Changes in oat grain yield and quality with increased adaptability of cultivars

Background. Among spring cereals, oat is one of the main grain crops in Siberia. The aim of this study was to determine how the parameters of adaptability in oat cultivars are correlated with yield and basic indicators of grain quality.Material and methods. The studies were carried out from 2011 to 2019 in the southern forest steppe of Western Siberia. The content of protein, crude fat and starch in grain, and its hull content were measured according to B. V. Pleshkov and N. S. Berkutova. Mathematical processing was performed following the guidelines by B. A. Dospekhov, S. A. Eberhart and W. A. Russell.Results. There was a significant variation in grain yield and grain quality (CV > 20%) in oat cultivars due to a high contribution from the conditions of the year (26.7...80.9%) as well as a strong direct (r = 0,607...0.825) or strong reverse (r = –0.660...–0.994) conjugation with climatic factors. As the protein content in grain increased, starch, oil (r = 0.960...0.962) and hull content (r = 0.442) increased as well. Naked oat cultivars manifested higher grain quality (4.6% protein, 17.6% starch, and 2.2% crude fat) and reduced yield (–1.45 t/ha) compared with hulled oat cultivars.Conclusion. Increased plasticity (bi) and stability (σ2d) of oat cultivars contributed to higher yields (rbi = 0.943;rσ2d = 0.344) but reduced grain quality indicators (rbi = –0.697…–0.812;rσ2d = –0.270…–0.300). Hull content in plastic cultivars decreased (rbi = –0.201).

Genome-Wide Association Analysis of Mucilage and Hull Content in Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Seeds

New flaxseed cultivars differing in seed mucilage content (MC) with low hull content (HC) represent an attractive option to simultaneously target the food and feed markets. Here, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted for MC and HC in 200 diverse flaxseed accessions genotyped with 1.7 million single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. The data obtained for MC and HC indicated a broad phenotypic variation and high (~70%) and a moderate (~49%) narrow sense heritability, respectively. MC and HC did not differ statistically between fiber and oil morphotypes, but yellow-seeded accessions had 2.7% less HC than brown-seeded ones. The genome-wide linkage disequilibrium (LD) decayed to r2 = 0.1 at a physical distance of ~100 kb. Seven and four quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified for MC and HC, respectively. Promising candidate genes identified include Linum usitatissimum orthologs of the Arabidopsis thaliana genes TRANSPARENT TESTA 8, SUBTILISIN-LIKE SERINE PROTEASE, GALACTUROSYL TRANSFERASE-LIKE 5, MUCILAGE-MODIFIED 4, AGAMOUS-LIKE MADS-BOX PROTEIN AGL62, GLYCOSYL HYDROLASE FAMILY 17, and UDP-GLUCOSE FLAVONOL 3-O-GLUCOSYLTRANSFERASE. These genes have been shown to play a role in mucilage synthesis and release, seed coat development and anthocyanin biosynthesis in A. thaliana. The favorable alleles will be useful in flaxseed breeding towards the goal of achieving the ideal MC and HC composition for food and feed by genomic-based breeding.

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies QTL and Candidate Genes Governing Seed Mucilage Content and Hull Content in Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)

New flaxseed cultivars differing in seed mucilage content (MC) with low hull content (HC) represent an attractive option to simultaneously target the food and feed markets. Here, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted for MC and HC in 200 diverse flaxseed accessions genotyped with 1.7 million SNP markers. The data obtained for MC and HC indicated a broad phenotypic variation and high (~70%) and a moderate (~49%) narrow sense heritability, respectively. MC and HC did not differ statistically between fiber and oil morphotypes, but yellow-seeded accessions had 2.7% less HC than brown-seeded ones. The genome wide linkage disequilibrium (LD) decayed to r2 = 0.1 at a physical distance of ~100 Kb. Seven and four QTL were identified for MC and HC, respectively. Promising candidate genes included Linum usitatissimum orthologs of the Arabidopsis thaliana genes TRANSPARENT TESTA 8, SUBTILISIN-LIKE SERINE PROTEASE, GALACTUROSYL TRANSFERASE-LIKE 5, MUCILAGE-MODIFIED 4, AGAMOUS-LIKE MADS-BOX PROTEIN AGL62, GLYCOSYL HYDROLASE FAMILY 17 and UDP-GLUCOSE FLAVONOL 3-O-GLUCOSYLTRANSFERASE that have been shown to play a role in mucilage synthesis and release, seed coat development and anthocyanin biosynthesis in A. thaliana were identified. The favorable alleles will be useful in flaxseed breeding towards the goal of achieving the ideal flaxseed cultivars for food and feed by genomic-based breeding.

Seeding rate and cultivar effects on yield, yield components and grain quality of spring spelt in eastern Canada

Dorval, I., Vanasse, A., Pageau, D. and Dion, Y. 2015. Seeding rate and cultivar effects on yield, yield components and grain quality of spring spelt in eastern Canada. Can. J. Plant. Sci. 95: 841–849. There is currently an increasing demand from master millers for spelt (Triticum aestivum ssp. spelta), but little is known about crop management of spring spelt under the eastern Canadian climate in organic or low-input systems. Field experiments were carried out at three sites in Quebec from 2011 to 2013 to assess the effect of cultivar (CDC Origin, CDC Zorba, CDC Nexon, CDC Silex) and seeding rate (250, 300, 350, 400 and 450 grains m−2) on grain and straw yields, yield components and some grain quality characteristics of spelt. CDC Origin produced higher hulled grain yields at all sites, while CDC Silex produced similar hulled grain yields and achieved the highest naked grain yields at two of the three test sites. The hull content varied from 24.0 to 37.6% among cultivars. CDC Origin had the highest hull content at each site. The seeding rate generally had no effect on yields, but had an effect on yield components; increasing seeding rates slightly increased the number of spikes per square metre and decreased the number of grains per spike, while the 1000-grain weight remained unaffected. Protein content of all cultivars was high (14.2 to 15.4%), while falling number varied from 219 to 385 s.

Dehulling capacity and storability of naked oat

Harvested naked oat is not completely hulless. Hull content of various cultivars ranged between one and six percent. Genotype and environment control expression of nakedness. Using different threshing settings at different grain moisture contents, it was investigated whether grain moisture at threshing and combine harvester settings affected hull content and its relationship to germination capacity. Naked groats were stored at room temperature and analysed for protein content and fatty acid composition to determine storability. Grain moisture content at threshing had contrary effects on hull content and degree of hull retention in different years. Small grains tended to retain hulls more tightly during threshing. Grain filling capacity appears to be the dominant factor determining degree of nakedness rather than stage of maturity. The postulated protective nature of hulls was confirmed only for cultivar Lisbeth. Highly viable samples of grain of cv. Lisbeth, threshed at normal settings, contained a higher percentage of hulls than those with low germination capacity, while for cv. Bullion, a protective effect of the hulls was not evident. Grain moisture content at threshing did not affect protein content of naked cultivars, but some differences in fatty acid composition were recorded. Changes in lipid composition and volatile oxidation products during storage of groats were relatively moderate, indicating no major problems related to storage when naked oat was dried well.;

Soybean: feed quality and safety. Part 2: Pathology of soybean feeding in animals. A review

Various animal models in farm and laboratory animals indicate the possible pathological effect of soybean feeding. Immunity and tolerance to oral soybean intake and a generalised meta-model of effects are discussed. It seems that FAO/WHO recommendations will have to be considered in assessing the biological value of soybean feed sources. Determination of hull content, antigenic potential, conglycinin and trypsin inhibitor content is warranted in view of the future component pricing of soybean meals.