Influences on Perceived Feasibility of Animal-Based Measures in a Producer-Driven Welfare Benchmarking System.

A voluntary, producer-driven welfare benchmarking system has been explored as a way of incentivising welfare improvement in pasture-based beef cattle and providing transparency and accountability to the industry. This study aimed to determine the acceptability and feasibility of measures for inclusion in a welfare benchmarking system and how this is influenced by respondents' attitudes and beliefs. A survey was disseminated online to Australian producers in July 2020.

Metabolite profiling of chickpea () in response to necrotrophic fungus .

Introduction: Ascochyta blight (AB) caused by the necrotrophic fungus is one of the most significant diseases that limit the production of chickpea. Understanding the metabolic mechanisms underlying chickpea- interactions will provide important clues to develop novel approaches to manage this disease.

Methods: We performed metabolite profiling of the aerial tissue (leaf and stem) of two chickpea accessions comprising a moderately resistant breeding line (CICA1841) and a highly susceptible cultivar (Kyabra) in response to one of the highly aggressive Australian isolates TR9571 via non-targeted metabolomics analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Selection for Phytophthora Root Rot Resistance in Chickpea Crosses Affects Yield Potential of Chickpea × Backcross Derivatives.

Phytophthora root rot (PRR) of chickpea () caused by is an important disease. Partial resistance to PRR is sourced from . In this study, we evaluated if lines with low levels of PRR foliage symptoms in two contrasting recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations parented by chickpea cultivars (Yorker and Rupali) and 04067-81-2-1-1 (, interspecific breeding line) had a significant drag on yield parameters.

From dawn 'til dusk: daytime progression regulates primary and secondary metabolism in Cannabis glandular trichomes.

Cannabis sativa L. glandular trichomes synthesize large amounts of secondary metabolites, predominantly cannabinoids and terpenoids. The associated demand for carbon and energy makes glandular trichomes strong sink tissues with indications that their secondary metabolism is coupled to the availability of photoassimilates.

GrassGro simulation of pasture, animal performance and greenhouse emissions on low and high sheep productivity grazing systems: 1-year validation and 25-year analysis.

Globally, there is a focus on reducing the absolute methane (CH) and nitrous oxide emissions, and the emissions intensity (EI, kg COe/kg animal product) of livestock production. Increasing the productivity of mixed pasture systems has the potential to increase food (e.g.

Rapid and High Throughput Hydroponics Phenotyping Method for Evaluating Chickpea Resistance to Phytophthora Root Rot.

Phytophthora root rot (PRR) is a major constraint to chickpea production in Australia. Management options for controlling the disease are limited to crop rotation and avoiding high risk paddocks for planting. Current Australian cultivars have partial PRR resistance, and new sources of resistance are needed to breed cultivars with improved resistance.

Impact of Variation in Amylose Content on Durum Wheat cv. Svevo Technological and Starch Properties.

Reserve starch, the main component of durum wheat semolina, is constituted of two glucan homopolymers (amylose and amylopectin) that differ in their chemical structure. Amylose is mainly a linear structure formed of α-1,4-linked glucose units, with a lower polymerization degree, whereas amylopectin is a highly branched structure of α-1,4-chains linked by α-1,6-bonds. Variation of the amylose/amylopectin ratio has a profound effect on the starch properties which may impact the wheat technological and nutritional characteristics and their possible use in the food and non-food sector.

Grazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review.

The livestock industry accounts for a considerable proportion of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, and in response, the Australian red meat industry has committed to an aspirational target of net-zero emissions by 2030. Increasing soil carbon storage in grazing lands has been identified as one method to help achieve this, while also potentially improving production and provision of other ecosystem services. This review examined the effects of grazing management on soil carbon and factors that drive soil carbon sequestration in Australia.

Frequency and diversity of indoxacarb resistance in Australian Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Annual indoxacarb resistance in Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) populations collected from various crops in Australia was monitored between 2013 and 2023. Resistance frequency determined by F2 screening using a predetermined discriminating dose of indoxacarb, was lowest in the 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 seasons at 0.0164 and 0.

Improved quantification of (Fusarium crown rot) using qPCR measurement of infection in multi-species winter cereal experiments.

Fusarium crown rot (FCR) causes significant grain yield loss in winter cereals around the world. Breeding for resistance and/or tolerance to FCR has been slow with relatively limited success. In this study, multi-species experiments were used to demonstrate an improved method to quantify FCR infection levels at plant maturity using quantitative PCR (qPCR), as well as the genotype yield retention using residual regression deviation.

Degradation of starch in pasta induced by extrusion below gelatinization temperature.

The structural deformation of starch during pasta extrusion leads to varied effects on pasta quality. We investigated the impact of shearing force on the starch structure of pasta and pasta quality by varying the screw speed (100, 300, 500 and 600 rpm) with a temperature range of 25 to 50 ℃ in increments of 5 ℃, from the feeding zone to the die zone. The higher screw speeds were associated with more specific mechanical energy input (157, 319, 440, and 531 kJ/kg for pasta produced at 100, 300, 500 and 600 rpm, respectively), resulting in a lower pasting viscosity (1084, 813, 522 and 480 mPa·s for pasta produced at 100, 300, 500 and 600 rpm, respectively) in the pasta due to the loss of starch molecular order and crystallinity.

Durum Wheat Products-Recent Advances.

Durum wheat is widely used in various products, including long and short dried pasta, fresh and sheeted pasta, couscous, bulgur and baked bread [...

Influence of Some Spaghetti Processing Variables on Technological Attributes and the In Vitro Digestion of Starch.

Durum semolina spaghetti is known to have a low-moderate glycaemic index but the impact of various processing variables during the manufacture and cooking of pasta does affect pasta structure and potentially could alter starch digestion. In this study, several process variables were investigated to see if they can impact the in vitro starch digestion in spaghetti while also monitoring the pasta’s technological quality. Cooking time had a large impact on pasta starch digestion and reducing cooking from fully cooked to al dente and using pasta of very high protein content (17%), reduced starch digestion extent.

Cotton strip assay detects soil microbial degradation differences among crop rotation and tillage experiments on Vertisols.

The cotton strip assay (CSA) is a simple and inexpensive method of evaluating management effects on soil microbial decomposition. The average loss of tensile strength of cotton strips buried 3 to 35 days in soils from two long-term tillage and crop-rotation experiments was of the order: cotton-wheat rotation > minimum-tillage cotton monoculture > maximum-tillage cotton monoculture. The study suggests CSA can be an effective indicator to delineate microbial activity, soil organic carbon or crop biomass as influenced by agricultural practices in cotton fields.

Genome-Wide Association Analyses Track Genomic Regions for Resistance to in Australian Chickpea Breeding Germplasm.

Ascochyta blight (AB), caused by a necrotrophic fungus, (syn. ) has the potential to destroy the chickpea industry worldwide, due to limited sources of genetic resistance in the cultivated gene pool, high evolutionary potential of the pathogen and challenges with integrated disease management. Therefore, the deployment of stable genetic resistance in new cultivars could provide an effective disease control strategy.

Perennial pastures reduce nitrous oxide emissions in mixed farming systems in a semi-arid environment.

Perennial pastures play a crucial role in mixed farming systems by supplying feed for livestock, restoring soil fertility, reducing deep drainage, providing an opportunity to manage herbicide-resistant weeds and breaking soil-borne disease cycles. However, to our knowledge there is no data on the role of perennial pastures in mitigating NO emissions from the phased crop rotations in semi-arid environments. Two 4-year field experiments were conducted in a semi-arid environment in southern Australia to (a) evaluate the role of perennial pastures in mitigating NO emissions in mixed farming systems, and (b) compare the cumulative NO emissions from different pasture mixes.

Insecticide resistance in Australian Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) and development of testing procedures for resistance surveillance.

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a highly invasive noctuid pest first reported in northern Australia during early 2020.

Development of Novel Pasta Products with Evidence Based Impacts on Health-A Review.

Pasta made from durum wheat is a widely consumed worldwide and is a healthy and convenient food. In the last two decades, there has been much research effort into improving the nutritional value of pasta by inclusion of nonconventional ingredients due to the demand by health-conscious consumers for functional foods. These ingredients can affect the technological properties of the pasta, but their health impacts are not always measured rather inferred.

Evidence for the Application of Emerging Technologies to Accelerate Crop Improvement - A Collaborative Pipeline to Introgress Herbicide Tolerance Into Chickpea.

Accelerating genetic gain in crop improvement is required to ensure improved yield and yield stability under increasingly challenging climatic conditions. This case study demonstrates the effective confluence of innovative breeding technologies within a collaborative breeding framework to develop and rapidly introgress imidazolinone Group 2 herbicide tolerance into an adapted Australian chickpea genetic background. A well-adapted, high-yielding desi cultivar PBA HatTrick was treated with ethyl methanesulfonate to generate mutations in the () gene.

The genetics of vigour-related traits in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): insights from genomic data.

QTL controlling vigour and related traits were identified in a chickpea RIL population and validated in diverse sets of germplasm. Robust KASP markers were developed for marker-assisted selection. To understand the genetic constitution of vigour in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.

Current population structure and pathogenicity patterns of in Australia.

Ascochyta blight disease, caused by the necrotrophic fungus , is a major biotic constraint to chickpea production in Australia and worldwide. Detailed knowledge of the structure of the pathogen population and its potential to adapt to our farming practices is key to informing optimal management of the disease. This includes understanding the molecular diversity among isolates and the frequency and distribution of the isolates that have adapted to overcome host resistance across agroecologically distinct regions.

Enzyme pre-milling treatments improved milling performance of chickpeas by targeting mechanisms of seed coat and cotyledon adhesion with various effects on dhal quality.

Background: Dehulling and splitting are important elements of the milling process to produce dhal from pulses. However, grain that is difficult-to-mill because of tightly adhered seed coats or cotyledons that resist separation makes it difficult to achieve high quality dhal. Milling yields are reduced, energy inputs into the milling process are increased, and the resulting dhal can be of poorer quality, chipped or abraded.

Influence of Durum Wheat Bran Particle Size on Phytochemical Content and on Leavened Bread Baking Quality.

Wheat bran is a conventional by-product of the wheat milling industry mainly used for animal feed. It is a rich and inexpensive source of phytonutrients, so is in demand for fibre-rich food products but creates quality issues when incorporated into bread. The purpose of this study was to characterize the physicochemical properties and phytochemical composition of different size durum bran fractions and show how they impact bread quality.

Use of Contemporary Groups in the Construction of Multi-Environment Trial Datasets for Selection in Plant Breeding Programs.

Plant breeding programs use multi-environment trial (MET) data to select superior lines, with the ultimate aim of increasing genetic gain. Selection accuracy can be improved with the use of advanced statistical analysis methods that employ informative models for genotype by environment interaction, include information on genetic relatedness and appropriately accommodate within-trial error variation. The gains will only be achieved, however, if the methods are applied to suitable MET datasets.

Genetic variation for fusarium crown rot tolerance in durum wheat.

Tolerance to the cereal disease Fusarium crown rot (FCR) was investigated in a set of 34 durum wheat genotypes, with Suntop, (bread wheat) and EGA Bellaroi (durum) as tolerant and intolerant controls, in a series of replicated field trials over four years with inoculated (FCR-i) and non-inoculated (FCR-n) plots of the genotypes. The genotypes included conventional durum lines and lines derived from crossing durum with 2-49, a bread wheat genotype with the highest level of partial resistance to FCR. A split plot trial design was chosen to optimize the efficiency for the prediction of FCR tolerance for each genotype.