Effect of Ethanol Solvents on Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Properties of Seed Extracts of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Varieties and Determination of Phenolic Composition by HPLC-ESI-MS

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) is one of the oldest cultivated plants grown for its leaves and seeds that are used for both culinary and medicinal purpose. This study aims to evaluate the effect of ethanol concentration (30, 50, 70 and 96% (v/v) of ethanol in water) as a solvent for the extraction of total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant properties (antiradical activity (ARA), transition metal reducing power (TMRP), iron chelating ability (ICA)) of seed extracts of spring variety Ovari 4 (FSV) and winter variety PSZ.G.SZ (FWV) fenugreek, and separate and identify the major phenolics of the extracts by HPLC-ESI-MS. The results indicated that 70% ethanol solution resulted in the maximum amount of TPC for both FSV and FWV seeds. The TPC decreased in the treatments in the following order: 70% ethanol > 96% ethanol > 50% ethanol > 30% ethanol, whereas extraction yield changed in a different manner: 30% ethanol > 50% ethanol > 70% ethanol > 96% ethanol. The extracts from seeds of both fenugreek varieties obtained with 70% and 96% ethanol showed equal high RSA while superior TMRP and ICA were observed in 70% ethanol extracts. The TMRP and ICA were strongly correlated with TPC for both varieties. The correlation between RSA and TPC was high, but not significant. Thus, the obtained data indicate the 70% ethanol solvent suitability for efficient extraction of phenolic compounds from seeds of the FWV and FSV. According to an HPLC-ESI-MS analysis, the polyphenolic profiles of fenugreek are presumably formed by flavone C-glycosides with apigenin or luteolin as aglycone linked with different glycones. High antioxidant activity of FWV seeds can be an adaptation to cold stress of the winter variety aimed at strengthening the antioxidant defense of the germinating seeds.

Fusarium Head Blight and Associated Mycotoxins in Grains and Straw of Barley: Influence of Agricultural Practices

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating fungal disease of small-grain cereals that causes significant yield losses and mycotoxin contamination, diminishing food and feed safety worldwide. In contrast to wheat, little is known about the agricultural practices that influence FHB and Fusarium mycotoxins in barley. Thus, a nationwide survey was conducted across Switzerland for harvest samples in 2016 and 2017, accompanied with a questionnaire to obtain information about the agricultural practices in each barley field. In total, 253 grain and 237 straw samples were analyzed. In both years, F. graminearum was the predominant Fusarium species in grains followed by F. avenaceum and F. poae. Growing maize before barley was associated with increased amount of F. graminearum DNA in grains and straw as well as with elevated concentrations of deoxynivalenol in grains of barley. On the other hand, growing pasture before barley resulted in increased incidence of F. poae and concentration of numerous mycotoxins in grains (e.g., enniatins) and straw (e.g., beauvericin). Reduced tillage practices were linked to increased incidence of F. graminearum and deoxynivalenol content in grains and straw. In contrast, conventional tillage was linked to higher incidence of F. poae. Moreover, use of spring barley was associated with decreased amount of F. graminearum DNA in grains and straw, but increased incidence of F. poae and F. avenaceum. Use of the spring variety Eunova was linked to increased concentrations of several Fusarium mycotoxins in grains (e.g., enniatins and nivalenol). Furthermore, the application of strobilurin-based fungicides was associated with higher deoxynivalenol and beauvericin contents in grains. The application of plant growth regulators was associated with increased concentration of some Fusarium mycotoxins in grains (e.g., culmorin), while absence of growth regulators application was linked to elevated concentration of some other mycotoxins (e.g., nivalenol). We conclude that individual agricultural practices can suppress some FHB causing species and reduce the associated mycotoxins, but can promote others. Hence, integrated control measures combining numerous prevention and intervention strategies should be applied for the sustainable management of mycotoxins in barley.

Comparison of Light Condition-Dependent Differences in the Accumulation and Subcellular Localization of Glutathione in Arabidopsis and Wheat

This study aimed to clarify whether the light condition-dependent changes in the redox state and subcellular distribution of glutathione were similar in the dicotyledonous model plant Arabidopsis (wild-type, ascorbate- and glutathione-deficient mutants) and the monocotyledonous crop species wheat (Chinese Spring variety). With increasing light intensity, the amount of its reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) form and the GSSG/GSH ratio increased in the leaf extracts of both species including all genotypes, while far-red light increased these parameters only in wheat except for GSH in the GSH-deficient Arabidopsis mutant. Based on the expression changes of the glutathione metabolism-related genes, light intensity influences the size and redox state of the glutathione pool at the transcriptional level in wheat but not in Arabidopsis. In line with the results in leaf extracts, a similar inducing effect of both light intensity and far-red light was found on the total glutathione content at the subcellular level in wheat. In contrast to the leaf extracts, the inducing influence of light intensity on glutathione level was only found in the cell compartments of the GSH-deficient Arabidopsis mutant, and far-red light increased it in both mutants. The observed general and genotype-specific, light-dependent changes in the accumulation and subcellular distribution of glutathione participate in adjusting the redox-dependent metabolism to the actual environmental conditions.

Agroeconomic Assessment of Utilization Biologics in the Cultivation of Spring Barley in the Conditions of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine

The results of research conducted in 2016‒2018 on the southern chernozem andthe effect of two varieties of spring barley extra-root feed on the formation of grain productivityare given. Based on the results obtained, indicators of agroeconomic efficiency and their changewere determined under the influence of this event (as one of the most important elements of technology)in growing the crop, including in terms of varieties. Despite the increase in productioncosts, the treatment of plant seeding with biologics contributed to a certain increase in notional netprofit, which increased with the number of feeds, reaching the highest values if used to optimizethe nutrition of Fresh florid (300 g/ha). One feeding of Stalker variety is determined at the levelof 5927, two feeding ‒ 6890, three ‒ 7320 UAH, and 3857 UAH/ha ‒ in control. The mentionedindicators were 5968, 6808, 7771 and 3980 UAH/ha, respectively, when the spring barley varietyVakula was grown. One of the most important indicators of economic efficiency decreased‒ the cost of growing a unit of production with an increase in the number of extracurricular feeding.The lowest indicator was the cost price of production of top – dressing with Fresh florid(300 g/ha ‒ according to the Stalker variety): with one extracorporeal sowing ‒ 2269.4; two treatments‒ 2173.5, and three ‒ 2166.7 UAH/t; in control, this indicator was 2638.5 UAH/t. Thesevalues were, respectively, 2262.3; 2185,8; 2105.4 and 2608.0 UAH/t when the barley spring varietyVakula was growing. The use of other biological preparations led to a certain increase in thecost of growing spring barley. The highest values were recorded when using Organic D-2 M withonly one feeding in the plant phase. In this version of the experiment the cost of growing a unitof production even slightly exceeded control, when Vakula variety was grown. The cultivation ofspring barley on the basis of resource saving using modern re-regulating substances and biologicalpreparations is advisable, because it increases not only the level of grain yield, but also themain indicators of agro-economic efficiency - net profit and profitability, and unit cost, on thecontrary, decreases. It was established that by optimizing the nutrition of spring barley on thebasis of resource saving by treating crops in the main growing seasons with biological products,along with increasing grain yield and changes in its quality, other indicators of agro-economicefficiency of crop production increase. The level of profitability in control (treatment of plantswith water) for the cultivation of barley of the spring variety Stalker was 59.2%, then in themost optimal food options it reached 93.8%, and for the Vakula variety they were determined61.0 and 99.5% respectively. The obtained agroeconomic indicators in the cultivation of springbarley made it possible to substantiate the following claims: the use of biologics to treat thesowing of spring barley plants during the main periods of vegetation increases the yield and costof grown grain. It was determined that the level of profitability of growing spring barley witha large number of feeds grew. The indicator reached its maximum value with three times theplanting of barley plants of the spring variety Vakula with Fresh florid, that is, 300 g/ha (99.5%).Two plant crops with this drug provided profitability at the level of 99.1%, and one ‒ 85.6, (incontrol ‒ 61.0%). The highest profitability of cultivation was ensured by the use of Fresh florid(300 g/ha) for optimizing nutrition three times for vegetation ‒in the phases of tillering, shootingand heading. The lowest level of profitability was ensured by the use of the preparation OrganicD-2 M for feeding barley of the spring variety Vakula: one treatment of plants ‒ at the level of60.6%, two ‒ 72.5, three treatments ‒ 78.2%. According to the results of research conductedwith two varieties of spring barley, the best biological product and terms of fertilization weredetermined in order to increase grain yield and improve its quality and agro-economic efficiencybased on the calculation of cost economic indicators. The expediency of nutrition optimizationby using modern biological products for spring barley cultivation has been confirmed.

Effect of Deltamethrin on the Leaf Miner (Liriomyza cicerina) of Chickpea and its Parasitoids

The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of chemical treatments on larvae and adults of the chickpea leaf miner (Liriomyza cicerina) and its parasitoids. The study was conducted according to the split-plot design with three replicates, during the cropping seasons 2016 and 2017 in the northwestern Tunisia. Deltamethrin treatments were applied on winter and spring chickpea varieties (Nour and Amdoun, respectively) when the pest density reached a level of 2-3 larvae/leaf in 50% of plants in the field. The number of emerged parasitoids and pest adults were recorded, and parasitism rates were investigated after treatments. Results revealed that the number of captured pest adults has been reduced in treated plots compared to control ones. Respective reduction rates attained 64.15% and 60.17% for Nour and Amdoun varieties during 2017. Additionally, the highest and the lowest parasitism rates were recorded respectively for Opius monilicornis 26.09% on control samples and for Diaulinopsis arenaria 2.88% on treated samples of Nour variety. In all experiments, L. cicerina larvae adults and parasitoids mortalities were higher for the spring variety. Hence, the use of more selective insecticides should be recommended to reduce the negative side-effects on the chickpea leafminer natural enemies.

Effect of Gibberellic Acid on Growing-Point Development of Non-Vernalized Wheat Plants under Long-Day Conditions

The goal of this study was to determine whether the application of gibberellic acid (GA3) to seeds of common wheat varieties with different vernalization and photoperiod requirements affects the transition from vegetative to generative stage. Three varieties of wheat with different photoperiod sensitivities and vernalization were selected for the experiment—the winter varieties, Mironovskaya and Bezostaya, and the spring variety, Sirael. Seeds were treated with different concentrations of GA3 and plants were grown under long-day conditions with monitoring of their photosynthetic activity (Fv/Fm, Pn, E, gs). We monitored the activity of the photosynthetic apparatus by checking the plants to see if they were growing properly. The phenological stages of the wheat species were checked for indications of a transition from the vegetative to the generative stage. Selected concentrations of GA3 had no effect on the compensation of the vernalization process (transition to the generative phase). Chlorophyll fluorescence was one of the factors for monitoring stress. The variety, Bezostaya, is similar to the spring variety, Sirael, in its trends and values. The growth conditions of Bezostaya and Sirael were not affected by the activity of the photosynthetic apparatus. The development of growing points in winter varieties occurred at the prolonged single ridge stage. The spring variety reached the stage of head emergence after sixty days of growth (changes to the flowering phase did not appear in winter wheat). Application of GA3 to the seeds had no effect on the transition of the growing point to the double-ridge generative stage. The present study highlights the priming effect of GA3 on seeds of common wheat varieties with different vernalization and photoperiod requirements as it affected the transition from vegetative to generative stage.

Phenotypic diversity of bread wheat lines with introgressions from the diploid cereal Aegilops speltoides for technological properties of grain and f lour

The creation of varieties adapted to changing environmental conditions, resistant to various pathogens, and satisfying various grain purposes is impossible without using the genetic diversity of wheat. One of the ways to expand the genetic diversity of wheat is to introduce new variants of genes from the genetic pool of congeners and wild relatives into the genotypes of existing varieties. In this study, we used 10 lines from the Arsenal collection created on the genetic basis of the spring variety ‘Rodina’ and the diploid species Aegilops speltoides in the Federal Research Center “Nemchinovka” in 1994. The lines were previously characterized for the presence of translocations and chromosomal rearrangements cytologically and using molecular markers. Technological analyses were performed on grain obtained in Western Siberia and Moscow region. The aim of this study was to establish the possibilities of expanding the phenotypic diversity for technological properties of grain and flour as a result of such hybridization of bread wheat and the diploid cereal Aegilops speltoides. The variety ‘Rodina’ forms a vitreous grain with a high gluten content in Siberia, but has low physical properties of flour and dough. Five derived lines were found to have significantly higher protein and gluten content in grain. The highest values under both growing conditions were found in lines 73/00i, 82/00i, and 84/00i. Two lines (69/00i and 76/00i) showed a high flour strength and dough elasticity, characterizing the lines as strong and valuable in quality. These lines can be used for baking bread. Line 82/00i inherited from Ae. speltoides a soft-grain endosperm, which indicates the introgression of the Ha-Sp gene, homoeoallelic to the Ha gene of bread wheat, into ‘Rodina’. Flour of this line is suitable for the manufacture of confectionery without the use of technological additives. The lines generally retained their characteristics in different growing conditions. They can be attracted as donors of new alleles of genes that determine the technological properties of grain and resistance to biotic stresses.

INFLUENCE OF TECHNOLOGICAL METHODS OF SPRING BARLEY OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE RIGHT BANK FOREST-STEPPE ZONES

The barley is traditionally one of the leading cereal crops and occupies significant areas in Ukraine. However, despite the great potential of crop productivity, the yield and gross harvests of its grain are low and unstable by year, which is due to a complex of meteorological, agrobiological and agro-technical factors. The cumulative manifestation of negative factors or phenomena, or the significant prevalence of one of them, determines the size of the annual crop failure. The research was to identify the agrobiological features of spring barley and define the need to develop effective technological measures for its cultivation, aimed at increasing the adaptability of plants to adverse environmental conditions, taking into account the variation of weather factors, the genotype of the variety, its response to the use of micro and macro-fertilizers appropriate doses, methods and timing of their use depending on the preceding crops (winter wheat, corn a) in the conditions of economy. To achieve this goal it was supposed to solve the following problems: - to establish the influence of technological measures of cultivation on field germination and density of standing plants of spring barley; - to investigate the features of growth, development and formation of the density of plant stem depending on the precursor and the use of micro- and macro-fertilizers and biological products; - to find out the influence of complex application of mineral fertilizers and biological products on assimilation activity and water consumption of crops - determine the growth rate of the above-ground mass of plants under the influence of the investigated agromeasures; - to identify the peculiarities of the elements formation of the ear structure, yield and quality of grain under the influence of the complex action of agro-technical factors; The scientific novelty of the study is determined by the fact that, for the first time, , the patterns of plant growth and development, the productivity of barley spring variety Sovir are revealed in the conditions of the Forest-Steppe of the Right Bank. It is theoretically substantiated and experimentally proved the possibility of stabilizing the productivity of spring barley crops by enhancing the adaptive functions of plants by selecting preceding crops, using biological products and fertilizers. The results of the influence of the complex application of micro- and macro-fertilizers and biological products on the growth processes of spring barley, the peculiarities of the increase of the above-ground mass of plants, the formation of elements of the structure of the yield, the economic evaluation of the studies. Key words: barley, hydrothermal conditions, inoculation, structural analysis, grain, yield.

Endemic wheats of China as resources for breeding

Aim. To present the wheat endemics of China as source material for breeding and historical heritage. Results and Discussion. Wheat in China is the second most widely distributed cereal crop after rice. It is cultivated in China from the extreme northern border to the southern one, at altitudes from 154 m below sea level to 4450 m above sea level. The Chinian wheat is originated from South-West and West Asia and has a history of more than 2.8 thousand years. Since ancient times, the wheat species have been grown in China: bread (Triticum aestivum L.), compactum (T. compactum Host), polonicum (T. polonicum L.), turgidum (T. turgidum L.), durum (T. durum Desf.), turanian (T. turanicum Jakubz.). The Chinese ancient bread wheats are of interest for breeders because presence among them of early ripening, multi-flowering with the grain number in a spikelet up to 7-8 and in the ear up to 90-100, drought and winter hardy, resistant to powdery mildew and leaf rust; forms with good crossability with rye and Aegilops species. Among the endemic Chinese wheat, an important place belongs to the Chinese Spring variety which played an outstanding role in wheat genetics; super dwarfs Tom Pouce and Tibetan Dwarf; three-grain wheat, in which 3 grains are formed in one flower; Charklyk ancient wheat – a boneless form of polonicum wheat; dwarf blue wheat turgidum – with a strong waxy coating; Taigu-Male-Sterile Wheat – with gene male sterility; a wheats having species and subspecies status: wheat of Petropavlovskyi – Triticum petropavlovskyi Udacz. et Migusch.; Tibetan wheat – T. spelta L. ssp. tibetanum (Shao) N.P. Gontsch comb. nov .; Yunnan wheat – T. spelta L. ssp. yunnanse (King ex S.L. Chen) N.P. Gontsch comb. nov. The origin and genetic characteristics of China's endemic wheats are discussed. Conclusions. China's wheat endemics need careful study and conservation as a reserve of valuable genes and their complexes for breeding, and as an embodiment of the history, culture, talent and work of the people who created them, and an integral part of human cultural heritage.

The Influence of Genotype and Environment on Arabinoxylan and Beta-glucan Contents in Grain of Spring Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Arabinoxylan and beta-glucan contents are limiting factors for a wider use of barley production. Arabinoxylan and beta-glucan contents were assessed in grain samples in sets of seven malting hulled varieties, three hull-less lines and one hull-less spring variety grown in the localities of Branišovice, Žabčice, and Kroměříž in 2009 to 2011. Further, the effect of growing technologies on the level of these non-starch polysaccharides was studied. Variability of arabinoxylan contents was affected most significantly by a genotype and growing technology whereas variability of beta-glucan contents was mostly affected by a genotype and growing environment (interaction of year with locality). The highest values of arabinoxylans and beta-glucans were determined in the grain samples of hull-less lines (KM 1057: 6.16% of arabinoxylans and KM 2084: 6.41% of beta-glucans) and on the contrary, the lowest values of arabinoxylans were found in the grain of hull-less variety AF Lucius (3.85%) and lowest amounts of beta-glucans were found in malting variety Radegast (3.92%). The samples of the growing technology without fungicide treatment had on average more arabinoxylans and beta-glucans than the fungicide non-treated ones.