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Wheat flours are essential ingredients of daily food products like bread, cookies or pastries. Their quality depends on the milling process and mechanical strength of wheat grains. Although it is well known that the strength and rupture of grains are strongly controlled by the endosperm microstructure, the respective roles of the starch and polymer volume fractions and their adhesion are not yet fully understood. This typical biological microstructure can be modeled as a cemented granular material, where the two size populations of starch granules (large:A-type, small:B-type) are the particles, and the protein matrix, which partially fills the space between granules, plays the role of a cement. This structural model of wheat endosperm is used, together with mechanical characteristics of starch and proteins obtained by means of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) measurements, to simulate the mechanical behavior and breakage of wheat endosperm in milling process. We find that the porosity outweighs the effect of other parameters for the elastic modulus, which declines as a nearly linear function of porosity. We also show that the tensile strength is an increasing function of the amount and connectivity of starch granules with increasing concentration of stresses along chains of granules. This effect is more significant at low porosity where stress distribution is mainly controlled by the contact network between starch granules. This effect explains why the protein content is not fully correlated to vitreousness, and samples of similar protein content can be different in vitreosity. Finally, we find that the starch-granule adhesion strongly affects the tensile strength whereas the effect of starch volume fraction appears mainly at high interface adhesion, which is the case of hard type wheat grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hyperspectral flatbed scanner can accurately and quickly characterize maize seeds. • Whole intact kernels are scanned without any sample preparation. • Compositional and morphometric traits are predicted with single kernel resolution. • Hyperspectral imaging allows kernel side-specific prediction models. Large-scale investigations of maize kernel traits important to researchers, breeders, and processors require high throughput methods, which are presently lacking. To address this bottleneck, we developed a novel flatbed platform that automatically acquires and analyzes multiwavelength near-infrared (NIR hyperspectral) images of maize kernels precisely enough to support robust predictions of protein content, density, and endosperm vitreousness. The upward facing-camera design and the automated ability to analyze the embryo or abgerminal sides of each individual kernel in a sample with the appropriate side-specific model helped to produce a superior combination of throughput and prediction accuracy compared to other single-kernel platforms. Protein was predicted to within 0.85% (root mean square error of prediction), density to within 0.038 g/cm3, and endosperm vitreousness percentage to within 6.3%. Kernel length and width were also accurately measured so that each kernel in a rapidly scanned sample was comprehensively characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The interest in the study of the effect of endosperm vitreousness (VT) on the nutritive value of maize is increasing in pig nutrition. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to determine the effect of maize VT on starch digestion, resistant starch (RS) content, dry matter digestibility as well as on large intestine fermentation kinetics and related end products by using several in vitro techniques specifically designed for pigs. A set of 30 maize grains was selected to represent a wide range of VT (as a proportion of vitreous in total endosperm) determined by a manual dissection method. Five distinct VT classes were designed [very low (vlVT), low (lVT), medium (mVT), high (hVT) and very high (vhVT)] and identified by a specific VT value (i.e., 291, 357, 432, 611 and 830g/kg endosperm, respectively), calculated as the mean of VT values of maize samples entering the specific class. Starch digestion (expressed as predicted glycemic index) and the rate of starch digestion decreased linearly (ranging from 42.5 to 14.5 and from 0.018 to 0.006/min respectively, for vlVT and vhVT; P<0.05), whereas RS increased linearly (from 183 to 381g/kg dry matter; P<0.05) with VT classes. The total tract in vitro dry matter digestibility decreased linearly (from 0.96 to 0.75; P<0.05) with VT classes. The in vitro fermentation showed that the rate of fermentation decreased (from 0.060 to 0.044/h; P<0.05), whereas the total short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production increased (ranging from 6.29 to 7.29mmol/g dry matter incubated; P<0.05) linearly with VT classes. The molar ratio of acetate linearly increased, ranging from 0.50 to 0.55 (P<0.05) with VT classes, whereas no differences were observed for other individual SCFA. The loading plot of principal component analysis revealed significant relationships between VT and variables of interest. Results indicated that VT promoted marked effects on in vitro parameters related to starch and dry matter digestibility and fermentable kinetics for pigs. Further in vivo validations are required to validate these findings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Maximal water uptake and diffusivity were determined from experimental soaking curves using analytical solution of the second Fick’s law in four barley samples displaying distinct hydrolytic activities during malting. Water diffusivities in the whole grains, were found to vary between 5.28 and 7.61×10−12 m2/s, whereas those of the endosperms were 5–7-fold higher, ranging between 35.2 and 49.5×10−12 m2/s. These differences highlighted the potential barrier role of the grain outer layers. The relationships between maximal water uptake, water diffusivity and grain biochemical and structural parameters (i.e. hardness and other less studied parameters such as vitreousness and porosity) was investigated. The lowest water diffusivity value was obtained for the barley sample displaying the lowest porosity, highest hardness and vitreousness but the highest enzymatic activity during malting, in contradiction with what is generally stated. Water diffusion was not found as the limiting factor for malt quality and, thus, its role during barley steeping has to be reconsidered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We assessed the effects of vitreousness and particle size of maize grain on ruminal and intestinal in sacco degradation of dry matter, starch and nitrogen. Six maize grain (Zea mays) genotypes characterized by differing vitreousness (proportion of vitreous in total endosperm) were ground (3-mm screen; Gr, ground particles, mean particle size (MPS): 526μm) and cracked with a roller mill using two gap width settings (CS, cracked small particles, MPS: 1360μm; CL, cracked large particles, MPS: 2380μm). The ruminal and intestinal in sacco degradation of dry matter, starch and nitrogen was measured on three dry Holstein cows, fitted with rumen, proximal duodenum and terminal ileum cannulas, fed maize silage ad libitum twice daily. The ruminal starch degradability and intestinal digestibility differed among genotypes (P<0.001) and decreased as particle size increased (P<0.001). For the same particle size, starch ruminal degradability decreased (P<0.05) and intestinal digestibility decreased (P<0.002) with vitreousness. Particle size and vitreousness of maize grain are efficient factors for manipulating the amount of starch escaping rumen degradation, but may be limiting for the amount of starch digested in the small intestine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Negative correlations between corn vitreousness and ruminal dry matter and starch degradabilities have been widely reported. To measure corn vitreousness and density more rapidly, Correa et al. [Correa, C.E.S., Shaver, R.D., Pereira, M.N., Lauer, J.G., Kohn, K., 2002. Relationship between corn vitreousness and ruminal in-situ starch degradability. J. Dairy Sci. 85, 3008–3012] initiated the development of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) calibrations from 47 samples derived from 14 US and five Brazilian commercial hybrids. In this study, we generated more data to add to these NIRS calibrations with the objective of making them more robust. We also evaluated the potential of using Stenvert hardness measurements for NIR calibrations. Thirty-three diverse corn germplasm sources were grown at University of Wisconsin West Madison Research Station. These included a wide range of endosperm characteristics from opaque 2 (o2) types to densely packed flint types, and a number of intermediates. Harvest was at 1/2 milkline and black-layer maturity stages. Dried kernels from middle portions of ears from 12 selected inbreds, four each from low (0–30%), medium (30–70%), and high (70–100%) vitreousness classifications were used to determine vitreousness by manual dissection and density by water displacement using a pycnometer. Hardness was determined on all 33 inbreds on a 20g sample using a Stenvert micro hammer-cutter mill with 2mm screen size and 3600rpm to measure time to collect ground sample to a set receptacle height (T); total column height (CH); and height ratio of coarse to fine (C/F) particles. The NIRS equations were selected on the basis of high R 2-values (0.90, 0.92, 0.85, and 0.85) and low SEC (4.85, 0.01, 1.39, and 0.19) and SECV (6.04, 0.02, 1.79, and 0.25), for vitroueness, density, T and CH factors, respectively. Calibrations for vitreousness and density were regarded as the best prediction models compared to stenvert hardness measurements as determined by their RPD values (3.73 and 2.50, respectively). These results show that NIRS can be used as a screening tool in large-scale breeding trials to develop corn hybrids of desired endosperm properties for improved ruminal degradabilities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Correlations between kernel vitreousness and ruminal in situ (RDMD) and total tract dry matter (TDMD; sum of ruminal in situ and post-ruminal in vitro measurements) degradabilities were determined for 33 diverse corn germplasm sources. These included a wide range of endosperm characteristics from opaque 2 (o2) types to densely packed flint types, and a number of intermediates. Harvests were done at two growth stages; 1/2 milk-line (ML) and black-layer (BL). Kernels from middle portion of ears were oven dried at 40°C for 72h and ground through a Wiley mill (6mm screen) for measurement of in situ RDMD after 0 and 14h of incubation using two steers (1.5g/bag×8 replicates per time point per steer in 5cm×5cm bags of 50μm pore size). Residue from the 14h bags proceeded to an 8h in vitro enzymatic post-ruminal digestion after which the residue was oven dried at 62°C for 48h and dry matter content determined. Inbred by harvest-stage interactions were observed for 0-h disappearance and TDMD. Vitreousness had strong negative correlations with degradability measurements, particularly for more mature (BL) samples (−0.728, −0.770 and −0.603) versus ML (−0.569, −0.541 and −0.338) for 0h disappearance, RDMD and TDMD, respectively. Vitreousness was highly correlated with corn degradability, especially at a black-layer stage of harvest, in this diverse corn germplasm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Starch supplied from corn grain or corn silage is an important source of dietary energy for lactating dairy cows and other ruminants, but few laboratory methods are available to determine starch digestion potential. A laboratory method, degree of starch gelatinization (DSG), commonly used by the food industry to assess relative differences in starch characteristics of human foods was modified for application to corn grain and corn silage. The modified assay, degree of starch access (DSA, g/kg starch), was used to evaluate starch recovery by enzymatic hydrolysis in gelatinized undried, unground corn grains and corn silages, which differed in particle size, dry matter content and endosperm type. Effects of particle size (370, 500, 640, 1100, 3140 and 4000μm) of corn grains, which are known to influence starch digestion in ruminants, were evaluated. For each 100μm increase in particle size, DSA decreased (P<0.001) 26.8g/kg starch. In high-moisture corn grain, for each 10g/kg fresh matter increase in DM content, DSA decreased 20.0g/kg starch (r 2 =0.76). In corn grain of differing endosperm vitreousness (0g/100g versus 100g/100g endosperm) DSA values were approximately 200g/kg starch higher for corn grain with no vitreous endosperm as compared to corn grain with highly vitreous (100g/100g) endosperm. For corn silage, DSA was positively correlated to latent starch and starch retained on screens < 2.38mm. While no comparisons between DSA and in vivo starch digestibility exist, the DSA assay may be useful as an index for evaluating differences in starch digestion potential of corn and corn silage fed to ruminants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents abstracts of several studies on animal nutrition. "Effects of Phase Feeding of Protein on Performance, Blood Urea N, Manure N:P Ratio, and Carcass Characteristics of Feedlot Cattle," by J. T. Vasconcelos et al; "Influence of Sodium Caseinte Infusion on Voluntary Feed Intake and Digestive Function in Steer Calves Fed a Sudangrass-Based Growing Diet," by E. G. Alvarez and R. A. Zinn; "Feedlot Cattle Responses to Reduced Levels of Degradable Protein," by J. W. Lehmkuhler, S. C. Arp and D. M. Schaefer.

Presents abstracts of several studies on animal nutrition. "Effects of Phase Feeding of Protein on Performance, Blood Urea N, Manure N:P Ratio, and Carcass Characteristics of Feedlot Cattle," by J. T. Vasconcelos et al; "Influence of Sodium Caseinte Infusion on Voluntary Feed Intake and Digestive Function in Steer Calves Fed a Sudangrass-Based Growing Diet," by E. G. Alvarez and R. A. Zinn; "Feedlot Cattle Responses to Reduced Levels of Degradable Protein," by J. W. Lehmkuhler, S. C. Arp and D. M. Schaefer.

The use and search for new growth regulators and fertilizers that provide high and stable yields are among the topical issues in growing winter wheat. The study aimed to develop the theoretical foundations and methods of farming for high-yielding winter wheat based on the use of the growth regulator Melafen and chelated fertilizers Metallocene Universal and Metallocene A in the southern forest-steppe of the Republic of Bashkortostan. According to the research results 2018–2020, it can be concluded that their use had an impact on grain productivity and quality. In the experiment, an increase in grain yield was noted in 8 out of 10 studied winter wheat varieties, depending on the processing option. In the experiment's control variants, the formation of the yield of winter wheat grain was 2.25–5.25 t/ha. The influence of the variety on the yield (r = 0.821–0.841). Only three varieties (Sarra, Ufimka, and Moskovskaya 39) had a nature corresponding to 1 and 2 classes; the other varieties had lower indicators. In all the studied variants, the quality of winter wheat gluten corresponded to group 2 (3 and 4 wheat classes). Carrying out work to improve gluten quality will contribute to the transition of winter wheat from 3 classes to 1–2. The most promising in this relation is the winter wheat varieties Ufimka and Anastasia. The research results can be successfully used to develop a technology for the cultivation of winter wheat to increase the yield and quality of grain. • Use of Melafen and Metallocene increase grain productivity and quality. • Seed treatment with Melafen increases winter crops' resistance to stress. • Melafen and Metallocene influence gluten quality indicators within 86.1–97.1 units IDK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Vitreousness is a requisite factor for durum wheat to obtain quality food product. • Accurate classification of various products on a dynamic setting is preferable with respect to a stable setting. • Lighting equipment of a conveyor belt system is especially important for cereal grains to prevent shadow formation. • Gaborlet texture features are more prominent to identify vitreous durum wheat kernels. Wheat is the main ingredient of most common food products in our daily lives and obtaining good quality wheat kernels is an important matter for the production of food supplies. In this study, type-1252 durum wheat kernels which have vast harvest areas in Turkey and is the principal ingredient of pasta and semolina products were examined and classified to obtain top quality wheat kernels based on their vitreousness. Also, top quality provision of food supplies means that the products must be refined from all foreign materials so a classification process has been applied to extract foreign materials from wheat kernels. In this study, we have used a total of 236 morphological, colour, wavelet and gaborlet features to classify vitreous, starchy durum wheat kernels and foreign objects by training several Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) with different amount of features based on the feature rank list obtained with ANOVA test. The data we have used in this study was video images of wheat kernels and foreign objects present on a conveyor belt camera system with illumination provided by daylight colour powerleds. The maximum classification accuracy was 93.46% obtained with 210 feature neural network function which was generated and applied on the video containing a mixture of wheat kernels and foreign objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]