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Although accurate forecasting of the production of major cereal crops is important to make policy decisions related to their supply, demand and import/export, very little work has been done in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to develop the best performing trend models for area, production, and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), teff [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter], and maize (Zea mays L.) in Ethiopia, and to provide forecasts for 2019 to 2023. For each crop, the best-performing model was selected among linear, quadratic, exponential growth, and S-curve trend models using five performance measures (mean absolute percent error [MAPE], mean absolute deviation [MAD], mean squared deviation [MSD], coefficient of efficiency [E], and index of agreement [d]). Quadratic trend model was the best for area of wheat and teff, production of wheat, teff, and maize, and wheat and maize yields. S-curve and Linear trend models were the best for area of maize and yield of teff, respectively. Forecasts for 2019 to 2023 using the best-performing model revealed that cultivated area for these three cereals will decrease by 3,581 ha in Ethiopia, but their combined total production will increase by 4,896,630 tons, and productivity of wheat, teff, and maize will increase by 20.3%, 13.2%, and 13.8%, respectively, which is slightly higher than the projected population growth (10.9%) during this time. Although these results indicate that Ethiopia is on track to meet the second SDG, government policymakers and other stakeholders can use these findings to ensure sustainable food and nutrition security in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High temperature inhibits the growth and development of maize (Zea mays L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings. The current study attempts to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of exogenous trehalose for the improvement of maize and wheat responses to heat stress. Results show that, in maize seedlings, exogenously-supplied trehalose was able to effectively elevate the capacity of photosynthetic carbon assimilation and improve the carbohydrate content via up-regulating the transcript levels of key enzymes including phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), NADP-malate dehydrogenase (NADP-MDH), NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME), pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDK) and Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase small subunit. Besides, it was also able to improve C4 pathway enzyme activities, including PEPC, NADP-MDH, NADP-ME and Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RUBPCase). In wheat seedlings, exogenously-supplied trehalose promoted photosynthetic carbon assimilation by elevating the activity of RUBPCase. These results show that exogenous trehalose improved photosynthetic carbon assimilation capacities in maize and wheat seedlings under heat stress through different mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ionome is defined as the mineral element composition of an organism or tissue and is genetically and environmentally influenced. Although nutrient deficiency changes the plant ionome, the differences among different species have not been elucidated fully. In the present study, we examined the ionomic responses to nutrient deficiency in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) to understand the differences in response to nutrient deficiency among different plant species. The plants were cultivated in fields with four fertilizer treatments: complete fertilization, without nitrogen, without phosphorus, and without potassium. Each plant species was sampled just before the flowering stage, and mineral concentrations of each organ were analyzed. The species-specific and nonspecific changes in accumulation by the treatment were observed in different elements. Under phosphorus deficiency, sunflower showed a different variation in the ionome profile than the other species, particularly in the increased accumulation of many metal elements. Increased accumulation of many elements was observed in all plant species under potassium deficiency. Under nitrogen deficiency, leaf molybdenum accumulation was increased in non-leguminous plants. An unknown role of molybdenum in the metabolic responses to the nitrogen deficiency was predicted. To carry out further research based on the results of such ionomics studies may reveal the unknown function of essential elements in metabolic responses in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research into the effects of ultrafine bubbles (UFB) on plant growth have been contradictory. To facilitate the resolution of these contradictions, the aim of the present study was to clarify the interspecific differences in growth responses among cereal/leguminous species under different levels of UFB concentrations. Seedlings of six species were grown hydroponically with three different UFB concentrations and two levels of plant nutrition to evaluate biomass and elongation growth. UFB growth promotion under zero-nutrition occurred in all species. Interspecific differences were noted in response to differing UFB concentration levels. Rice and soybean had higher above-ground biomass production at both low and high concentrations. Conversely, other crops exhibited promoted growth at only one of the concentrations. Negative effects occurred in full nutrient conditions except for root elongation. This study demonstrated that growth-promoting effects with UFB depended on the crop species being tested and the concentration of UFB used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) is the most deficient nutrient in agricultural soils after nitrogen. Additionally, exogenously applied P quickly transforms into less soluble compounds through various chemo-sorption reactions resulting in poor fertilizer use efficiency (15–25%). Therefore, this pot experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of foliar P (0, 45, 90 and 135 mM KH2PO4) in conjunction with soil applied P (0, 10 and 20 mg P kg−1) for enhanced growth and P use efficiency of maize and wheat in calcareous soils. There was a linear increase in plant height and biomass both with the increasing application of soil and foliar P in both wheat and maize crop. However, the effect of foliar P was more pronounced in P deficient condition compared to 10 or 20 mg P kg−1. Soil applied P at 10 and 20 mg P kg−1 increased plant dry biomass by 10.8 and 16.8% in maize and by 29.9 and 35.5% in wheat over control, respectively. Foliar P application didn't improve soil phosphorus. The interaction between soil and foliar P was significant (p ≤.05) showing that increase of either foliar or soil P application, tissue P content of both maize and wheat increased. In both season the higher foliar P solution resulted in higher P uptake though the increase in wheat were lower than maize. Therefore, the low recovery of soil P associated with poor soil characteristics could be corrected through its foliar application if administered at proper growth stage with suitable concentration strength and appropriate source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytic bacteria are those that colonise the internal tissues of plant without negative impact on plant health. This work aims to isolate the endophytic bacteria colonising Triticum vulgare and Phragmites australis and evaluate their compatibility as biostimulants to maize. Three of the six obtained isolates were selected upon their surpassing ability to stimulate the growth of maize seedlings (maximum of 18% increase in germination and 2.4-fold increase in the number of lateral roots). These isolates were molecularly identified as Klebsiella MK2R2, Bacillus B2L2 and Enterobacter E1S2. The response of maize seedlings to the combined effect of these isolates revealed that Bacillus B2L2, containing treatments, surpassed the other treatments in growth vigour parameters and upon this result these treatments were applied in a field experiment either alone or in combination with 100% N fertilisation. Maize plants, inoculated with Klebsiella MK2R2 and Bacillus B2L2 either alone or in combination with Enterobacter E1S2 in the presence of urea, surpassed significantly other treatments as the weight of ear increased almost two times and the number of grains increased 1.8 times compared to the control values. It could be concluded that the obtained strains are compatible biostimulants to maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term agricultural research with annual and perennial cropping systems provides significant insight into the carbon sequestration potential of agriculture in the East Mediterranean region of Anatolia. This study explored the effect of different application rates of phosphorus (P) fertilizer on the storage and quality of soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil CO2 flux to assess the relationship between SOC and P application. The study was based on the hypothesis that long-term P fertilization can affect carbon sequestration in soil and impact soil CO2 flux. The objectives of the present study were to: (i) analyze the effect of long-term inorganic chemical P fertilization on SOC content and (ii) estimate the effect of long-term P fertilization on CO2 flux. Under crop rotation, corn (Zea mays L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (CW system) were exposed to four fertilizer doses (0, 50, 100, and 200 kg ha−1), which were repeated annually over 20 years. During plant growth, bare soil and treated soil CO2 fluxes were determined several times. The results demonstrated that P fertilizer did not have a direct impact on the SOC of the summer-maize growing season and had a positive impact on SOC during the winter-wheat growing season. P fertilization levels have positive impact on atmospheric CO2 capture and increased SOC content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of cereal types (maize or wheat) and feed forms (pelleted or mash feed) on production performance, egg quality and egg sanitary indices in laying hens. 2. Three hundred and sixty hens (Jinghong No. 1) at 18 weeks of age were randomly assigned to four treatments with six replicates of 15 hens per replicate according to a 2 × 2 factorial design with two cereal types (maize or wheat) and two feed forms (pelleted or mash feed). 3. Compared with the wheat-based diet, the maize-based diet improved (P < 0.05) average egg weight of laying hens. Yolk colour of hens fed with the maize-based diet was higher (P < 0.05) in comparison to those fed the wheat-based diet, while Haugh units were lower (P < 0.05) for the maize-based treatment. Egg mass and average daily feed intake of hens fed the pelleted diet were higher (P < 0.05) than of those fed the mash diet. However, the mash diet improved (P < 0.05) yolk colour compared with the pelleted diet. The percentage of dirty eggs for the wheat-based diet was higher (P < 0.05) than for the maize-based diet. The percentage of dirty eggs was higher (P < 0.05) in birds fed the pelleted diet compared with those fed the mash diet. There were interactions (P < 0.05) between cereal type and feed form, with regard to average egg weight and shell thickness. 4. In conclusion, dietary cereal type affected average egg weight, yolk colour and Haugh units in eggs, while feed form influenced egg mass, average daily feed intake and yolk colour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congregated information on maize and wheat root morphology and their distribution as influenced by tillage and soil physical conditions is meager. Root growth under no-tillage (NT) or conventional tillage (CT) is variable: Under NT, higher bulk density slows root elongation and provides shorter roots but simulate root branching; results may be opposite depending on soil texture. Under CT, soil compaction may have negative effects on root growth, with roots exhibiting plasticity. In humid climates, low soil temperatures can reduce root length density (RLD) and increase the diameter of spring cereals under NT. Tillage intensity induces a different distribution of nutrients, a trend which increases with time resulting in higher RLD in the topmost layer of NT. Compared to maize it is difficult to present an overview of the effect on tillage on the RLD of wheat due to inconclusive results. Adequate placements of banded starter fertilizer will effectively build up an early root system of maize, especially at suboptimal growth temperatures. Many studies reported a higher or similar grain yield of maize or wheat under NT compared to CT in temperate climates. However, the limited information or the conflicting results will promote the topic for inclusion in future breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The requirements of cereal research, as well as grading and evaluation of food products, have encouraged the development of nondestructive, rapid, and accurate analytical techniques to evaluate grain quality and safety. NIR hyperspectral imaging integrates spectroscopy and imaging techniques in one analytical system, allowing direct identification of chemical components and their distribution within the sample. It is a promising technique that may be implemented on-line, enabling the cereal industry to move away from subjective, manual classification and measuring methods. NIR hyperspectral imaging has gained popularity for rapidly acquiring information to enable the quantification, identification or differentiation of a variety of cereal properties. The technique can potentially replace multiple conventional chemical, microbial or physical tests with a single, automated image acquisition. Individual kernels can be analyzed nondestructively, enabling one to follow changes in the same kernel over time (e.g. fungal development). Although NIR hyperspectral imaging has not been extensively implemented in industry, it shows great potential for the development of an evaluation system to assess cereal grains, especially regarding variety discrimination and grading/classification properties. This review outlines the theory and principles of NIR hyperspectral imaging, and focuses specifically on its application in cereal science research and industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The objective of this study was to determine the coefficient of pre-caecal digestion of P in maize (3.9 g/kg of total P, 0.83 g/kg of phytate P, 138 FTU [phytase units]/kg) and wheat (3.17 g/kg of total P, 1.94 g/kg of phytate P, 666 FTU/kg) in broilers according to the WPSA protocol. 2. For the diets, monosodium phosphate was used as an additional P supplement. Two sets of diets containing 200, 460 and 740 g/kg of wheat or 200, 500 and 740 g/kg of maize were formulated. A total of 288 21-d-old male broilers (Ross 308) were assigned to 24 cages (8 birds per cage) and the 6 test diets were assigned to cages. The coefficient of pre-caecal digestion of P was determined by the indicator method and linear regression. 3. In both ingredients, pre-caecal digestible P increased linearly with increasing inclusion levels of maize or wheat (P < 0.05). The coefficients of digestion of pre-caecal P were estimated to be 0.18 for wheat and 0.33 for maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was undertaken to assess the effect of environmental, management, and stress factors on nitrogen uptake patterns through the crops’ growth cycle and to associate temporal patterns of N uptake with biomass and grain yields. Existing complete experimental data, provided by several institutional databases and through an extensive literature review, were utilized together with crop simulation models (CSMs) to synthesize yield and N uptake profiles of the key staple cereal crops in selected agro-ecologies. Approximately 465 observations were identified for combined maize grain yield and plant N uptake: 156 for rice and 254 for wheat. The Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT), which comprises CSMs and data that integrate capabilities on soils, daily weather, crops, and management, was used in combination with field information to first validate the CERES-maize, -rice, and -wheat models. The most noteworthy results from synthesis of the data set for the three key cereals were as follows: (a) N uptake continued to increase with time until physiological maturity with adequate N supply; (b) significant effect of soil N status on N uptake kinetics was observed at zero N; (c) N uptake profile was also influenced by the planting date, with the summer planting showing higher uptake than other planting dates; (d) field methods of N application influenced N uptake kinetics: a one-time injected or subsurface-applied urea continued to provide an adequate amount of N throughout the crop growth phase that was comparable or even higher than with broadcasting multiple splits; (e) N uptake was also dependent on crop cultivars, including stages of vegetative and reproductive phases, with shorter vegetative and longer reproductive phases showing continuous N uptake and lesser dependence on N remobilization; and (f) predictions suggested that modest changes in ambient temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations would not significantly alter the N uptake kinetics, with the uptake rate expected to increase under future climate change scenarios. The combined data suggest that no one N uptake kinetic pattern fits all crops under all environments and management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Field experiments were conducted at Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, to check the effect of polymer-coated diammonium phosphate (DAP) on maize–wheat cropping system. Different rates of polymer-coated and uncoated phosphorus (P) were applied first to maize then followed by wheat after harvesting of maize on same field. Results showed that application of 100% of recommended P from polymer-coated DAP increased plant height (10%), chlorophyll content (4%), biological yield (17%), grain yield (36%), agronomic efficiency (43%), and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents of maize produces, while in case of wheat 75% recommended P from polymer-coated DAP increased plant height (6%), chlorophyll content (18%), biological yield (20%), grain yield (14%), agronomic efficiency (72%), and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents of grains and straw as compared with uncoated DAP. So, it can be summarized that polymer-coated DAP can effectively improve growth, yield, and phosphorus-use efficiency of maize and wheat crop. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Occurrence of aflatoxins (AFs) AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2 and ochra toxin A (OTA) was studied in 65 samples of stored and freshly harvested wheat, barley and maize collected in Tunisia. The mycotoxins were simultaneously extracted and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. Determination of AF-producing (sectionFlavi)and OTA-producingAspergillusspecies (sectionsNigriandCircumdati) was conducted in these samples by species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results showed that most of maize samples were contaminated with AFs, data after storage showing lower values than those collected at harvest. All contaminated maize samples contained AFG1 and AFG2, among which 27.78% also had AFB1 and AFB2. This AFs pattern was consistent with theA. parasiticustoxin profile.A. flavushowever showed the highest frequency in maize but was also found in barley and wheat where no AFs were detected. In contrast, OTA was neither found in maize nor in barley and only one wheat sample contained OTA.A. nigerwas the only OTA-producing species detected. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Phosphate-solubilizing fungal strains were isolated from organically managed soil and tested for their ability to solubilize rock phosphate (RP), ferric phosphate and aluminium phosphate. These strains were identified asAspergillus tubingensisandAspergillus nigerbased on internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis. A field study was conducted in two different seasons in organically managed soil to test the efficacy of two strains,A. tubingensis(PSF-4) andA. niger(PSF-7) on the yield and soil fertility. RP was amended at the rate of 59 kg P2O5 ha−1to study the effect of RP on soil fertility. The maize was grown in rainy season (July–October 2011) and wheat in winter season (November 2011–April 2012). Plant heights, shoot and root dry biomass and phosphorous (P) uptake in roots, shoots and grains were significantly increased due to inoculation in both crops. The yield of maize and wheat were significantly increased when inoculated along with RP fertilization. Organic carbon, P levels and soil enzyme activities were significantly increased due to inoculation. Results of present study suggested thatA. tubingensisandA. nigerimproved the crop yield and soil fertility of organic farm when inoculated with RP fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytophagous mites (Acari) are agricultural pests that cause productivity and economic losses. Mite infestation is stressful for plants, hindering the development and harming photosynthetic structures and storage organs. In order to combat such damage, plants utilize molecular and physiological modifications, as well as the production of mite-inhibitory compounds. In this review, we focus on the main phytophagous mites that infest the most commercially important cereals – rice (Oryza sativaL.), corn (Zea maysL.) and wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) – summarizing the responses of the plants – physiological and molecular alterations – to mite infestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delphacodes kuscheli, a phloem sap-sucking planthopper and the main vector of the Mal de Río Cuarto virus (MRCV) of maize in Argentina, was used to analyze phenotypic plasticity in behavior and demographic traits in response to different food quality, without masking the effects of density dependence and within-plant heterogeneity. We evaluated selectivity of nymphs and adults for different sites of wheat plants and, on sites suspected to have different food quality because of the presence/absence of meristems and therefore different nitrogen content, we evaluated pre-imaginal survival, nymphal developmental time, proportion of macropterous morphs, adult longevity and feeding rate.Delphacodes kuschelishowed a positive selection for plant zones suspected to have higher food quality and on them insects developed faster, exhibited higher nymphal survival and adult longevity and produced a lower proportion of macropterous morphs. Also on sites suspected to have lower food quality the number of honeydew droplets excreted per day increased and the mean diameter diminished, suggesting that the planthopper could probe more frequently to compensate for different food quality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]