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Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is one of the seven commonly cultivated millets. It is regarded as a climate-smart, ancient, and gluten-free and therefore, is healthy to humans and the environment. The exceptional nutritional properties of the grain resulted in a gradual surge in its demand in the human food market especially for people with diabetes and celiac disease. It is essential to continue the genetic improvement of proso millet to meet its ever-increasing demand. Genetic improvement of proso millet in the United States, however, is impeded by the narrow genetic base in the germplasm and lack of extensive research on its genetics and breeding. There are lots of reports on ‘omics’ (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics) of many common crops and the technologies are being extensively used in their genetic improvement. However, such studies are scarce in proso millet. The objective of this review article is to summarize available ‘omics’ reports of proso millet and discuss their relevance for its genetic improvement. Relatively more genomics and transcriptomics reports of proso millet are available but only two proteomics and metabolomics reports focusing on grain composition and no phenomics report are available. As more efficient, fast, and cheaper ‘omics’ technologies are available, it is imperative that global proso and other millets breeders and geneticists collaborate strongly for successful utilization of ‘milletomics’ for developing of noble proso millet varieties for future need of this climate-smart superfood grain.

Current agricultural and food systems encourage research and development on major crops, neglecting regionally important minor crops. Small millets include a group of small- seeded cereal crops of the grass family Poaceae. This includes finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, barnyard millet, kodo millet, little millet, teff, fonio, job’s tears, guinea millet, and browntop millet. Small millets are an excellent choice to supplement major staple foods for crop and dietary diversity because of their diverse adaptation on marginal lands, less water requirement, lesser susceptibility to stresses, and nutritional superiority compared to major cereal staples. Growing interest among consumers about healthy diets together with climate-resilient features of small millets underline the necessity of directing more research and development towards these crops. Except for finger millet and foxtail millet, and to some extent proso millet and teff, other small millets have received minimal research attention in terms of development of genetic and genomic resources and breeding for yield enhancement. Considerable breeding efforts were made in finger millet and foxtail millet in India and China, respectively, proso millet in the United States of America, and teff in Ethiopia. So far, five genomes, namely foxtail millet, finger millet, proso millet, teff, and Japanese barnyard millet, have been sequenced, and genome of foxtail millet is the smallest (423-510 Mb) while the largest one is finger millet (1.5 Gb). Recent advances in phenotyping and genomics technologies, together with available germplasm diversity, could be utilized in small millets improvement. This review provides a comprehensive insight into the importance of small millets, the global status of their germplasm, diversity, promising germplasm resources, and breeding approaches (conventional and genomic approaches) to accelerate climate-resilient and nutrient-dense small millets for sustainable agriculture, environment, and healthy food systems.

Domesticated ~10,000 years ago in northern China, Proso millet (

The red and lateritic zone (RLZ) of Eastern India comprises of south-west part of West Bengal, a part of Odisha and Jahrkhand grimly a low position in respect of yield levels compared to many other parts of India. Soil of this area is poor in inherent fertility status with low to medium available nutrients of phosphorus, potassium and calcium. Most of the lands are located on higher elevation and erosion hazards and gully formation are very common. Monsoon rainfall is erratic or unevenly distributed in this region and, thus partial or even total failure of rainfed crops is very common. The major parts of this zone are rainfed, rice-fallow based mono-cropped and cropping intensity of the region is between 125-130%. This region of India is home of millions of resource-challenged small and marginal farmers having poor food and nutritional vis-à-vis economic security. To alleviate this grim situation of drought prone RLZ of Eastern India, intensification of Rice-fallow by inclusion of suitable crops was one the major challenges due to several bio-physical constraints. In this context, being the climate resilient and drought tolerant crops, millets may be the best choice for the rice-based crop sequence, any fallow and marginal land, agro-forestry system or even for popularizing any millet-based crop sequence for escalating the level of livelihood of the small and marginal farmers of the dry tract of RLZ. The objective is to develop a model using implementing millet-based cropping system to address food and nutritional security for the regions like RLZ of eastern India. Available research data on millet production feasibility in the region was used. A multidisciplinary approach was used for value-addition and small-scale agri-industry. In this present paper, we conceptualized the current status, prospects and research strategies for augmenting the millet production system to improve the food and nutritional security across drought prone and red laterite region of Eastern India. We believe that same model can be applied elsewhere in the world with agro-climatic conditions like RLZ.

Background Global warming and issues in favour of a more sustainable agriculture suggest a reconsideration of minor cereals in European agrosystems. Compared to other summer crops, proso millet has a remarkable drought resistance and could be used to improve crop rotation and biodiversity. Proso millet is also increasingly sought by industry to produce novel foods such as those designed for coeliac patients. In this study, a thorough characterization of 11, commercially available, proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) varieties was carried out as a preliminary step for crop reintroduction and breeding in Western Europe. Methods The cultivars under evaluation were introduced from Austria, Poland, Russia, and the USA (University of Nebraska–Lincoln). Plants were grown at Udine (NE Italy) and Gleisdorf (Styria, Austria), under greenhouse and field conditions, respectively. Yield components and a range of morphophysiological characters were recorded in both locations. In parallel, 85 SSR markers were tested on DNA samples extracted from randomly chosen plants of each variety and the 12 responsive markers used to genotype the whole variety set. Results Morphometric analyses showed that varieties have several diverging phenotypic traits and architectures. In all instances, yields recorded at field level were much lower than potential yields. In this respect, US selections were comparable to earlier developed European varieties, suggesting that breeding for an increased adaptation is the keystone for a stable reintroduction of millet in Western Europe. Molecular analyses uncovered remarkably low genetic differences and heterozygosity levels within cultivars, confirming millet as an essentially autogamous species; in contrast, large genetic distances were noted among cultivars selected in different environments. Results of SSR genotyping combined with those originating from phenotypic analyses indicated possible crosses to source the genetic variability necessary for selection. Conclusions This study enabled the identification of cultivars that could be used to revitalize the crop in Western Europe and to produce genetically variable hybrid progenies exploitable by breeding.

Background Root and stem rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani is a serious fungal disease of sugar beet and dry bean production in Nebraska. Rhizoctonia root rot and crown rot in sugar beet and dry bean have reduced the yield significantly and has also created problems in storage. The objective of this study was to analyze morpho-genetic diversity of 38 Rhizoctonia solani isolates from sugar beet and dry bean fields in western Nebraska collected over 10 years. Morphological features and ISSR-based DNA markers were used to study the morphogenetic diversity. Results Fungal colonies were morphologically diverse in shapes, aerial hyphae formation, colony, and sclerotia color. Marker analysis using 19 polymorphic ISSR markers showed polymorphic bands ranged from 15 to 28 with molecular weight of 100 bp to 3 kb. Polymorphic loci ranged from 43.26–92.88%. Nei genetic distance within the population ranged from 0.03–0.09 and Shannon diversity index varied from 0.24–0.28. AMOVA analysis based on ΦPT values showed 87% variation within and 13% among the population with statistical significance (p Conclusion Identification and categorization of the pathogen will be helpful in designing integrated disease management guidelines for sugar beet and dry beans of mid western America.

Encapsulation of lipophilic bioactive compounds using plant-derived proteins as delivery systems has received increasing interest. In this study, proso millet protein was extracted by either wet milling or 60% (v/v) aqueous ethanol and then used as the wall material to encapsulate curcumin. Millet protein was composed of prolamines that showed a significant difference in surface hydrophobicity depending on extraction procedure. The millet protein-curcumin nanoparticles were spherical with diameter around 250-350nm. The entrapment efficiency ranged from 11.2% to 78.9%, with millet protein extracted by ethanol showing better performance than that by wet milling process. The encapsulated curcumin exhibited a lower degradation rate than free curcumin at 60°C. The encapsulation showed no negative effect on the antioxidant activity of curcumin as assessed by the DPPH and ABTS assays. These results suggested that MP could be a promising encapsulant for the delivery of lipophilic compounds.

Evaluation of the postharvest properties of nine proso millet cultivars was carried out to determine their physical and engineering properties, which are very useful for designing appropriate systems for process operations such as sorting, drying, heating, cooling, and milling. Nine cultivars of proso millet comprising waxy and non-waxy types, namely Cope, Earlybird, Huntsman, Minco, Plateau, Sunrise, Rise, Dawn, and Panhandle, were obtained from the Panhandle Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska, Scottsbluff. Results showed significant (p < 0.05) differences in their physical properties, such as sphericity, volume, bulk density, porosity, and angle of repose, which ranged from 0.86 to 0.91, from 3.94 to 5.14 mm3, from 765.49 to 809.67 kg m-3, from 42.49% to 44.20%, and from 22.98° to 25.74°, respectively. The cultivars were also evaluated for their pasting and gelatinization properties, and high correlation was found between amylose content and onset temperature (r = -0.94), peak gelatinization temperature (r = -0.92), peak viscosity (r = 0.84), final viscosity (r = 0.91), and setback viscosity (r = 0.90). The understanding of these basic physical and functional properties of proso millet cultivars will form the foundation for processing them into value-added products. Keywords: Chemical properties, Pasting properties, Proso millet.

Proso millet (PM) is a gluten-free cereal grain with potential to be used in gluten-free product development. However, research on improving the rheological properties of PM dough is limited. In the present study, rheological and color characteristics of PM dough (37% moisture) were compared with the behavior of wheat dough. Three hydrocolloids [guar gum (GG), xanthan gum (XG) and sodium alginate (SA)] at concentrations of 0%, 1% and 2% were added to improve the physical properties of PM dough. The textural properties of PM dough developed pasta with hydrocolloids were also studied. Wheat dough presented a much higher apparent viscosity and elastic modulus than PM dough. Both the apparent viscosity and elasticity were increased by all three hydrocolloids, with 2% XG presenting the most pronounced improvement in elasticity. Generally, the capacity of hydrocolloids to improve the PM dough follow the order XG > GG > SA. The addition of hydrocolloids showed no significant impact on the color of PM dough. GG and XG showed an improvement in the network strength of PM pasta, while SA did not contribute to textural enhancement.

Proso millet protein has reported structural similarities with sorghum. In order to explore the potential of this crop as an alternative protein source for people with gluten sensitivity, in vitro protein digestibility was analyzed. Dehulled proso millet flour was subjected to various processing techniques (dry heating and wet heating). Regardless of the processing technique there was a significant decline in digestibility of protein in proso millet flour when compared with unprocessed flour (from 79.7 ± 0.8% to 42.0 ± 1.2%). Reduced digestibility persisted even when cooking with reducing agents. Heating in the presence of urea (8 M) and guanidine-HCl (4.5 M) prevented the reduction in observed digestibility (urea cooked 77.4 ± 0.8%; guanidine HCl cooked 84.3 ± 0.9%), suggesting formation of hydrophobic aggregates during heating in water. This was supported by an increase in surface hydrophobicity upon cooking. Thus, the proso millet protein, termed panicin, forms hydrophobic aggregates that are resistant to digestion when subjected to heat.

Root and stem rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani is a serious fungal disease of sugar beet and dry bean production in Nebraska. Objective was to characterize morpho-genetic diversity of 38 Rhizoctonia solani isolated from sugar beet and dry beans fields in western Nebraska over 10 years. Classical morphological features and ISSR marker was used to study the morphogenetic diversity. Fungal colonies were morphologically diverse in shapes, aerial hyphae formation and colony, sclerotia color. Marker analysis using nineteen polymorphic ISSR marker showed polymorphic bands ranged from 15 - 28 with molecular weight 100bp to 3kb. Polymorphic loci ranged from 43.26 – 92.88%. Nei genetic distance within the population was ranged 0.03 –0.09 and Shannon diversity index varied from 0.24 – 0.28. AMOVA analysis based on ΦPT values showed 87% variation within and 13% among the population with statistical significance. Majority of the isolates from sugar beet showed nearby association within the population. There was significant number of cross crop clustering suggesting their broad pathogenicity. Isolates were grouped into three different clusters in UPGMA based cluster analysis using marker information. Interestingly, there was no specific geographical correlation between the isolates. PCA analysis showed randomized distribution among isolates from same geographical origin. Morphological characteristics showed crop-specific two distinct groups of isolates with few exceptions. While, genetic diversity showed two distinct group of isolates, one crop specific and one with wide pathogenicity. This information may help in molecular pathotyping of the pathogen for better disease management.

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is an annual cereal crop domesticated approximately 10,000 years ago in the semiarid regions of China. It is primarily grown in India, Nigeria, Niger, and China. Proso millet is used in Europe and North America as fodder and birdseed despite its highly nutritive and health-promoting benefits. Recently, the high content of different minerals and amino acids along with a low glycemic index and gluten-free property of the grains have attracted the industry and scientific communities. Proso millet has been used as a rotational crop in the winter wheat-fallow cropping system in the western Great Plains of the USA owing to its high water-use efficiency. This practice not only prevents the loss of organic matter from the no-till soil but also reduces weed and disease pressure. Regardless of the impeccable environmental and health benefits of proso millet, it remains as an under researched and underutilized crop. Plant breeders across the globe are trying to develop superior varieties using both classical and advanced breeding procedures. However, the lack of a genetic map and adequate genomic resources has slowed the crop improvement process. Proso millet germplasm representing a wide genetic diversity is conserved in gene banks maintained by several countries. The rapid growth in genomic research in the form of a linkage map development, novel molecular marker identification and availability of next-generation sequencing, together with high-throughput phenotyping promise to accelerate proso millet breeding. The development of proso millet cultivars which are high yielding, lodging and seed-shattering tolerant, direct combine-ready and nutrient enriched, would promote its increased cultivation, and use in the food industry.

Fenugreek can be grown for medicinal purposes, as a spice or as an annual hay. Most fenugreek production is in India; none is grown in the USA. Practices suitable for growing fenugreek in the U.S. High Plains is unknown. The objectives were to identify the irrigation need, and planting and harvest dates in western Nebraska. Fenugreek was planted from early May to early June and harvested from late Aug to early Oct. Irrigation consisted of none, 15 and 30 cm. Height, flowering and fruiting, and seed and straw yields were measured. Later planting did not affect final height but delayed flowering and fruiting (late June to early Aug). Years differed due to weather variations. Seed and straw yields were greatest with later planting and with earlier harvest in 2013 and 2014. Irrigation affected yields primarily in 2013. The lowest yields were in 2015 when the agronomic parameters had the least effect probably due to the very wet spring conditions. For 2013 and 2014, maximum seed yields ranged from 1724 to 1886 kg ha −1 , and maximum straw yields ranged from 4352 to 4981 kg ha −1 when planted late, irrigated and harvested in late Aug or early Sep. Recommendations are that when May is very dry, plant near 1 June, irrigate and harvest in late Aug or early Sep, when May is slightly wet, plant in late May, do not irrigate and harvest early Sep, and when May is very wet, do not plant for seed and do not irrigate.

The understanding of the protein structure-function relationship is very important to the study of protein chemistry. In this research, the physicochemical, functional, and structural properties of the storage protein fractions from two defatted proso millet cultivars (Dawn and Plateau) were determined and reported. The results show that protein recovery efficiency of 53.5% and 60.1% was recorded for Dawn and Plateau, respectively. The average denaturation temperature of all fractions was about 82.1 ± 3.5 °C. Surface hydrophobicity values for Dawn fractions were 11781, 10594, 316, and 2225 for albumin, globulin, and glutelin, respectively and 3415, 2865, 353, and 456 for Plateau fractions, respectively. Most of the protein fractions showed the highest solubility at pH 9 and lowest solubilities at pH ≤ 7 with solubility range from 5.7 to 100%. Emulsifying activity index (EAI) of less than 0.25 m2/g was recorded for most fractions, while the highest emulsion stability index (ESI) recorded was about 60 min. Prolamin fractions showed three major peptide bands of 11, 14, and 24 kDa while glutelin fraction revealed only a major band of 15 kDa and several minor bands of 11, 22, 24, 78, 209 kDa. No differences in the electrophoresis pattern were observed for the fraction with or without a reducing agent.

Thirty-three samples of proso millet ( Panicum miliaceum) with different countries of origin were screened for their pepsin digestibility after cooking to identify samples with high digestibility. The pepsin digestibility of all samples ranged from 26% to 57% (average 32%). There were no apparent differences in protein profiles (by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE) of samples with the lowest, intermediate, and highest digestibilities. However, liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed a negative correlation between pepsin digestibility and peptides that matched to high molecular weight proteins (24 kDa) from Panicum hallii with regions of contiguous hydrophobic amino acids. Low digestibility upon cooking was also observed for other species from the Panicum genus, such as little millet, switchgrass, and panicgrass, which suggests a unique inherent property of the genus. The results obtained from this study may form a basis for in-depth analysis of proso proteins that may help in developing new cultivars with higher digestibility upon cooking.

A number of health-enhancing bioactive compounds have been identified in the seed of fenugreek, an annual legume. These compounds have been shown to exert multiple health beneficial effects on anti-obesity and type 2 diabetes. In this study, we characterized the molecular mechanisms of fenugreek seed in regulating lipid and lipoprotein metabolism and metabolic inflammatory stress. Two groups of hyperlipidemic mice induced by depletion of cAMP responsive element binding protein H were fed either a chow containing 2% fenugreek seed or vehicle control for 7 weeks. Q-RT-PCR and immunoblotting analysis demonstrated that fenugreek seed containing diet inhibited hepatic SREBP-1c activation and the subsequent de novo lipogenesis by enhancing expression of insulin-inducible gene-1 (Insig-1) and gene-2 (Insig-2). mRNA expression of PPARα and its target genes that were involved in fatty acid β-oxidation were also upregulated in the fenugreek seed treated-mice which was accompanied by significantly reduced hepatic lipid accumulation and VLDL secretion and improved endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. These actions ameliorated hepatic steatosis and systemic hyperlipidemia. Fenugreek seed further improved insulin sensitivity by upregulating expression of glucose transporters Glut-2 and Glut-4 and enhancing the activity of hepatic inulin signaling molecules, insulin receptor and AKT. In vitro, treating a rat hepatoma cell line, McA-RH7777, with trigonelline, a phytochemical compound in fenugreek seed, increased expression of Insig-2 which prevented the activation of SREBP-1c and the subsequent de novo lipid synthesis, resulting in less secretion of VLDL. Trigonelline treatment also attenuated ER stress induced by a free fatty acid, palmitic acid, indicated by the downregulation of GRP94/78 and reduced phosphorylation of JNK and eIF2α. This study unveiled a novel mechanism of the bioactive compound trigonelline in ameliorating metabolic inflammatory stress, hepatic steatosis, VLDL overproduction and insulin resistance via the mediation of Insig signaling. This evidence lands support for developing fenugreek seed as a nutraceutical supplement for the prevention and treatment of nutrient-surplus associated metabolic disorders.

Summary The objective of this work was to determine the impact of extrusion variables [moisture (17–25%), screw speed (170–250 r.p.m.) and temperature (90–150 °C)] on the physical properties and antioxidant activity of proso millet extrudates. Extrusion variables were adjusted using an inscribed central composite rotatable design. Response variables were bulk density (BD), radial expansion ratio, water absorption index, water solubility index, hardness, colour (L*, a*, b*) and antioxidant activity. Moisture and screw speed were the most influential variables affecting millet extrusion: their linear, quadratic and interaction terms accounted for more than 50% of the variability in all responses except for b*. Expansion was greatest at severe conditions of low moisture and high screw speed. These conditions were also consistent with the highest antioxidant activity. This study demonstrated that high expansion and antioxidant activity can be obtained by extruding proso millet under low moisture and high screw speed conditions.

Proso millet (Panicummiliaceum) has highwater use efficiency (WUE), a short growing-season, and is highly adapted to a semi-arid climate. Genomic resources for proso millet are very limited. Large numbers of DNA markers and other genomic tools in proso millet can readily be developed by using genomic resources in related grasses. The objectives of the present report were to 1) test and characterize switchgrass SSR markers for use in proso millet, and 2) elucidate repeat-motifs in proso millet based on new SSR marker analysis. A total of 548 SSR markers were tested on 8 proso millet genotypes. Out of these, 339 amplified SSR markers in proso millet. This showed that 62% of the switchgrass SSR markers were transferable to proso millet. Of these 339 markers, 254 were highly polymorphic among the 8 proso genotypes. The resolving power of these 254 polymorphic SSR markers ranged from 0.25-14.75 with an average of 2.71. The 254 polymorphic SSR markers amplified 984 alleles in the ranges of 50 bp to 1300 bp. The majority of the SSR markers (221 of 254) amplified dinucleotide repeats. Based on SSR marker analysis, AG/GA was the most abundant repeat-motifs in proso millet. Switchgrass genomic information seems to be the most useful for developing DNA markers in proso millet. Markers developed in this study will be helpful for linkage map construction, mapping agronomic traits and future molecular breeding efforts in proso millet.

‘Mattern’ (Reg. No. CV-1092, PI 665947) hard winter waxy wheat (L.) was developed cooperatively by the USDA–ARS and the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 2012. Mattern has red grain color and waxy (amylose-free) endosperm starch. It was released primarily for its unique end-use quality attributes and for grain yield competitive with currently grown Nebraska-adapted cultivars. The waxy starch is conditioned by the presence of three naturally occurring mutations that eliminate production of the enzyme granule-bound starch synthase. Granule-bound starch synthase synthesizes amylose in typical wheats and other cereal crops. Mattern was tested experimentally as NX04Y2107 and was selected from the cross NW98S061/99Y1442.

Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) planting in Nebraska is recommended for mid Sep but summer crops are often harvested around Oct 1. Also, weather may delay planting. Could gibberellic acid (GA3), a growth stimulant, overcome the delayed seedling growth from late planting? Irrigated field trials were planted from 2005 to 2010 applying GA3 to wheat seed of cvs. Goodstreak and Wesley. In 2005, dip, spray and furrow GA3 applications to seed were tested. Dip and spray gave similar results. Furrow application was calculated too costly. Further tests used seed dips. In 2006 to 2008 planting, wheat was planted about 15 Sep, 1 Oct and 15 Oct. Trials planted in 2007 and 2008 included winter rye (Secale cereale) cv. Rymin. Heights in mid Nov showed a reduction with later planting. When planted about 1 Oct and 15 Oct, the delayed growth of Goodstreak, compared to planting two weeks earlier, was fully overcome by GA3 at 250 ppm. For Wesley, 1000 ppm GA3 was needed to nearly overcome later planting. Rymin rye gave an intermediate response between the two wheat cultivars. Spring and summer heights were not affected by GA3. Spring biomass, yield and harvested seed germination showed no GA3 effect. In later trials (planted in 2009 and 2010), the cytokinin 6-benzyl adenine (6BA) was added to GA3 to stimulate tiller formation. In the 1st year, 6BA at 2000 ppm depressed height, weight and yield without tiller promotion. Repeating the trial with lower rates (31 - 125 ppm 6BA) did not offer an additional advantage to GA3. The re- sults indicate that seed application of GA3 can overcome delayed growth resulting from delayed planting of winter wheat and rye under irrigation. This procedure is recommended and is being used by growers who report satisfaction from the benefit and low cost

Domesticated in 8000–10,000 BP in northern China, proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is the best adaptive rotational crop for semiarid central High Plains of the USA, where average annual precipitation is 356–407 mm. Proso millet has multiple benefits when consumed as human food. Proso millet is rich in minerals, dietary fiber, polyphenols, vitamins and proteins. It is gluten-free and therefore, ideal for the gluten intolerant people. Proso millet contains high lecithin which supports the neural health system. It is rich in vitamins (niacin, B-complex vitamins, folic acid), minerals (P, Ca, Zn, Fe) and essential amino acids (methionine and cysteine). It has a low glycemic index and reduces the risk of type-2 diabetes. Unfortunately, in the USA, it is mostly considered as bird feed, whereas it is mainly used as human food in many other countries. Besides human health benefits, proso millet has an impeccable environmental benefit. Proso millet possesses many unique characteristics (e.g., drought tolerance, short-growing season) which makes it a promising rotational crop for winter wheat-based dryland farming systems. Proso millet provides the most economical production system when used in a two years wheat/summer fallow cropping system in semiarid High Plains of the USA. It helps in controlling winter annual grass weeds, managing disease and insect pressure and preserving deep soil moisture for wheat. Proso millet can also be used as a rotational crop with corn or sorghum owing to its tolerance for atrazine, the primary herbicide used in corn and sorghum production systems. Proso millet certainly is a climate-smart, gluten-free, ancient, and small grain cereal, which is healthy to humans and the environment. The main challenge is to expand the proso millet market beyond bird feed into the human food industry. To overcome the challenge, unique proso millet varieties for human food and ready-to-use multiple food products must be developed. This requires successful collaboration among experts from diverse disciplines such as breeders, geneticists, food chemists and food industry partners.

The lowest pods on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) are on or near the ground. Yields may improve by raising these pods to reduce yield loss, especially with direct harvest. The objective of this field study was to use gibberellic acid (GA3) to raise lower pods and increase yield. Seeds of cultivars Poncho (Type III, pinto) and Matterhorn (Type II, great northern) were dipped in GA3 at 0, 125, 500, and 2000 ppm and planted in 30-inch rows (2005). Stem elongation was promoted, but emergence and yield were decreased especially for ‘Poncho’. In foliar tests in 30-inch rows (2005 and 2006), GA3 was applied to newly expanded unifoliolate leaves. Doses were 0, 0.5, 2, and 8 ppm for ‘Poncho’ and 0, 31.25, 125, and 500 ppm for ‘Matterhorn’. The higher doses raised the low pod by 2 inches, and yields harvested conventionally were increased from 14% to 18%. In 2007, ‘Poncho’ and ‘Matterhorn’ unifoliolate leaves were treated with GA3 at 0, 2, and 4 ppm, and 0, 62.5, and 125 ppm, respectively, and then portions of each plot were harvested either manually, conventionally, or directly. Planting was in 22- and 30-inch row spacing. Lower pods were raised by ≈1 inch by GA3. Yields from conventional and direct harvest were increased by foliar GA3 application for both cultivars and both row spacings. Yield from directly harvested GA3-treated plots was comparable to that from untreated conventionally harvested plots. GA3 may play a role in increasing yield from directly harvested common bean in conjunction with genetic and mechanical improvements.

The objective of this research was to determine the conversion efficiency of proso millet to ethanol compared to corn in a bench-scale dry-grind procedure. Seven proso millet cultivars and six advanced breeding lines containing waxy starch were fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and ethanol production was compared with normal corn and “highly fermentable” corn. The highly fermentable corn exhibited the highest fermentation efficiency (97.0 ± 1.4%). Among proso millet lines, those with the highest fermentation efficiencies were: Huntsman (85.9 ± 0.6%), 172-2-9 (90.8 ± 0.2%), 172-2-13 (85.1 ± 2.5%), and 182-4-24 (84.7 ± 2.1). Waxy proso millet lines resulted in higher fermentation efficiencies than the non-waxy proso millet varieties containing normal starch (82.4 ± 5.5% vs. 75.5 ± 7.4%, respectively, p = 0.01). Proso millet distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) contained more protein (26.6–33.4%) than the DDGS from corn (17.2–23.4%). These data indicate that proso millet exhibits promise as a feedstock for ethanol production, especially if breeding programs focus on selecting “highly fermentable” lines for advancement.

Increasing winter wheat seedling growth would make it a better winter cover crop. Gibberellic acid (GA3) seed treatment may accomplish this by stimulating stem growth. A bioassay, mimicking field conditions, could determine the relative sensitivity of conventional and semi-dwarf cultivars. In growth chambers set for cool (10˚C/4˚C) and warm (21˚C/4˚C) conditions, wheat seeds were treated with 0 and 125 to 16,000 ppm GA3. The cultivars Goodstreak (tall or conventional) and Wesley (semi-dwarf) were compared as standards. Emergence and plant height were measured. “Goodstreak” showed a significant growth promotion at 500 ppm GA3 when seeds were dipped and 2000 ppm when GA3 was applied in-furrow under both temperature regimes. “Wesley” in general required the same or a higher dose of GA3. Separately, the seeds of nine other cultivars were treated with GA3 as the standards. Based on maximum height promotion, the most sensitive cultivars under cool conditions were Goodstreak, Harry, Millenium, and Wahoo; under warm conditions, the most sensitive cultivars were Alliance, Goodstreak, Jagalene, and Millenium. In general, the least GA3 sensitive cultivars were Arrowsmith, Scout66, and Wesley. “Buckskin” and “InfinityCL” were intermediate. The rye cultivar Rymin also was tested and showed less sensitivity to GA3 than “Goodstreak”. When 6 benzyladenine (6BA) with GA3 was applied to “Goodstreak” and “Wesley” seed, emergence, plant height and weight, and tiller formation were reduced. Wheat cultivars will respond to GA3 and differ in the amount of GA3 needed. The results of this growth chamber study will guide subsequent field trials.

Microspore culture of wheat generates completely homozygous (doubled haploid) plants in a single generation thereby reducing the time required for wheat variety development. Success of microspore culture in spring wheat is relatively higher than that in winter wheat. Cold mediated pretreatment was reported to improve response of microspore culture in wheat. The objective of the study was to determine and compare the influence of cold pretreatment on microspore culture in spring and winter wheat. Three spring (“Chris”, “Express”, and “Macon”) and three winter (“Anton”, “Antelope”, and “Camelot”) wheat cultivars were used. In cold pretreatment, excised anthers were incubated in solution B at 25˚C - 28˚C for 4 - 5 days followed by cold treatment at 4˚C for 5 days and were compared with the no-cold pretreatment at 25˚C - 28˚C for 4 - 5 days. Isolated microspores were cultured in induction medium (MMS4) at 27˚C - 28˚C for 25 - 30 days in the dark. Embryos (1 - 2 mm size) were transferred to regeneration medium (MMS5). Numbers of multicellular structures, transferable embryos and green plants were counted and data were used for analysis of variance using a generalized linear model. It was observed that cold pretreatment increased multicellular structures, transferable embryos and green plants in both spring and winter wheat. However, the degree of improvement was higher in spring wheat compared to winter wheat. The cultivars within spring and winter wheat responded differently. Development of embryos from pro-embryos was 4 - 5 folds lower in winter wheat than that in spring wheat, indicating requirement of a possibly different hormonal composition in induction medium for improving embryo induction in winter wheat. This report may provide future direction of research to improve microspore culture response in winter wheat.

Fine-tuning production inputs such as seeding rate, nitrogen (N), and genotype may improve end-use quality of hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivium L.) when growing conditions are unpredictable. Studies were conducted at the Agronomy Research Farm (ARF; Lincoln, NE, USA) and the High Plains Agricultural Laboratory (HPAL; Sidney, NE, USA) in 2014 and 2015 in Nebraska, USA, to determine the effects of genotype (6), environment (4), seeding rate (3), and flag leaf top-dressed N (0 and 34 kg N haEnd-use quality traits were influenced by environment, genotype, seeding rate, top-dressed N, and their interactions. Mixograph parameters had a strong correlation with grain volume weight and flour yield. Doubling the recommended seeding rate and N at the flag leaf stage increased grain protein content by 8.1% in 2014 and 1.5% in 2015 at ARF and 4.2% in 2014 and 8.4% in 2015 at HPAL.The key finding of this research is that increasing seeding rates up to double the current recommendations with N at the flag leaf stage improved most of the end-use quality traits. This will have a significant effect on the premium for protein a farmer could receive when marketing wheat. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is the cereal crop with the low water requirement and increasingly being used for human consumption. It is the most common rotational crop within wheat-based dryland production systems in the semiarid High Plains of the USA. However, there is no published genetic map for this species, which prevents the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL). The objectives of the present study were (1) construction of a genetic linkage map and (2) identification of DNA markers linked to QTLs for morpho-agronomic traits. A total of 93 recombinant inbred lines derived from a single F1 (“Huntsman” × “Minsum”) were genotyped with GBS-SNP markers and phenotyped for nine morpho-agronomic traits in the field during 2013 and 2014 at Scottsbluff and Sidney, NE. IciMapping v.4.0.6.0 was used for constructing a genetic linkage map and mapping QTL. The RILs exhibited significant variation for a wide range of traits, and several traits showed evidence of genotype × environment interactions. A total of 833 GBS-SNP markers formed 18 major and 84 minor linkage groups, whereas 519 markers remained ungrouped. A total of 117 GBS-SNP markers were distributed on the 18 major linkage groups spanning a genome length of 2137 cM of proso millet with an average distance of 18 cM between markers. The length and number of markers in each of the 18 major linkage groups ranged from 54.6 to 236 cM and 4 to 12, respectively. A total of 18 QTLs for eight morpho-agronomic traits were detected on 14 linkage groups, each of which explained 13.2–34.7 % phenotypic variance. DNA markers flanking the QTLs were identified, which will aid in marker-assisted selection of these traits. To our knowledge, this is the first genetic linkage map and QTL mapping in proso millet, which will support further genetic analysis and genomics-assisted genetic improvement of this crop.

To lower seed yield loss from directly harvested common bean or dry bean, height of the lower pod-bearing nodes needs to be raised. The objective of this greenhouse study was to stimulate lower stem elongation by gibberellic acid (GA3) of dry bean cultivars. Seeds of cv. Matterhorn, erect indeterminate Type II, and cv. Poncho, prostate indeterminate Type III, were dipped in GA3 at 62.5 to 16,000 ppm and planted. After 14 d, the height of the unifoliate and first trifoliate nodes showed maximum stimulation of stem elongation by 1000 ppm GA3 for ‘Poncho’ and by 2000 ppm for ‘Matterhorn’. Application of 1 mL of GA3 at 0.031 to 2048 ppm to newly expanded unifoliate leaves showed cultivar differences. Whereas ‘Matterhorn’ was promoted at 64 ppm and reached a maximum height by 512 ppm GA3, ‘Poncho’ was promoted at 0.25 ppm and reached a maximum height by 8 ppm GA3. Flowering of ‘Matterhorn’ was unaffected by GA3; flowering of ‘Poncho’ was completely inhibited by 128 ppm. The sensitivity difference of cultivars was verified with other cultivars. Type I cultivars, which are all determinate, showed a full range of GA3 sensitivity. Dry bean cultivars may be regrouped based on the GA3 dose to which they respond. Individual response to GA3 rates of dry bean cultivars needs to be predetermined using a short-term, 2–3 weeks, greenhouse bioassay before field use of GA3.

NE01481' (Reg. No. CV-1061, PI 659689) hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed cooperatively by the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA-ARS and released in April 2010. NE01481 will be marketed as Husker Genetics brand McGill. In addition to superior agronomic performance, Nebraska wheat growers would like to have increased resistance to Wheat soilborne mosaic virus. NE01481 was selected from the cross NE92458/'Ike' that was made in 1995. The pedigree of NE92458 is OK83201/'Redland' and the pedigree of OK83201, an experimental line developed by Oklahoma State University is 'Vona'//'Chisholm'/'Plainsman V'. NE01481 was selected with the bulk- breeding method as an F 3:4 line in 1999, and in 2001 it was assigned experimental line number NE01481. NE01481 was released because of its superior grain yield in rainfed wheat production systems in southeastern, south central, and southwestern Nebraska and that it is the fi rst modern release from our program with resistance to Wheat soilborne mosaic virus.

Water for irrigation is a major constraint in the Great Plains, and it is expected that the proportion of irrigated crop land to grow irrigated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), which requires less water than other crops, will increase to conserve irrigation water. ‘NI04421’ (Reg. No. CV-1064, PI 659690) hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed cooperatively by the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA-ARS and released in 2010 by the developing institutions and the Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station. NI04421 was released primarily for its superior performance under irrigation and rainfed conditions in western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming. NI04421 was selected from the cross NE96644/Wahoo (sib) where the pedigree of NE96644 is ‘Odesskaya P’/‘Cody’//‘Pavon 76’/*3 ‘Scout 66’. The cross was made in the spring of 1998. NI04421 was selected using a modifi ed bulk-breeding method as an F 3:4 line (F 3 -derived line in the F 4 generation) in 2002, and in 2004 was assigned experimental line number NI04421. After extensive testing, it was released in July 2010.

With 1 figure and 4 tables Abstract Grain protein concentration (GPC) impacts the end-use quality of products made from flour extracted from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain; therefore, it is a high priority in wheat improvement efforts. Recently, researchers determined that the Gpc-B1 gene increases the rate of senescence in wheat, consequently increasing GPC. The objective of this study was to incorporate the Gpc-B1 gene into regionally adapted hard red spring wheat cultivars ‘Tara 2002’ and ‘Scarlet’ to evaluate the impact of this gene under irrigated and rainfed production conditions. Three isogenic derivates with and three without Gpc-B1 were evaluated in replicated field trials in Pullman, WA, in 2006 and 2007 in a split-plot design, with genotype and production system as the main- and subplot factors, respectively. Increased senescence rates (1.8 days earlier; P = 0.03) were only detected for Tara 2002 isolines with the Gpc-B1 gene in 2007 when averaged across irrigation conditions. Increased GPC (0.5%; P = 0.01) was only detected in Tara 2002 isolines with the gene in 2006, although no increases in senescence were detected. Significant (P

NH03614 CL' (Reg. No. CV-1051, PI 653833) hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed cooperatively by the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA-ARS and released in 2008 by the developing institutions and the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and the Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station. In addition to researchers at the releasing institutions, USDA-ARS researchers at Manhattan, KS and St. Paul, MN participated in the development of NH03614 CL. NH03614 CL was selected from the cross 'Wesley' sib//'Millennium' sib/'Above' sib that was made in the spring of 1997 to develop new herbicide-tolerant cultivars. NH03614 CL was selected using the bulk breeding method as an F 3:4 line (F 3 -derived line in the F 4 generation) in 2001, and in 2003 was assigned experimental line number NH03164. NH03614 CL was released primarily for its herbicide tolerance to imadazolinone compounds which control many previously diffi cult-to-control weeds in wheat production systems, and for its superior adaptation to rainfed wheat production systems in Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, and counties in adjacent states.

Canola oil is high in oleic acid which is commonly used for food and industrial purposes. To determine adaptability of spring canola (Brassica napus L.) to the High Plains for industrial oil production, 26 irrigated trials were conducted from 2005 to 2008. Trials were divided into five regions—1: 36–37°N 108°W; 2: 39–40°N 101–103°W; 3: 41–42°N 102–103°W; 4: 41–42°N 104°W; 5: 43–44°N 106–108°W. Cultural practices were based on site-specific protocols. Four cultivars, Hyola 401, Hyola 357 Magnum, SW Marksman, and SW Patriot, were planted in replicated plots in April or May under standard irrigation and harvested in July to October depending on region. Seed yield Hyola 401 and Hyola 357 Magnum were higher than SW Marksman and SW Patriot across the five regions and within Regions 1, 2, 3, and 5. Regions 1, 2 and 3 yielded significantly greater than did Regions 4 and 5. Samples from 18 trials were examined for their oil content and fatty acid distribution. The four cultivars had greater than 38% oil content; SW Marksman and SW Patriot had higher oil content than Hyola 401 and Hyola 357 Mag. Higher oil content was achieved in Regions 1, 4 and 5. Across and within regions, the percent of oleic acid did not differ for the four cultivars. The mean content of oleic acid decreased going north from Region 2 to Region 5, as did seed yield in the High Plains. Linoleic acid increased going north from Region 1. Linolenic acids showed little variation across regions. Considering yield and total oil content together, growing spring canola would be excellent in the High Plains.

Scope This study aims to characterize the effect of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seed and its phytoceutical trigonelline in antimetabolic inflammation and ameliorating overproduction of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) in insulin resistance. Methods and results Two groups of genetic hyperlipidemic mice generated by depletion of cAMP responsive element binding protein H (CREBH) are fed either a chow containing 2% fenugreek seed or vehicle for 7 weeks. Q-RT-PCR and immunoblotting analysis demonstrated that fenugreek seed containing diet inhibits hepatic SREBP-1c activation and the subsequent de novo lipogenesis by enhancing expression of insulin-inducible gene-1 (Insig-1) and gene-2 (Insig-2). mRNA expression of PPARα and its target genes that are involved in fatty acid β-oxidation are also upregulated in the fenugreek seed fed-mice which is accompanied by significantly reduced hepatic lipid accumulation and VLDL secretion, improved endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and ameliorated metabolic inflammation. These actions enhance insulin sensitivity and improve hyperlipidemia. In vitro, treating a rat hepatoma cell line, McA-RH7777 (McA), with trigonelline is able to recapitulate the results observed in vivo. Conclusions This study unveils a novel mechanism of fenugreek seed and trigonelline in countering hepatic VLDL overproduction and insulin resistance by enhancing the Insig signaling pathways and ameliorating metabolic inflammatory stress in the liver.