• Authors:
    • McLean, E.
    • Dissette, N.
    • Bilski, J.
    • Soumaila, F.
  • Source: International Journal of AgriScience
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Coal fly ash (FA) has a potential to be used as a soil amendment for growing plants. Toxicity of heavy metals present in FY, FA high salinity, and high pH of coal FA may potentially restrict or even prevent plant growth on the media with high concentration of FA. Sphagnum peat moss (SPM) shows a potential to ameliorate coal FA based plant media by improving the texture of such media, making media less harder, decreasing high pH of the media, and potentially binding heavy metals present in FA. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of growth media containing differing concentration of FA and/or sphagnum peat moss (SPM) on growth of selected plants. The following plant species have been tested: barley ( Hordeum vulgare), oats ( Avena sativa), rye ( Secale cereale), wheat ( Triticum aestivum), Regreen; a hybrid between wheatgrass ( Agropyron cristatum) and winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum), Triticale; a hybrid between wheat ( Triticum aestivum) and rye ( Secale cereale), and perennial ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum). The addition of SPM to FA based plant growth media expressed ameliorative role, allowing the growth of seedlings on such media. In addition, our results indicate that the transfer of heavy metals from coal FA to plants and possibly to a food chain either did not exist or was very low.
  • 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:
    • 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:
    • 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:
    • Jonge, L.
    • Jongbloed, A.
    • Krimpen, M.
    • Esmaeilipour, O.
    • Bikker, P.
  • Source: Animal Feed Science and Technology
  • Volume: 175
  • Issue: 3/4
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of temperature ( T), pH, time of incubation and pepsin on the stability of intrinsic phytase of different cereals. Experiment one was conducted as a 3*4*3*3 factorial arrangement with three feed ingredients (rye, wheat and barley), four T (20, 38, 55 and 80°C), three pH levels (3.0, 5.5 and 8.0) and three incubation times (30, 60 and 120 min), with two replicates per treatment. Stability was calculated as the ratio of the residual phytase activity of a treated sample to the non-treated (reference sample) times 100. Phytase activity of the reference samples of rye, wheat and barley was 3.14, 1.77 and 0.66 FTU/g, respectively. Overall, rye showed the highest and barley the lowest stability (0.58 vs. 0.47, P0.90). Wheat and rye phytases were stable at pH 3.0 and 5.5 (20 and 38°C). In experiment two, the effect of shorter period of time (10 and 30 min) was assessed on the stability of cereal phytases. Barley phytase showed the highest residual phytase activity among cereals at 65°C. In experiment three, stability of intrinsic phytase of these feed ingredients was determined after incubation in different concentrations of pepsin (0, 5 and 10 mg/mL) at pH 2.0. Intrinsic phytases of wheat and rye were resistant to pepsin, but barley phytase was susceptible to pepsin and its stability decreased to 0.57 after pre-incubation for 60 min in 5 mg pepsin/mL. This knowledge regarding the effect of T, incubation time and pH on stability of cereal intrinsic phytases may contribute to optimize available P contents of diets, thereby reducing phosphorus excretion of monogastrics.
  • Authors:
    • Razo-Flores, E.
    • Celis, L.
    • Gomez-Tovar, F.
    • Alatriste-Mondragon, F.
  • Source: Bioresource Technology
  • Volume: 116
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Oat straw was subjected to sequential pretreatment: acid/alkaline/enzymatic, to convert the lignocellulosic material in soluble sugars. The hydrolysates from acid pretreatment (2% HCl, 90°C) and enzymatic pretreatment (cellulase, pH 4.5, 45°C) were used as substrates in two lab-scale UASB reactors for methane production. The acid and enzymatic hydrolysates contained 25.6 and 35.3 g/L of total sugars, respectively, which corresponded to a COD of 23.6 and 30.5 g/L, respectively. The UASB reactor fed with acid hydrolysate achieved a maximum methane yield of 0.34 L CH 4/g COD at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.5 g COD/L-d. In the reactor fed with enzymatic hydrolysate the methane yield was 0.36 LCH 4/g COD at OLR higher than 8.8 g COD/L-d. The anaerobic digestion of both hydrolysates was feasible without the need of a detoxification step. The sequential pretreatment of oat straw allowed to solubilize 96.8% of hemicellulose, 77.2% of cellulose and 42.2% of lignin.
  • Authors:
    • Ochodzki, P.
    • Goral, T.
    • Bulinska-Radomska, Z.
  • Source: Biuletyn Instytutu Hodowli i Aklimatyzacji Roslin
  • Issue: 263
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The aim of the study was to determine Fusarium head blight resistance of spring type genotypes from the genera Triticum, Avena and Hordeum, and to determine the content of Fusarium mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol - DON and its derivatives) in grain. Head and kernel infection of barley was low and amounted 7.3% and 8.3%, respectively. However, barley accumulated 1.23 ppm of DON in grain. As for oat varieties, 26.5% of panicles showed FHB symptoms. Fusarium kernel damage was low and amounted 6.0%. Oat accumulated low amounts of DON in grain (0.44 ppm). Significant variation was found in genotypes of the genus Triticum in head infection (1.0-34.7%), kernel damage (0.7-30.1%) and accumulation of deoxynivalenol in grain (0.26-6.61 ppm). The cultivars of bread wheat were the most susceptible. There was also a significant intraspecific diversity of resistance in wheat, spelt and emmer. Fusarium head blight resistant and medium-resistant genotypes were identified.
  • Authors:
    • Asch, F.
    • Gorim, L.
  • Source: Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science
  • Volume: 198
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Cereal production systems are increasingly threatened by suboptimal water supply or intermittent drought spells early in the planting season. Seed coated with hydrophilic materials or hydro-absorbers that increase the amount of water available for germination and seedling development is a promising approach to improving stand establishment under changing conditions. Barley, rye and wheat grains with combinations of hydro-absorber, humic acid and Biplantol in different shares of the total seed mass were germinated in plates at 25°C on moist filter paper. Germination rates, resource partitioning and mobilization efficiency were assessed and compared with those of uncoated seeds. Results show a strong influence of coat thickness and composition on the germination rate and the efficiency of mobilization of carbohydrates stored in the endosperm. In general, coating significantly reduced germination rate and total germination as compared to uncoated seeds in all cereals tested. Differences in coating thickness had a distinct effect on germination rate for most combinations of coatings and species. Germination rates increased with increasing coat size. This effect was most pronounced for coatings containing hydro-absorbers and least pronounced for coatings containing humic acid or Biplantol. Coating generally increased the amount of carbohydrates partitioned to the roots, and thick coating increased the efficiency of grain reserve mobilization compared with the uncoated seeds. Differences between species and the implications for coating-related changes in germination metabolism are discussed.