Crop-Specific Responses to Cold Stress and Priming: Insights from Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Spectral Reflectance Analysis in Maize and Soybean.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of cold stress and priming on photosynthesis in the early development of maize and soybean, crops with diverse photosynthetic pathways. The main objectives were to determine the effect of cold stress on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and spectral reflectance indices, to determine the effect of cold stress priming and possible stress memory and to determine the relationship between different parameters used in determining the stress response. Fourteen maize inbred lines and twelve soybean cultivars were subjected to control, cold stress, and priming followed by cold stress in a walk-in growth chamber.

Contrasting Water Withholding Responses of Young Maize Plants Reveal Link Between Lipid Peroxidation and Osmotic Regulation Corroborated by Genetic Analysis.

Linking biochemistry and genetics of tolerance to osmotic stress is of interest for understanding plant adaptations to unfavorable conditions. The aims of this study were to investigate the variability in responses of panel of elite maize inbred lines to water withholding for stress-related traits through association study and to identify pathways linked to detected associations for better understanding of maize stress responses. Densely genotyped public and expired Plant Variety Protection Certificate (ex-PVP) inbred lines were planted in controlled conditions (16-h/8-h day/night, 25°C, 50% RH) in control (CO) and exposed to 10-day water withholding (WW).

Mycotoxins Biocontrol Methods for Healthier Crops and Stored Products.

Contamination of crops with phytopathogenic genera such as , , , and usually results in mycotoxins in the stored crops or the final products (bread, beer, etc.). To reduce the damage and suppress the fungal growth, it is common to add antifungal substances during growth in the field or storage.

Comparative Study of Drought Stress Effects on Traditional and Modern Apple Cultivars.

Genotype-dependent responses of apples to drought stress were evaluated between commercial and traditional apple cultivars. The results indicate different mechanisms of tolerance to investigated drought stress conditions. Chlorophyll fluorescence induction (OJIP) parameters, chlorophyll and carotenoid content, malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (HO), proline, phenols and leaf water content (WC) were measured.

Phenolic Acid Profiles and Antioxidant Activity of Major Cereal Crops.

Phenolic acids (PAs) are a dominant group of phenolic compounds in cereals, existing mostly bound to compounds of cell wall. In this study, a total of 25 cereal grain samples, including wheat, winter and spring barley, corn, and popcorn, were evaluated for bound PAs and antioxidant activity in a two-year field trial. The PA contents, determined by HPLC, were significantly affected by cereal type.

Seed Weight as a Covariate in Association and Prediction Studies for Biomass Traits in Maize Seedlings.

Background: The seedling stage has received little attention in maize breeding to identify genotypes tolerant to water deficit. The aim of this study is to evaluate incorporation of seed weight (expressed as hundred kernel weight, HKW) as a covariate into genomic association and prediction studies for three biomass traits in a panel of elite inbred lines challenged by water withholding at seedling stage.

Methods: 109 genotyped-by-sequencing (GBS) elite maize inbreds were phenotyped for HKW and planted in controlled conditions (16/8 day/night, 25 °C, 50% RH, 200 µMol/m/s) in trays filled with soil.

Changes in Antioxidant System during Grain Development of Wheat ( L.) and Relationship with Protein Composition under FHB Stress.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is found in both temperate and semi-tropical regions and causes losses in wheat ( L.) resulting in reduced yield, deteriorated grain quality, and contamination of the grains with mycotoxins, primarily deoxynivalenol (DON). In this study, we focused on the identification of protein components in -inoculated and non-inoculated wheat samples along with the major antioxidant enzymes that can encounter during FHB infection process in six winter wheat varieties when FHB symptoms started to occur.

Distribution of β-Glucan, Phenolic Acids, and Proteins as Functional Phytonutrients of Hull-Less Barley Grain.

Two hull-less barley varieties were roller-milled, and breaks (B) and reduction flours (C), shorts, and bran were collected. Shorts, which mainly originate from endosperm cells with a smaller amount of the outer layers, had the largest yield (48.87-51.

Changes in Protein Composition in the Grain and Malt after Fusarium Infection Dependently of Wheat Resistance.

The grain yield, as well as the quality and safety of the wheat grains and corresponding malt can be compromised by spp. infection. The protein content of the grain affects the chemical composition and enzyme levels of the finished malt.

Genetic Correlations Between Photosynthetic and Yield Performance in Maize Are Different Under Two Heat Scenarios During Flowering.

Chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) parameters are reliable early stress indicators in crops, but their relations with yield are still not clear. The aims of this study are to examine genetic correlations between photosynthetic performance of JIP-test during flowering and grain yield (GY) in maize grown under two heat scenarios in the field environments applying quantitative genetic analysis, and to compare efficiencies of indirect selection for GY through ChlF parameters and genomic selection for GY. The testcrosses of 221 intermated recombinant inbred lines (IRILs) of the IBM population were evaluated in six environments at two geographically distinctive locations in 3 years.

The Pressure of Fusarium Disease and Its Relation with Mycotoxins in The Wheat Grain and Malt.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most destructive wheat fungal diseases, causing yield loss, quality reduction, and accumulation of mycotoxins. The aim of this research was to summarize the occurrence of major mycotoxins: deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-AcDON), nivalenol (NIV), and zearalenone (ZEN) in two consecutive years to search the relationship between disease incidence and severity with mycotoxins found in control and inoculated grains and corresponding malt. In addition, deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (D3G) in one-year research was measured.

Performance Indices in Wheat Chlorophyll a Fluorescence and Protein Quality Influenced by FHB.

Very little is known about the physiological interactions between wheat quality and Fusarium head blight (FHB), which substantially reduces wheat grain yield and quality worldwide. In order to investigate stress-induced changes in flag leaves from plants artificially inoculated with , we screened for chlorophyll fluorescence transient at 1, 2, 4, 7 and 14 days after inoculation. Our results indicate that the maximum quantum yield of photochemistry (F/F) and the performance index (PI) were not affected by FHB, but there were significant differences in those two traits between different varieties and measurement times.

Quantitative trait loci mapping of metal concentrations in leaves of the maize IBM population.

Characterizing concentrations of several beneficiary and toxic metals in maize leaves is of importance for ionomic studies and for silage production. The intermated B73 × Mo17 maize population (IBM) was evaluated for concentrations of eight metals (cadmium - Cd, copper - Cu, iron - Fe, potassium - K, magnesium - Mg, manganese - Mn, strontium - Sr and zinc - Zn) in ear-leaf to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) with 2161 molecular markers across the genome. QTL analysis revealed nine significant QTLs for concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, K, Mg and Sr combined over two environments.

Quantitative trait loci for biofortification traits in maize grain.

Detecting genes that influence biofortification traits in cereal grain could help increase the concentrations of bioavailable mineral elements in crops to solve the global mineral malnutrition problem. The aims of this study were to detect the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and magnesium (Mg) concentrations in maize grain in a mapping population, as well as QTLs for bioavailable Fe, Zn, and Mg, by precalculating their respective ratios with P. Elemental analysis of grain samples was done by coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry in 294 F(4) lines of a biparental population taken from field trials of over 3 years.