotation. Full article

In dual-purpose cereal systems, the co-production of fodder and grain can increase farm profitability and reduce farming risks. Our work evaluated shoot and root growth in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) under dual-purpose management in a medium-high rainfall area of southern Italy. We compared a modern variety (Core) with a tall ancient variety (Saragolle lucana) under traditional (NDP) and dual-purpose (DP) management and tested the hypothesis that clipping plants during the vegetative stage would reduce root growth and dewatering before anthesis, which is advantageous in drought-prone environments. Experiments were conducted in Bella (PZ), Basilicata region, southern Italy (40°42′ N, 15°32′ E) on a clay loam soil in 2021 in a split-plot design on 2 × 2 main plots and 1 × 2 split-plots with 6 replicates. The DP treatment consisted of simulated grazing by clipping plants at 5 cm from the ground 3 months after sowing (at first hollow stem). Forage Biomass was not different at p = 0.05 between varieties, with an average of 0.58 t ha⁻¹ DM. Grain yield was not penalized by clipping (p = 0.05) and did not differ significantly between varieties. SPAD was always lower in the Saragolle variety and lowered by clipping. Defoliation delayed phenology in both cultivars but did not reduce the final number of spikes per square meter. Stomatal conductance was correlated to temperature, did not differ between cultivars, and was not influenced by clipping. Soil water depletion was monitored in modern wheat from the booting stage to the beginning of grain filling. Clipping did not result in a reduction in pre-anthesis water depletion, possibly due to evaporative losses. Root density was markedly reduced by clipping in core variety between 0.20 and 0.60 m and much less in Saragolle. Unclipped Saragolle produced thicker roots and higher root masses compared to clipped plants. Defoliated Saragolle shifted to finer roots, reducing root mass more than length. This may have reduced the metabolic cost of soil exploration, thereby increasing root foraging efficiency. Full article

Leucojum aestivum is a medicinal plant belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family well known as a producer of alkaloids such as galanthamine and lycorine. However, the endophytic microbes that colonize different plant tissues without causing any damage have not been reported in this plant. Here, we explored the different endophytic bacterial communities isolated from different surface disinfected tissues of L. aestivum ‘Gravety giant’ and screened bacterial isolates producing alkaloids and their potential use as biocontrol agent against wheat pathogens. For that purpose, endophytic bacteria were isolated from bulbs, roots and shoots of L. aestivum. After taxonomical characterization, these microorganisms were screened for their ability to produce alkaloids using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and untargeted liquid chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) strategies. We isolated 138 bacteria belonging to four phyla and 42 genera, mainly from roots and shoots. The most abundant genera were Rahnella in shoot, Patulibacter in bulb and Bacillus in roots. Among the different bacterial isolates, the methanolic extracts of Luteibacter rhizovicinus (LaBFB3301) and Commamonas denitrificans (LaBFS2103) slightly delayed the growth of F. graminearum colonies in in vitro dual tests against F. graminearum and M. nivale strains with 15.5% and 19.9% inhibition rates, respectively. These isolates are able to produce an indolic alkaloid tryptophol (C₁₀H₁₁NO, [M + H]⁺ 162.0913). These endophytic bacteria might be investigated to characterize the plant protection effect and the plant growth promotion effect. Full article

Dual-purpose cover crops can cycle nutrients on dairy farms while providing additional quality forage. However, questions remain regarding the crop species best suited to this function. A two-year field experiment with five small-grain winter cover crops, including rye (Secale cereale), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and three triticale varieties (×Triticosecale varieties), was conducted on an active dairy farm. The rye produced the highest yield at 4612 kg ha⁻¹, followed by the forage varieties of triticale, which averaged 4004 kg ha⁻¹, whereas the wheat and one nonforage triticale produced only 2950 and 2987 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. The wheat had the highest crude protein (CP) at 11%, and a relative feed value (RFV) of 132, and it had the greatest milk-production potential, which was 1729 kg milk/Mg of forage. Yet, the rye (CP: 10.4%; RFV: 112) had the greatest milk-production and economic potentials per hectare due to the high forage yield, valued at USD 714 ha⁻¹, whereas the nonforage triticale had the least economic value (USD 326 ha⁻¹), despite its high forage quality (CP: 9.5%; RFV: 120). The forage triticale varieties were intermediate performers compared with the rye and wheat on a yield and quality basis. Mirroring the yield, the rye also removed the most nitrogen (77.3 kg ha⁻¹) and phosphorus (20.8 kg ha⁻¹). The species differences were found to be contingent on the manure application. The results of this experiment suggested that winter rye is the most efficient cover crop for harvesting and nutrient-recycling purposes. Full article

Kernza^® intermediate wheatgrass [IWG; Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & Dewey] is a novel perennial cool-season grass that is being bred for use as a dual-purpose grain and forage crop. The environmental benefits of perennial agriculture have motivated the development of IWG cropping systems and markets for perennial grain food products made with Kernza, but the economic viability and environmental impact of IWG remain uncertain. In this study, we compared three-year cycles of five organic grain production systems: an IWG monoculture, IWG intercropped with medium red clover, a continuous winter wheat monoculture, a wheat–red clover intercrop, and a corn–soybean–spelt rotation. Economic and environmental impacts of each cropping system were assessed using enterprise budgets, energy use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and emergy indices as indicators. Grain and biomass yields and values for production inputs used in these analyses were obtained from experimental data and management records from two separate field experiments conducted in New York State, USA. Grain yield of IWG averaged 478 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ over three years, equaling approximately 17% of winter wheat grain yield (2807 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) over the same period. In contrast, total forage harvested averaged 6438 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ from the IWG systems, approximately 160% that of the wheat systems (4024 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Low grain yield of IWG greatly impacted economic indicators, with break-even farm gate prices for Kernza grain calculated to be 23% greater than the current price of organic winter wheat in New York. Energy use and GHG emissions from the IWG systems were similar to the annual systems when allocated per hectare of production area but were much greater when allocated per kg of grain produced and much lower when allocated per kg of biomass harvested inclusive of hay and straw. Emergy sustainability indices were favorable for the IWG systems due to lower estimated soil erosion and fewer external inputs over the three-year crop cycle. The results show that the sustainability of IWG production is highly dependent on how the hay or straw co-product is used and the extent to which external inputs can be substituted with locally available renewable resources. Integrated crop–livestock systems appear to be a viable scenario for the adoption of IWG as a dual-use perennial grain and forage crop. Full article

Biophysical parameter retrieval using remote sensing has long been utilized for crop yield forecasting and economic practices. Remote sensing can provide information across a large spatial extent and in a timely manner within a season. Plant Area Index (PAI), Vegetation Water Content (VWC), and Wet-Biomass (WB) play a vital role in estimating crop growth and helping farmers make market decisions. Many parametric and non-parametric machine learning techniques have been utilized to estimate these parameters. A general non-parametric approach that follows a Bayesian framework is the Gaussian Process (GP). The parameters of this process-based technique are assumed to be random variables with a joint Gaussian distribution. The purpose of this work is to investigate Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) models to retrieve biophysical parameters of three annual crops utilizing combinations of multiple polarizations from C-band SAR data. RADARSAT-2 full-polarimetric images and in situ measurements of wheat, canola, and soybeans obtained from the SMAPVEX16 campaign over Manitoba, Canada, are used to evaluate the performance of these GPR models. The results from this research demonstrate that both the full-pol (HH+HV+VV) combination and the dual-pol (HV+VV) configuration can be used to estimate PAI, VWC, and WB for these three crops. Full article

Senescence is the final stage of leaf development which is accompanied by highly coordinated and complicated reprogramming of gene expression. Genetic manipulation of leaf senescence in major crops including wheat has been shown to be able to increase stress tolerance and grain yield. NAC(No apical meristem (NAM), ATAF1/2, and cup-shaped cotyledon (CUC)) transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in regulating gene expression changes during leaf senescence and in response to abiotic stresses. Here, we report the characterization of TaSNAC11-4B (Uniprot: A0A1D5XI64), a wheat NAC family member that acts as a functional homolog of AtNAP, a key regulator of leaf senescence in Arabidopsis. The expression of TaSNAC11-4B was up-regulated with the progression of leaf senescence, in response to abscisic acid (ABA) and drought treatments in wheat. Ectopic expression of TaSNAC11-4B in Arabidopsis promoted ROS accumulation and significantly accelerated age-dependent as well as drought- and ABA-induced leaf senescence. Results from transcriptional activity assays indicated that the TaSNAC11-4B protein displayed transcriptional activation activities that are dependent on its C terminus. Furthermore, qRT-PCR and dual-Luciferase assay results suggested that TaSNAC11-4B could positively regulate the expression of AtrbohD and AtrbohF, which encode catalytic subunits of the ROS-producing NADPH oxidase. Further analysis of TaSNAC11-4B in wheat senescence and the potential application of this gene in manipulating leaf senescence with the purpose of yield increase and stress tolerance is discussed. Full article

Dualpurpose wheat (Triticum aestivum L) can be used for cattle grazing while producing grain from the same crop. In a two-year study, wheat forage production, grain yield, and growth performance of beef cow–calf pairs grazed on wheat pasture for 2–3 weeks in spring was compared with the conventional wheat grain production system and stockpiled tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea (L.) Schreb) pasturing. Grazing wheat resulted in grain yield (4.1 vs. 4.6 t ha⁻¹) and test weight (65.9 vs. 66.7 kg hL⁻¹) similar to the conventional grain production system. Wheat accumulated significantly lower forage dry matter yield (0.9 vs. 1.9 t ha⁻¹) in spring with higher crude protein (190.2–290.2 vs. 122.0–151.0 g kg⁻¹) and low fiber contents compared to the stockpiled tall fescue pasture. Wheat pasture presented risk for the development of grass tetany with regard to N, K, Na, and Mg contents. Calves grazed on wheat gained 1143–1370 gd⁻¹ body weight compared to the 826–879 gd⁻¹ in the stockpiled tall fescue pasturing. Cows had inconsistent and mixed body weight change response. With warmer temperatures and adequate precipitation controlled grazing of wheat in spring by beef cow–calves offered weight gain benefits exceeding the stockpiled tall fescue pasturing and grain production similar to the conventional wheat grain system. Full article

The aim of this work was to study the yield and nutritional characteristics of winter wheat hay. A selection of cultivars recommended for three main purposes: grain, whole plant (biomass) and dual purpose (grain and biomass) production were cultivated and harvested from heading to grain dough stages. Yield dry weight (YDW), dry matter (DM) and undigested neutral detergent fiber (uNDF) increased with advancing maturity, ranging from 9 t ha⁻¹, 20 and 11% of DM to 16 t ha⁻¹, 43 and 17% of DM, respectively; while crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) decreased from 11 and 59% of DM to 6 and 54% of DM, respectively. Our study showed that dual purpose winter wheat cultivars displayed similar performance of CP, NDF and net energy for lactation, when harvested at heading or grain milk stages. In addition, winter wheat recommended to be harvested as whole plant showed similar values of YDW, sugar and starch contents, when harvested at grain dough and milk stages. These characteristics are strategic in hay production, allowing a more flexible harvesting strategy. These results might be useful to improve the hay production, given useful information on harvest time and improving agricultural sustainability covering the soil in autumn and winter. Full article