Search Results (155)

False cleavers (Galium spurium L.) is a broadleaf weed species that affects wheat productivity because of its strong competition for resources. It has developed resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors, such as sulfonylureas and triazolopyrimidines, which are herbicides widely used in durum wheat. Integrated weed management programs can contribute to the control of this species and delay the evolution of herbicide resistance. Thus, a two-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of sowing time, variety, and herbicides on crop yield, density, and dry weight of a false cleavers population with resistance to ALS inhibitors. In both growing seasons, a split-split-plot design was used with three replicates. The sowing date was chosen as the main plot factor, durum wheat varieties as the subplot factor, and herbicides as the sub-subplot factor. The herbicide treatments were: (1) metsulfuron-methyl/bensulfuron-methyl (4/50 g a.i. ha⁻¹), (2) aminopyralid/florasulam (9.9/4.95 g a.i. ha⁻¹), (3) pyroxsulam and florasulam/2,4-D (18.75 + 4.725/225 g a.i. ha⁻¹), (4) 2,4-D/bromoxynil (633.15/601.2 g a.i. ha⁻¹), non-treated control, and hand-weeded control for the first season, while in the second season one more herbicide treatment (halauxifen-methyl/florasulam, 5.6/5.15 g a.i. ha⁻¹) was added. Herbicide application was performed on 10 March 2021 and 28 March 2022, when the crop was at the end of tillering and the beginning of stem elongation. The results showed that the density of false cleavers was not affected by the variety or sowing time. However, its dry weight was 17.3–23.4% higher in early sowing (16 November in 2020 and 8 November 2021) than in late sowing (24 December 2020 and 2 December 2021). Among the herbicides tested, 2,4-D/bromoxynil and halauxifen-methyl/florasulam effectively controlled false cleavers, showing greater efficacy in late sowing (>88%), which ultimately led to a higher yield. In conclusion, our two-year findings demonstrate that delayed sowing as part of an integrated weed management strategy can contribute to controlling resistant populations of false cleavers to ALS-inhibiting herbicides without affecting the quantity and quality of durum wheat yield in areas with a Mediterranean climate. Full article

Carrot pomace is a valuable, underutilized by-product suitable for obtaining novel foods. The durum wheat dough and pasta network structure is affected by fiber-rich ingredients like carrot pomace, leading to changes in rheological and texture parameters. In this context, this paper aimed to evaluate the rheological, textural, and color properties of durum wheat dough and pasta as affected by different varieties and addition levels of carrot pomace. For this purpose, oscillatory dynamic rheological tests, compression mechanical texture evaluation, cooking behavior observation, and reflectance color measurements were made. The results indicated that carrot pomace has a strengthening effect on the durum wheat dough protein–starch matrix, while the maximum creep compliance decreased with the addition level increase. A delay in starch gelatinization was suggested by the evolution of visco-elastic moduli during heating. Dough hardness and gumminess increased (from 2849.74 for the control to 5080.67 g for 12% Baltimore, and from 1073.73 for the control to 1863.02 g for 12% Niagara, respectively), while springiness and resilience exhibited a reduction trend (from 100.11% for the control to 99.50% for 12% Sirkana, and from 1.23 for the 3% Niagara to 0.87 for 12% Belgrado respectively) as the amount of carrot pomace raised. An increasing tendency of pasta solids loss during cooking and fracturability was observed with carrot pomace addition level increase. Color properties changed significantly depending on carrot pomace variety and addition level, indicating a reduction in lightness from 71.71 for the control to 63.12 for 12% Niagara and intensification of red nuance (0.05 for the control vs. 2.85 for 12% Sirkana). Cooked pasta elasticity, chewiness, gumminess, hardness, and resilience increased, while adhesiveness and stickiness decreased as the level of carrot pomace was higher. These results can represent a starting point for further industrial development of pasta enriched with fiber-rich ingredients like carrot pomace. The study highlights the possibility of using a fiber-rich waste stream (carrot pomace) in a staple product like pasta, providing a basis for clean-label pasta formulations. In addition, the novelty of the study consists in highlighting how compositional differences of different carrot pomace varieties lead to distinct effects on dough rheology, texture, color, and cooking behavior. Full article

Modern wheat breeding has largely emphasized aboveground traits, often at the expense of belowground characteristics such as root biomass, architecture, and beneficial microbial associations. This has narrowed genetic diversity, impacting traits essential for stress resilience and efficient nutrient and water acquisition—factors expected to become increasingly critical under climate change. In this study, we evaluated 36 primary synthetic (PS) hexaploid wheat lines developed by crossing Aegilops tauschii with the durum wheat cultivar Langdon (LNG) and compared them with LNG and the hexaploid variety Norin 61 (N61). We observed significant variation in root length, biomass, and associations with fungal endophytes, including beneficial Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and Serendipita indica, and pathogenic Alternaria sp. Clustering analysis based on these traits identified three distinct PS groups: (1) lines with greater root length and biomass, high AMF and S. indica colonization, and low Alternaria infection; (2) lines with intermediate traits; and (3) lines with reduced root traits and high Alternaria susceptibility. Notably, these phenotypic patterns corresponded closely with the soil classification of the Ae. tauschii progenitors’ origin, such as Cambisols (supportive of root growth), and Gleysols and Calcisols (restrictive of root growth). This highlights the soil microenvironment as a key determinant of belowground trait expression. By comparing PS lines with domesticated tetraploid and hexaploid wheat, we identified and selected PS lines derived from diverse Ae. tauschii with enhanced root traits. Our study emphasizes the potential of wild D-genome diversity to restore critical root traits for breeding resilient wheat. Full article

The productivity and resilience of durum wheat have been enhanced through the selection of accessions, optimizing agronomic and quality traits to address environmental challenges. This study evaluates the performance of 219 durum wheat accessions, including 120 elite lines from a national breeding program (G1 to G120), 63 international lines (G121 to G183), 27 Moroccan varieties (including Faraj, Karim, Tomouh, Marzak, Amria, Chaoui, IRDEN, and others), and nine landraces (G211 to G219, from Imilchil, Rich, and Taounate regions). Trials were conducted at the Jemâa Shaïm experimental station (INRA-Morocco) with an “Alpha lattice” design and two replications. Significant correlations were observed between spike length (SL) and number of spikelets per spike (SPS) (r = 0.950; p < 0.001), and between grain yield (GY) and thousand-kernel weight (TKW) (r = 0.530; p < 0.01), while no correlation was found between quality parameters and GY (r = 0.010; p > 0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that agronomic traits explained 77.12% of variability, while quality traits accounted for 95.54%. Elite lines exhibited a high yellow pigment index (14.90), important for technological quality. Traditional landraces performed well in spike length (8.78 cm), thousand-kernel weight (50.23 g), protein content (17.07%), and gluten content (36.90%). Moroccan varieties such as Faraj achieved a grain yield of 6.12 t/ha, while international lines showed the highest SDS value (9.39 mL). These findings highlight the potential of diverse accessions for developing high-yielding, high-quality durum wheat. Full article

This work investigates the effects of gamma irradiation (0.1–10 kGy) on four Italian wheat matrices, such as durum, conventional soft, integrated soft, and biological soft wheat, by coupling Raman, FTIR-ATR and EPR spectroscopies to provide complementary insights into the structural, conformational, and radical-based transformations occurring in starch, the primary polysaccharide in wheat. As a general trend, gamma irradiation up to 10 kGy does not induce drastic degradation or depolymerization of wheat components. However, deeper investigations reveal that wheat composition is crucial in modulating the effects of gamma irradiation on structural and conformational rearrangements of starch units. Raman and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy analyses showed an increase in random coil fractions, with the most significant changes observed in durum wheat, plausibly attributed to its higher protein content. EPR analyses confirmed a dose-dependent increase in free radicals, with different recombination kinetics between wheat types influenced by their intrinsic composition and molecular organization. The proposed spectroscopic approaches allow for rapid and non-destructive analyses of molecular structure, chemical composition, and free radical content in irradiated wheat matrices with minimal sample preparation. These approaches can be extended in the development of screening methods for a wide range of polysaccharides in a variety of crops. Full article

Cereals are the basis of the human diet, and among them, after rice and corn, wheat is the most cultivated in the world. Drought, conflicts, and high prices affect food security in many countries. The CHANGE-UP project funded by the PRIMA program aims at redesigning agricultural systems for the Mediterranean area to make them more resilient to climate change, and includes, among other agronomic innovations, the cultivation and characterization of perennial wheat genotypes. In this study, four perennial wheat lines, 235a, 20238, OK72, and 11955, grown in Italy, were examined for their technological and chemical composition and rheological properties and compared with the perennial species Thinopyrum intemedium (Kernza^®) and to a modern durum wheat variety, used as controls. On average, all the perennial genotypes presented very small kernels along with high protein content, total antioxidant capacity, and mineral content, and genotypes OK72 and 11955 presented good test weight values. Line 235a had the best gluten quality, whereas line 20238 reported the worst values for bread-making aptitude. Results indicate that perennial grains could adapt to the Italian environment and manifest their nutritional and technological potential, constituting promising raw materials for enhancing diversification in nutrition by sustainable agriculture based on agroecological principles. Full article

Plant defensins (PDFs) are a group of cationic antimicrobial peptides that are distinguished by their unique tertiary structure and play significant roles in physiological metabolism, growth, and stress tolerance. Defensins are key components of plant innate immunity; they can target a wide variety of microorganisms. This study aimed to identify and investigate the role of Triticum durum PDFs (TdPDFs) in response to environmental stresses. Prior to this, in silico analyses of TdPDF genes were conducted to assess their chromosomal locations, conserved motifs, exon–intron distribution, and cis-regulatory elements in the promoter regions. Additionally, bioinformatic analyses were performed to characterize the structure of TdPDF proteins, evaluate their phylogenetic relationships, predict their subcellular localization, and estimate their physicochemical properties. Docking studies were conducted to assess the interactions between TdPDF proteins and the fungal plasma membrane. A total of 28 TdPDF genes were identified in durum wheat based on their conserved domain PF00304 (gamma-thionin). These genes are distributed across all chromosomes of the durum wheat genome, except for chromosomes 4A and 7A. Analysis of the promoters of these genes revealed numerous elements associated with development, hormone responsiveness, and environmental stress. The majority of TdPDF proteins were predicted to be located extracellular. In addition, TdPDF proteins were classified into three clusters based on sequence similarity. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that TdPDF proteins share ancestral similarities with the PDF sequences of other monocotyledonous species. Molecular docking studies revealed that TdPDF proteins interact with fungal plasma membranes, suggesting that they play a critical role in the resistance of plants to pathogen infections. Expression analysis underlined the crucial role of nine TdPDF genes in the defense responses of durum wheat against both pathogenic and environmental stressors. Overall, our findings underscore the potential of TdPDF genes in host-plant resistance and highlight opportunities for their application in crop improvement toward stress tolerance. Full article

Durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.), among the herbaceous crops, is one of the most extensively grown in the Mediterranean area due to its fundamental role in supporting typical food productions like bread, pasta, and couscous. Among the environmental and technical aspects, nitrogen (N) fertilization is crucial to shaping plant development and that of kernels by also affecting their protein concentration. Today, new techniques for monitoring fields using uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) can detect crop multispectral (MS) responses, while advanced machine learning (ML) models can enable accurate predictions. However, to date, there is still little research related to the prediction of the N nutritional status and its effects on the productivity of durum wheat grown in the Mediterranean environment through the application of these techniques. The present research aimed to monitor the MS responses of two different wheat varieties, one ancient (Timilia) and one modern (Ciclope), grown under three different N fertilization regimens (0, 60, and 120 kg N ha⁻¹), and to estimate their quantitative and qualitative production (i.e., grain yield and protein concentration) through the Pearson’s correlations and five different ML approaches. The results showed the difficulty of obtaining good predictive results with Pearson’s correlation for both varieties of data merged together and for the Timilia variety. In contrast, for Ciclope, several vegetation indices (VIs) (i.e., CVI, GNDRE, and SR_RE) performed well (r-value > 0.7) in estimating both productive parameters. The implementation of ML approaches, particularly random forest (RF) regression, neural network (NN), and support vector machine (SVM), overcame the limitations of correlation in estimating the grain yield (R² > 0.6, RMSE = 0.56 t ha⁻¹, MAE = 0.43 t ha⁻¹) and protein (R² > 0.7, RMSE = 1.2%, MAE 0.47%) in Timilia, whereas for Ciclope, the RF approach outperformed the other predictive methods (R² = 0.79, RMSE = 0.56 t ha⁻¹, MAE = 0.44 t ha⁻¹). Full article

Durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) is the second most cultivated species of wheat after common wheat. In this study, the physical properties of ears and kernels of durum winter wheat were evaluated, focusing on the effects of sowing date and density. Understanding these properties is crucial for assessing the quality and technological utility of wheat. Three winter varieties of wheat, Komnata, Pentadur, and Auradur, were cultivated in the Małopolska Voivodeship of Poland. Two sowing dates (optimal and delayed) and three sowing densities (400, 500, and 600 kernels/m²) were employed. Significant variations in morphological traits—including plumpness, uniformity, density, and kernel dimensions—were analyzed. The results indicated that while the sowing date significantly influenced spike characteristics and grain yields, the sowing density had minimal effects. For example, plants sown earlier produced longer spike rachis and higher grain yield, reflecting the correlation between sowing time and spike development. This study highlights that grain plumpness varied significantly due to sowing dates, with delayed sowing yielding higher plumpness percentages. However, the overall volumetric weight of the grains was lower than the standard, indicating suboptimal growing conditions in Małopolska. Ultimately, this research underscores the importance of selecting appropriate sowing dates for optimal developmental outcomes in durum wheat, particularly under atypical growing conditions. Moreover, the results obtained partially indicate that worse physical spike biometry parameters can, to some extent, play a role in determining better quality of grain yield. Full article

In the Yaqui Valley, Mexico, the current and estimated annual growth rate of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) yield is insufficient to satisfy the food demand that the world will be facing by 2050. Furthermore, besides the high doses of fertilizers applied to wheat in this region, nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) remains low (<34.4%). A sustainable strategy to reduce the use of fertilizers and to increase crop yield and quality is the use of native plant growth-promoting bacteria as microbial inoculants. This study was performed under field conditions during one agricultural season in the Yaqui Valley, Mexico. It aimed to quantify the impact of the inoculation of a native bacterial consortium (BC) composed of Bacillus cabrialesii subsp. cabrialesii TE3^T, Priestia megaterium TRQ8, and Bacillus paralicheniformis TRQ65 on grain yield, grain quality, and NUE (measured through ¹⁵N-isotopic techniques) at different stages of development of durum wheat variety CIRNO C2008 under three doses of urea (0, 120, and 240 kg N ha⁻¹) fractionated at 30%, 60%, and 10%. Results showed that yield, quality, and NUE were highly affected by the N doses, while the inoculation of the BC had a lower impact on these parameters. Nevertheless, the inoculation of the BC on wheat had positive effects at the early stages of growth, on plant height (+1.6 cm), root depth (+11.9 cm), and spikes per square meter (+25 spikes m⁻²). Moreover, the addition of the BC improved N acquisition by the plants, at different crop growth stages, compared to uninoculated treatments. Finally, our results indicated that reducing the N dose from 240 kg of N ha⁻¹ to 120 kg of N ha⁻¹ improved the NUE (27.5% vs. 44.3%, respectively) of the crop. Hence, results of this preliminary study showed that the incorporation of bacterial inoculants into the wheat crop requires a simultaneous adequate N management, in order to obtain the desired positive effect on wheat productivity. Full article

Despite growing interest in ancient wheat varieties, the functional and nutritional properties of einkorn (Triticum monococcum) in cereal-based foods remain not fully elucidated. This study examined the chemical composition and functional properties of wholegrain einkorn pasta through cooking and simulated gastrointestinal digestion, comparing it with conventional Triticum durum wheat pasta. While sharing similar macronutrient profiles, einkorn pasta demonstrated higher retention of key compounds including phenolics, tocopherols, and phytosterols throughout cooking and in vitro digestion. Notable findings include enhanced prebiotic activity specifically targeting bifidobacteria populations and preserved antioxidant capacity despite thermal processing. These results demonstrated einkorn’s potential as a functional food ingredient, suggesting its capacity to deliver enhanced nutritional benefits through its unique matrix properties. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into ancient grain functionality in modern food applications, with implications for developing nutritionally enhanced pasta products. Full article

Plants are frequently challenged by a variety of microorganisms. To protect themselves against harmful invaders, they have evolved highly effective defense mechanisms, including the synthesis of numerous types of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Snakins are such compounds, encoded by the GASA (Gibberellic Acid-Stimulated Arabidopsis) gene family, and are involved in the response to biotic and abiotic stress. Here, we examined the function of the newly identified TdGASA1 gene and its encoded protein in Triticum durum subjected to different biotic stress-related simulants, such as mechanical injury, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), salicylic acid (SA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), as well as infection with pathogenic fungi Fusarium graminearum and Aspergillus niger. We found that in durum wheat, TdGASA1 transcripts were markedly increased in response to these stress simulants. Isolated and purified TdGASA1 protein exhibited significant antifungal activity in the growth inhibition test conducted on eight species of pathogenic fungi on solid and liquid media. Transgenic Arabidopsis lines overexpressing TdGASA1 obtained in this study showed higher tolerance to detrimental effects of H₂O₂, MeJA, and ABA treatment. In addition, these lines exhibited resistance to Fusarium graminearum and Aspergillus niger, which was linked to a marked increase in antioxidant activity in the leaves under stress conditions. This resistance was correlated with the upregulation of pathogenesis-related genes (AtPDF1.2a, AtERF1, AtVSP2, AtMYC2, AtPR1, AtACS6, AtETR1, and AtLOX2) in the transgenic lines. Overall, our results indicate that TdGASA1 gene and its encoded protein respond ubiquitously to a range of biotic stimuli and seem to be crucial for the basal resistance of plants against pathogenic fungi. This gene could therefore be a valuable target for genetic engineering to enhance wheat resistance to biotic stress. Full article

In Morocco, saline irrigation significantly affects soil quality and reduces crop yields. This study evaluates the effect of salt stress on soil properties and the overall performance of the durum wheat variety “Faraj”, aiming to optimize production under saline conditions. A greenhouse experiment was conducted during the 2023–2024 season, using a completely randomized design (CRD) to assess soil properties, plant growth, and yield. Five salinity levels (0.2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 dS m⁻¹) were applied to two soil types: silty-clay (S1) and sandy (S2). Results showed significant changes in soil properties, including increased pH, electrical conductivity, and accumulation of potassium, calcium, and magnesium in soil. Grain yield decreased significantly with increasing salinity, from 1.12 t ha⁻¹ in freshwater to 0.12 t ha⁻¹ at 16 dS m⁻¹ in S1, and from 0.56 t ha⁻¹ in freshwater to 0.12 t ha⁻¹ at 16 dS m⁻¹ in S2. Straw yield was less affected, with values of 1.24 and 1.16 t ha⁻¹ for S1 and S2 at 12 dS m⁻¹, decreasing to 0.80 and 0.55 t ha⁻¹ at 16 dS m⁻¹. The “Faraj” variety shows good tolerance to salinity up to 8 dS m⁻¹ for grain yield and 12 dS m⁻¹ for straw yield, making it particularly suitable for moderately saline environments. Full article

The management of variety collections can be supported by integrating molecular data into Distinctness, Uniformity, and Stability (DUS) testing. DurdusTools is a genetic distance (GD) calculation tool that supports planning field trials in durum wheat. A commercially available single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) wheat microarray is used to profile varieties and candidate varieties. Their molecular profiles are stored in a database. SNP markers selected based on quality parameters are used to calculate the pairwise genetic distance (GD) between the varieties. Combining molecular and variety information creates a downloadable, user-friendly Excel-based output. The file shows the pairwise GD of the varieties most similar to the candidate variety of interest and selected variety information. After the first year of field trials, the DUS experts use the phenotypic assessment data together with the GD information to select genotypes to be grown in the field for side-by-side comparisons. The principles of DurdusTools allow for an easy integration of molecular data into DUS testing. Using the tool requires neither specific infrastructure nor molecular expert knowledge and was developed by its users for DUS testing purposes. This makes DurdusTools an easily accessible and user-friendly tool that supports variety selection for DUS field trials through an improved data basis. Full article

Fungal diseases are a yield-limiting factor for wheat. Their management in organic production systems is one of the prevailing challenges because it must be based mainly on indirect measures through agricultural practices. Variety mixtures are one of these practices, a concept that has been demonstrated to improve several factors affecting yield. Recently, it has become a practice that enables sustainability in agriculture. Our research aim is to evaluate the capacity of this practice to control three fungal diseases (foliar and ear) on durum wheat. This study was conducted over two consecutive years (2019 and 2020) at two locations: a certified organic farm in the Benslimane region (2019) and the National School of Agriculture farm in Meknes (2020). Four durum wheat varieties (Isly, Tarek, Karim, and Nassira) were used to create the mixture. The parameters that were monitored were the disease severity, the grain yield, and its components. The analysis of variance for the three fungal diseases’ severity was significant. The variety that showed resistance to all diseases was the Isly variety, and the most susceptible variety was the Nassira variety. The resistance of the other varieties to the diseases was variable from one year to the other. The mixture showed average severity values. It allowed a reduction in the severity of leaf rust of 47% during the first year and 30% during the second year compared to the most susceptible variety (Nassira). In the case of HLB (helminthosporiosis leaf blight), it reduced the disease by 47% during the first year and 34% during the 2020 season. For ear disease, Fusarium head blight (FHB), the reduction was 68% during the year 2019 and 49% during 2020. The mixture also ensured yield stability between the two trial years (1.66 t ha⁻¹ and 1.54 t ha⁻¹). Full article