Associations between nutritional composition and farming type of organically and conventionally grown cereals

Objective: To determine the nutritional composition including the health benefitial dietary component β-glucan of different cereals grown by organic and conventional farming, and to find out the influence of the cereal kind and farming method on their values, as well as the possible associations between particular nutritive components in cereal samples and farming type. Material and Methods: 27 different cereal samples grown at three locations were analysed by standard AOAC methods of analysis for their nutritional composition. A mixed-linkage β-glucan assay kit (Megazyme Ireland) was used for determination of the health benefit dietary component β-glucan value. Cereal kind-farming method by chemical-technological trait biplot analysis was done within R 2.9.0 program environment for investigation of associations between average value of cereal nutrients and farming type. Results: A significant increase in the content of ash, dry matter, protein and fat in organically produced cereals was noticed in comparisson with those which were produced either by conventional or in conversion method. Cereal kind-farming method by chemical-technological trait biplot revealed existance of positive and negative associations between the average value of particular cereal nutrient and farming type. Conclusion: Based on the cereal kind-farming method by chemical-technological trait biplot the possibilities are derived that could be used for agronomic practice, breeding and food processing industry at improving the important properties-dry matter, protein, fat, ash, moisture and β-D-glucan in cereal crops. Organic farming method proved to be effective for oat for the all examined chemical–technological traits except moisture and ash, and for barley for dry matter, beta-glucan, ash and protein contents.