• Authors:
    • Ostgarden, J.
    • McLean, E.
    • McLean, K.
    • Bilski, J.
    • Lander, M.
  • Source: Electronic Journal of Environmental, Agricultural and Food Chemistry
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue: 5
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: This study focuses on the environmentally friendly utilization of coal combustion residue, fly ash (FA) containing significant amounts of heavy metals. Knowledge about the potential use of FA as a component of growth media for plants is fragmentary. Preliminary experiments tested the possibility to grow cereal crops on media composed exclusively of FA. The analysis of seven different FA from lignite and semi-bituminous coal from North Dakota and Montana sources using inductively coupled plasma emission spectrophotometry showed high concentrations of heavy metals in coal (up to, in mg/kg): As:65, Cd:3.9, Co:38, Cr:77, Li:109, Mn:1547, Pb:106, Ni:41, V:306. Seedlings of rye, wheat, oats, barley, triticale, and regreen (hybrid between wheat and ryegrass) were planted in Petri dishes (10 cm in diameter) in growth media containing FA from lignite coal, FA from semi-bituminous coal, bottom ash, and Fargo clay soil as the control. Each treatment was performed in 3 replications, and each experiment was repeated 3 times. Germination rates, plant growth analysis, and dry matter yield were determined 2-3 weeks after planting. Germination rates and dry matter yield of oats, winter wheat and regreen were greater (10-20% above controls) in media composed of coal ash, but rye, barley, and wheat seedlings were affected by FA in media. These results show the potential for the utilization of FA as a growth media for cereal crops. Therefore, these plants might be used as green cover preventing wind erosion over the coal ash piles. However, this issue requires additional in depth investigation, including a thorough chemical analysis of plant material.
  • Authors:
    • Drotleff, A.
    • Buchholz, M.
    • Ternes, W.
  • Source: Journal of Cereal Science
  • Volume: 56
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Non-phosphorylated thiamin (T), thiamin monophosphate (TMP), and thiamin diphosphate (TDP) were extracted from whole grains of wheat ( Triticum aestivum, cv. Dekan), triticale (Triticosecale, cv. SW Talentro), rye ( Secale cereale, cv. Agronom), oats ( Avena sativa, cv. Dominik), and barley ( Hordeum vulgare, cv. Merlot) at different growth stages (from inflorescence emergence to full ripeness of the grains) and determined with high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection. No thiamin triphosphate or adenosine thiamin triphosphate was found in these cereals. Total thiamin levels (the sum of T and its phosphate esters) determined on a dry matter (DM) basis were found to be quite similar in all grain samples throughout the analysis period, ranging from 5.59 (wheat) to 13.00 nmol/g DM (oats). In spikelets 3-5 days after flowering, the total thiamin content in all cereals was 40-75% T, 5-13% TMP, and 18-46% TDP. Generally, T increased and TDP decreased continuously with grain development, with maximum T (88-99%), and minimum TDP (2-10%) at ripeness. No TMP was detected in mature grains. The results indicate that variation in T, TMP, and TDP levels is probably due above all to the conversion of phosphorylated thiamin phosphate esters into less highly or non-phosphorylated forms.
  • Authors:
    • Canbolat, O.
  • Source: KAFKAS UNIVERSITESI VETERINER FAKULTESI DERGISI
  • Volume: 18
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The aim of this study was to compare the chemical composition, in vitro gas production, metabolizable energy (ME) organic matter digestibility (OMD), relative feed values (RFV) of the cereal forages from maize, sorghum, wheat, barley, oats, rye and triticale. Gas production were determined at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h and their kinetics were described using the equation y=a+b(1-e -ct). There were significant differences among cereal hay in terms of chemical composition (P
  • Authors:
    • Stehno, Z.
    • Honsova, H.
    • Konvalina, P.
    • Capouchova, I.
    • Chaloupsky, R.
  • Source: Journal of Food Agriculture & Environment
  • Volume: 10
  • Issue: 2 part 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Lately, the organic cereals field has been progressively developing. A limitation of conventional untreated seed application plays an important role there. On the other hand, there has been a longtime deficiency of certified organic seeds. Therefore, oat was experimentally used as a model crop in order to demonstrate results of the assessment of particular biological traits of various seed categories (certified organic, conventional untreated, farm). The seeds' biological traits (energy of germination, germination, energy of emergence, emergence, thousand grain weight - TGW) were assessed before seeding and the impact of the seed quality on the grown seeds was also studied. Small-plot trials including four varieties of naked and hulled (common) oat were set up in three localities in the Czech Republic between 2010 and 2011. As for the quality of the seeds serving for the establishment of the small-plot trials, the conventional untreated seeds proved the highest quality for the energy of germination (86.3%), the germination (88.3%), the energy of emergence (72.8%), the emergence (79.1%) and the TGW (31.9 g). On the other hand, as for the organic seeds, these originating from the certified organic crop stands proved the highest quality for the energy of germination (90.4%), the germination (92.6%), the energy of emergence (79.4%), the emergence (85.8%) and the TGW (30.8 g), just as these originating from the farm crop stand the energy of germination (90.2%), the germination (88.3%), the energy of emergence (79.2%), the emergence (85.4%) and the TGW (30.4 g). The energy of germination, the germination and the energy of laboratory emergence were ( p
  • Authors:
    • Moritz, T.
    • Jonsson, A.
    • Jonsson, R.
    • Brautigam, M.
    • Linden, P.
    • Chawade, A.
    • Olsson, O.
  • Source: Plos One
  • Volume: 7
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Our long-term goal is to develop a Swedish winter oat ( Avena sativa). To identify molecular differences that correlate with winter hardiness, a winter oat model comprising of both non-hardy spring lines and winter hardy lines is needed. To achieve this, we selected 294 oat breeding lines, originating from various Russian, German, and American winter oat breeding programs and tested them in the field in south- and western Sweden. By assaying for winter survival and agricultural properties during four consecutive seasons, we identified 14 breeding lines of different origins that not only survived the winter but also were agronomically better than the rest. Laboratory tests including electrolytic leakage, controlled crown freezing assay, expression analysis of the AsVrn1 gene and monitoring of flowering time suggested that the American lines had the highest freezing tolerance, although the German lines performed better in the field. Finally, six lines constituting the two most freezing tolerant lines, two intermediate lines and two spring cultivars were chosen to build a winter oat model system. Metabolic profiling of non-acclimated and cold acclimated leaf tissue samples isolated from the six selected lines revealed differential expression patterns of 245 metabolites including several sugars, amino acids, organic acids and 181 hitherto unknown metabolites. The expression patterns of 107 metabolites showed significant interactions with either a cultivar or a time-point. Further identification, characterisation and validation of these metabolites will lead to an increased understanding of the cold acclimation process in oats. Furthermore, by using the winter oat model system, differential sequencing of crown mRNA populations would lead to identification of various biomarkers to facilitate winter oat breeding.
  • Authors:
    • Wesoowski, M.
    • Makarska, E.
    • Cioek, A.
    • Cierpiaa, R.
  • Source: Journal of Elementology
  • Volume: 17
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The success of organic farming results from the need to produce top-quality food and, additionally, to protect the natural environment by applying eco-friendly agricultural practices and abandoning synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of organic and conventional production systems on the content of minerals and fatty acids in grain of oat, wheat and hulled and naked barley. Wheat grain from organic farming was characterized by a higher content of Mn and by significantly higher content of Fe, Zn, Ca and Mg when compared to grain originating from conventional farming. The increased availability of potassium in soil, caused by the applied potassium salt fertilization, was reflected in a higher content of this macronutrient in grain of all cereals from conventional cultivation. The tillage system was found not to exert the same effect on the content of Ca and Mg in all the cereals examined. Lower content of iron and zinc was determined in organic grains of barley and oat. Grain from the conventional cropping system (except naked barley) proved to be richer in lipids. Crude oil of organic cereals was richer in the most valuable polyunsaturated fatty acids than that of the conventionally-grown crops The study demonstrated a stronger dependency between the level of the elements examined and cereal species than between the level of elements and cultivation system.
  • Authors:
    • Nita, S.
    • Borcean, A.
    • David, G.
  • Source: Research Journal of Agricultural Science
  • Volume: 44
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Autumn oat is a plant more and more cultivated in many regions of the world. The lands where more than 50% of the cultivation area is cultivated with autumn oat are England, Scotland, France, and in other lands, such as Germany, Sweden, or USA, the surface cultivated with autumn oat is of more than 30% of the total cultivated area. South America and Australia also report surfaces cultivated with autumn oat. The expansion of autumn varieties is justified, as they give us the following advantages: are more productive as the spring varieties, are precocious, tolerate the drought, are more resistant to diseases and pests and have god quality characteristics. The disadvantage of the autumn oat varieties is their lower resistance to low winter temperatures as compared to autumn wheat, rye, triticale and barley. The first research on autumn oat done in Romania started in 1949-1950 at the research station in Cenad, but only in 1987 the autumn oat variety called Florina, created at SCA Lovrin, could be homologated and cultivated in the regions with gentle winters. In the Official Catalogue of Varieties is registered today the Lovrin 27 autumn oat variety. The yields obtained for Lovrin 27 during the experimental period were 12% higher than the ones obtained for the variety Florina. This paper presents the crop results and the data regarding the evolution of the weight characteristics (weight of 1000 grains and the hectolitre mass) and of the quality (the content of protein and fat and the observations regarding to the pests and diseases attacks on the autumn oat varieties (Lovrin 27, Lowi and Mirabel) as well as two spring oat varieties (Jeremy and G.K. Pilago). The obtained autumn oat yields are of between 5226 kg/ha (Lovrin 27) and 5651 kg/ha (Mirabell) as compared to the reference spring variety yield, Jeremy, which was of 3960. In the researched area the content of protein varied between 13,0% (Mirabell) and 14,1% Lowi) and the content of fat varied between 2,7% (G.K. Pilago) and 3,3% Lowi.
  • Authors:
    • Lithourgidis, A.
    • Vlachostergios, D.
    • Dordas, C.
  • Source: Crop & Pasture Science
  • Volume: 63
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Pea ( Pisum arvense L.) is an important legume in many areas of the world, which is used for forage and grain production and could be used in intercropping systems. Intercropping of pea with oat ( Avena sativa L.) and barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.), in two seeding ratios 60:40 and 80:20, was compared with pea and two cereal monocrops for two growing seasons (2008-10), at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. The effect of the intercropping systems was determined on growth rate, plant height, chlorophyll content, DM, and N yield. Also, several competition and economic indices were used to evaluate the intercropping systems, such as land equivalent ratio (LER), relative crowding coefficient (K), aggressivity (A), competitive ratio (CR), actual yield loss (AYL), system productivity index (SPI), monetary advantage index (MAI), and intercropping advantage (IA). Growth rate of pea and cereals was lower by an average of 39 and 64%, respectively, in the intercrops than in the monocrops. DM yield was the highest in barley monocrop (13.00 Mg ha -1) followed by P 80O 20 intercrop (11.73 Mg ha -1). Pea monocrop, and P 80O 20 and P 80B 20 intercrops showed the highest crude protein (CP) concentration (137, 132 and 130 g kg -1 DM, respectively), whereas P 80O 20 intercrop also produced the highest CP yield (1552 kg ha -1). The LER, K, and AYL values (average 1.09, 1.75 and 0.29, respectively), were greater for both pea-oat intercrops compared with the pea-barley intercrops (average 0.98, 0.92 and 0.06, respectively), indicating that in these systems there was an advantage of intercropping for exploiting the resources of the environment. The A, CR, and partial AYL values in all intercrops were greater for oat and barley than pea, which indicated that cereals were more competitive partners than pea. The highest MAI, IA, and SPI values were recorded for P 80O 20 followed by P 60O 40 intercrops indicating that these intercropping systems were the most profitable. The results from this study showed that both pea-oat intercrops were more productive with high CP yield, and also they showed the best land-use efficiency.
  • Authors:
    • Lillo, C.
    • Eggen, T.
  • Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
  • Volume: 60
  • Issue: 28
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Residues of pharmaceuticals present in wastewater and sewage sludge are of concern due to their transfer to aquatic and terrestrial food chains and possible adverse effects on nontargeted organisms. In the present work, uptake and translocation of metformin, an antidiabetic II medicine, by edible plant species cultivated in agricultural soil have been investigated in greenhouse experiment. Metformin demonstrated a high uptake and translocation to oily seeds of rape ( Brassica napus cv. Sheik and Brassica rapa cv. Valo); expressed as an average bioconcentration factor (BCF, plant concentration over initial concentration in soil, both in dry weight), BCF values as high as 21.72 were measured. In comparison, BCFs for grains of the cereals wheat, barley, and oat were in the range of 0.29-1.35. Uptake and translocation to fruits and vegetables of tomato (BCFs 0.02-0.06), squash (BCFs 0.12-0.18), and bean (BCF 0.88) were also low compared to rape. BCFs for carrot, potato, and leaf forage B. napus cv. Sola were similar (BCF 1-4). Guanylurea, a known degradation product of metformin by microorganisms in activated sludge, was found in barley grains, bean pods, potato peel, and small potatoes. The mechanisms for transport of metformin and guanidine in plants are still unknown, whereas organic cation transporters (OCTs) in mammals are known to actively transport such compounds and may guide the way for further understanding of mechanisms also in plants.
  • Authors:
    • Mu, C.
    • Li, X.
    • Xu, Q.
    • Liu, Z.
    • Zhang, J.
    • Gao, Z.
  • Source: Australian Journal of Crop Science
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue: 6
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: This study examines the comparative effects of NaHCO 3 and Na 2CO 3 on young oat ( Avena sativa L.) plants to elucidate the species' physiological adaptive mechanisms to alkali stress. Factors considered are the intracellular influx and efflux of ions, ionic balance, osmotic adjustment, pH homeostasis, photosynthetic pigments and growth. Results show that, Na 2CO 3 had stronger effects than NaHCO 3, and that with increasing concentrations of both stresses the plant showed rising Na + influxes into the shoot resulting in Na + ion toxicity. This is tolerated by Na + sequestration in the vacuole; the accumulation mainly of Cl -, SO 42- and the synthesis of high concentrations of organic anions to maintain vacuolar ionic balance and, lastly by the synthesis of proline in the cytoplasm to avoid dehydration. Moreover, Na 2CO 3 stress inhibits growth more strongly, compared to NaHCO 3,because of the higher energy costs associated with Na + exclusion and compartmentalisation, the syntheses of organic anions, the syntheses of proline in the cytoplasm, reduced photosynthetic capacity and increased membrane permeability. Compared to the shoot, although the root had a similar response to both stresses, it showed a higher tolerance because high Na 2CO 3 stresses (>48 mmol L -1) resulted in significant increases in root tissue pH, but did not affect the pH homeostasis of the shoot. Additionally, while both stresses decreased root dry weight, they did not significantly affect root extension growth. This indicates that oat adopts an opportunistic guerrilla strategy by which it avoids resource-poor patches of soil (e.g. high alkali) while preferentially exploiting more favorable habitats by maintaining root extension.