Structural and physicochemical effects on the starch quality of the high-quality wheat genotype caused by delayed sowing.

Background: Bread wheat is one of the most important food crops associated with ensuring food security and human nutritional health. The starch quality is an important index of high-quality wheat. It is affected by a complex series of factors; among which, suitable sowing time is a key factor. Aim and methods: To analyze the integrative effects of sowing time on the starch quality of high-quality wheat, in the present study, we selected a high-quality bread wheat cultivar Jinan 17 and investigated the effect of different sowing times on the starch properties and the related genes by analyzing X-ray diffraction patterns, apparent amylose content, thermal properties, pasting properties, in vitro starch digestibility, and qRT-PCR. Meanwhile, we also investigated the agronomic and yield performance that may be associated with the starch properties. Results: Delayed sowing had little effect on starch crystalline morphology, but there was a tendency to reduce the formation of crystals within wheat starch granules: (1) delayed sowing for 15 days altered the thermal properties of starch, including onset, peak and termination temperatures, and enthalpy changes; (2) delayed sowing for 30 days changed the thermal characteristics of starch relatively insignificant; (3) significant differences in pasting characteristics occurred: peak viscosity and hold-through viscosity increased, while final viscosity, breakdown viscosity, and setback viscosity tended to increase and then decrease, suggesting that delayed sowing caused changes in the surface of the starch granules resulting in a decrease in digestibility. Analysis of related genes showed that several key enzymes in starch biosynthesis were significantly affected by delayed sowing, leading to a reduction in apparent straight-chain starch content. In addition to starch properties, thousand-kernel weight also increased under delayed sowing conditions compared with normal sowing. Conclusion: The impact of delayed sowing on starch quality is multifaceted and complex, from the fine structure, and functional properties of the starch to the regulation of key gene expression. Our study holds significant practical value for optimizing wheat planting management and maximizing the potential in both quality and yield.

Standardized agronomic practices for mechanical harvesting of the single-harvest garden pea in India.

The field investigations were conducted at Vegetable Research Farm, Department of vegetable Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana with the objective to standarize the agronomic practices for mechical harvesting of garden pea. Therefore, effect of different agronomic traits including time of sowing, spacing and sowing method on yield and its attributing traits were studied on single-harvest garden pea. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with 30 treatments comprising five dates of sowing in main plots and 2 different planting methods (flat and bed) sown at three different spacing in subplots and replicated three times. The bed size was standardized according to front-loading width of the pea combine. Significant interactions were observed between the date of sowing and spacing for a number of pods per plant, green seeds per pod, green pod yield per plant, green pod yield per plot; date of sowing and sowing method for pod length; spacing and sowing method for plant height. However, for all the traits, there was non-significant 3-way interaction. The late sown (20th December) crop resulted in the least number of pods per plant, green seeds per pod, green pod yield per plant and green pod yield per plot which was due to high temperature and low relative humidity conditions at pod development and filling stage. It is concluded that the garden pea cultivar Punjab-89 sown on 5th November at the spacing of 20 × 7.5 cm on beds (bed width of 1.0 m) resulted in significantly highest green pod yield of 12.75 kg/9 m2 in the single harvest. Therefore, the 3 beds of 1 m width can be harvested together with pea combine (because combine has working front width of 3.1 m) results into maximum yield when pea crops is sown on 5th November @ 20 × 7.5 cm spacing.

Role of priority effects in invasive plant species management: Early arrival of native seeds guarantees the containment of invasion by Giant ragweed.

Empirical evidence shows that early arrival of native species, which induces the priority effects, can contribute to invasive plant species containment. However, more systematic studies are required to test the applied relevance of the priority effect. This study therefore aimed at testing the priority effects generated by different sowing times of seeds of nine native species on one target invasive plant species, that is, Giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida). This study hypothesized that, when sown earlier, some native species will be able to substantially contain A. trifida through resource preemption. An additive competition design was used to test the competitive effects of native species on A. trifida. Depending on the sowing times of native and invasive plant species, three priority treatments were conducted: all species sown at the same time (T1); native species sown 3 weeks before A. trifida (T2); and native species sown 6 weeks before A. trifida (T3). Priority effects created by all nine native species significantly affected the invasibility of A. trifida. The average value of the relative competition index (RCIavg) of A. trifida was the highest when native seeds were sown 6 weeks early and decreased with decreasing early sowing time of native plants. The species identity effect was not significant on RCIavg if natives were sown at the same time or 3 weeks earlier than A. trifida invasion, but it was significant (p = .0123) if they were sown 6 weeks earlier than A. trifida. Synthesis and applications. The findings of this study clearly show that native species, when sown early, provide strong competition and resist invasion through prior utilization of resources. The consideration of this knowledge might improve A. trifida invasion management practices.

Alterations of Oxidative Stress Indicators, Antioxidant Enzymes, Soluble Sugars, and Amino Acids in Mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern and Coss.] in Response to Varying Sowing Time, and Field Temperature.

The impact of elevated temperature at the reproductive stage of a crop is one of the critical limitations that influence crop growth and productivity globally. This study was aimed to reveal how sowing time and changing field temperature influence on the regulation of oxidative stress indicators, antioxidant enzymes activity, soluble sugars (SS), and amino acids (AA) in Indian Mustard. The current study was carried out during the rabi 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 where, five varieties of mustard viz. Pusa Mustard 25 (PM-25) (V1), PM-26 (V2), BPR-541-4 (V3), RH-406 (V4), and Urvashi (V5) were grown under the field conditions on October 30 (normal sowing; S1), November 18 (late sowing; S2) and November 30 (very late sowing; S3) situations. The S1 and S3 plants, at mid-flowering stage, showed a significant variation in accumulation of SS (8.5 and 17.3%), free AA (235.4 and 224.6%), and proline content (118.1 and 133%), respectively, and played a crucial role in the osmotic adjustment under stress. The results showed that S3 sowing, exhibited a significant induction of the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (110.2 and 86.6%) and malondialdehyde (23.5 and 47.5%) concentrations, respectively, which indicated the sign of oxidative stress in plants. Interestingly, the polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase enzyme activities were also significantly increased in S3 plants compared to S1 plants, indicating their significant roles in ameliorating the oxidative stress. Furthermore, the concentration of fatty acid levels such as palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids level also significantly increased in S3 plants, which influenced the seed and oil quality. The study suggests that the late sowing significantly impaired the biochemical mechanisms in Indian mustard. Further, the mustard variety V4 (RH-406) was found to be effective for cultivation as well as environmental stress adoption in Indian soils, and it could be highly useful in breeding for developing heat-tolerant genotypes for ensuring the food security.

Improvement in growth and yield attributes of cluster bean through optimization of sowing time and plant spacing under climate change scenario.

Cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) yield has plateaued due to reduction in rainfall and rise in temperature. Therefore, its production cycle could not get appropriate water and temperature. It becomes important to standardize the sowing time and plant spacing of cluster beans in changing climate scenarios to get higher productivity. Therefore, a field study was conducted in 2019 at the Research area of MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan to evaluate the effect of four sowing times (15th May, 1st June, 15th June, and 1st July) and three plant spacings (10, 12 and 15 cm) on crop growth, yield, and physiological functions of cluster bean genotype BR-2017 under split plot arrangement under randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The sowing times (15th May, 1st June, 15th June, and 1st July) were placed in the main plot, while plant spacing (10, 12 and 15 cm) was maintained in subplots. The significant effect of sowing time and plant spacing was observed on pod plant-1, pod length, grain yield, and 1000-grain weight. Results showed that 1st June sowing performed better over 15th May, 15th June, and 1st July, while plant spacing 15 cm about in all sowing times showed higher results on growth and yield parameters of cluster bean over plant spacing 10, 12, and 15 cm. The 1st June sowing time at 15 cm plant spacing showed 8.0, 22.7, and 28.5% higher grains pod-1 than 15th May, 15th June, and 1st July sowing, respectively. Maximum grain yield was observed on 1st June in all three spacings (10, 12, and 15 cm). The chord diagram indicates that the crop has received optimum environmental conditions when sown 1st June over other sowing times. In conclusion, 1st June sowing with 15 cm plant spacing could be a good option to achieve maximum productivity of cluster bean under changing climate scenario.

Climate change impact uncertainty assessment and adaptations for sustainable maize production using multi-crop and climate models.

Future climate scenarios are predicting considerable threats to sustainable maize production in arid and semi-arid regions. These adverse impacts can be minimized by adopting modern agricultural tools to assess and develop successful adaptation practices. A multi-model approach (climate and crop) was used to assess the impacts and uncertainties of climate change on maize crop. An extensive field study was conducted to explore the temporal thermal variations on maize hybrids grown at farmer's fields for ten sowing dates during two consecutive growing years. Data about phenology, morphology, biomass development, and yield were recorded by adopting standard procedures and protocols. The CSM-CERES, APSIM, and CSM-IXIM-Maize models were calibrated and evaluated. Five GCMs among 29 were selected based on classification into different groups and uncertainty to predict climatic changes in the future. The results predicted that there would be a rise in temperature (1.57-3.29 °C) during the maize growing season in five General Circulation Models (GCMs) by using RCP 8.5 scenarios for the mid-century (2040-2069) as compared with the baseline (1980-2015). The CERES-Maize and APSIM-Maize model showed lower root mean square error values (2.78 and 5.41), higher d-index (0.85 and 0.87) along reliable R2 (0.89 and 0.89), respectively for days to anthesis and maturity, while the CSM-IXIM-Maize model performed well for growth parameters (leaf area index, total dry matter) and yield with reasonably good statistical indices. The CSM-IXIM-Maize model performed well for all hybrids during both years whereas climate models, NorESM1-M and IPSL-CM5A-MR, showed less uncertain results for climate change impacts. Maize models along GCMs predicted a reduction in yield (8-55%) than baseline. Maize crop may face a high yield decline that could be overcome by modifying the sowing dates and fertilizer (fertigation) and heat and drought-tolerant hybrids.

Determining the proper sowing time for the mixture of Hungarian vetch and triticale under continental climate conditions / Determinação da época de semeadura adequada para a mistura de ervilhaca Húngara e triticale em condições climáticas continentais

The research was conducted to determine forage yield and some quality characteristics of Hungarian vetch + triticale mixture, sowed in five different times under rainfed conditions of Central Anatolia, Turkey. The mixture was sowed in the second, third and fourth week of October, and the first and the second week of November in 2017 and 2018. Depending on the sowing times, plant height (PH) of Hungarian vetch and triticale was between 46.7 and 59.4 cm, and 85.9 and 93.4 cm, respectively. Green forage yield (GFY) was between 1746.2 and 2059.4 kg da-1, dry matter yield (DMY) was between 541.0 and 707.6 kg da-1, crude protein yield (CPY) was between 80.4 and 110.3 kg da-1, digestible dry matter yield (DDMY) was between 340.8 and 453.9 kg da-1, acid detergent fiber (ADF) ratio was between 31.8 and 33.7%, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) ratio was between 44.7 and 49.5%, total digestible nutrient (TDN) was between 57.9 and 60.4% and relative feed value (RFV) was between 118.6 and 133.8. Sowing time had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on PH of triticale, while it has a very significant effect (P < 0.01) on GFY, DMY, CPY, DDMY, NDF ratios and RFV. Delaying the sowing time caused a decrease in the GFY, DMY and quality of the mixture. Results revealed that the first week of October is the most appropriate sowing time to obtain high dry matter yield with high quality under continental climate conditions of the Central Anatolia.

A pesquisa foi conduzida para determinar a produção de forragem e algumas características de qualidade da mistura de ervilhaca húngara + triticale, semeada em cinco épocas diferentes em regime de sequeiro na região Central da Anatólia, Turquia. A mistura foi semeada na segunda, terceira e quarta semanas de outubro, e na primeira e segunda semanas de novembro de 2017 e 2018. Dependendo da época de semeadura, a altura da planta (PH) da ervilhaca e triticale húngara foi entre 46,7 e 59,4 cm e 85,9 e 93,4 cm, respectivamente. O rendimento de forragem verde (GFY) ficou entre 1746,2 e 2059,4 kg da-1, o rendimento de matéria seca (DMY) foi entre 541,0 e 707,6 kg da-1, o rendimento de proteína bruta (CPY) foi entre 80,4 e 110,3 kg da-1, digestível seco o rendimento de matéria (DDMY) estava entre 340,8 e 453,9 kg da-1, a proporção da fibra em detergente ácido (FDA) estava entre 31,8 e 33,7%, a proporção da fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) estava entre 44,7 e 49,5%, o nutriente digestível total (NDT) era entre 57,9 e 60,4% e o valor relativo da alimentação (RFV) foi entre 118,6 e 133,8. A época de semeadura teve um efeito significativo (P < 0,05) no PH do triticale, enquanto teve um efeito muito significativo (P < 0,01) nas relações GFY, DMY, CPY, DDMY, FDN e RFV. O atraso na semeadura ocasionou diminuição no GFY, DMY e na qualidade da mistura. Os resultados revelaram que a primeira semana de outubro é a época de semeadura mais adequada para a obtenção de alta produtividade de matéria seca com alta qualidade nas condições climáticas continentais da Anatólia Central.

Optimization of sowing date and irrigation levels for white oats using the CERES-Barley model.

Studies on the use of deficit irrigation and application of models for estimating agronomic performance of crops can help in more sustainable agricultural managements. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of irrigation levels on the agronomic performance of white oat (Avena sativa L.) and accuracy of the CERES-Barley model in simulating white oat growth and yield, as well as performing long-term simulation to identify the best sowing time for each irrigation management. The experiment consisted of five irrigation levels (11%, 31%, 60%, 87%, and 100%), being conducted in two agricultural years in southeastern Brazil. The model was calibrated with data of the treatment without water deficit (100%) of the first year and validated with the data of the other treatments in the 2 years. Long-term analyses, with a historical series of 16 years, were performed to recommend the best sowing dates for each irrigation management. Deficit irrigation linearly reduces the agronomic performance of white oat. The high accuracy of white oat yield estimation (R2 = 0.86; RMSE = 616 kg ha-1) using the CERES-Barley model allowed the long-term simulation for establishing the best sowing date for each irrigation level. For higher irrigation levels, sowing in periods with lower temperature (May and June) is more appropriate, as the 1 °C increment in the average temperature before flowering reduces crop yield by 600 kg ha-1. At irrigation levels with higher deficit, sowing in periods with higher rainfall (March and April) promotes higher crop yield.

Influence of Agricultural Management on Phytochemicals of Colored Corn Genotypes ( Zea mays L.). Part 2: Sowing Time.

Among the agronomic practices carried out in corn cultivation, the early sowing time is increasingly used by farmers of temperate regions to improve yield and reduce mycotoxin contamination of corn grains. The present study determined the influence of sowing time on the phytochemical content of grains of 10 colored genotypes of corn. There was a significant improvement of both grain yield (+26%), thousand kernel weight (+3%), and test weight (+2%) in plots sown early. The early sowing also significantly influenced the chemical composition of corn grains, with an increase in the concentration of cell-wall-bound phenolic acids (+5%) and ß-cryptoxanthin (+23%) and a decrease in the concentration of lutein (-18%) and total anthocyanins (-21%). Environmental conditions that occurred during grain development significantly influenced the phytochemical content of corn grain, and early spring sowing could impart advantages in terms of both productivity and content of some antioxidants of whole-meal corn flour.

Observed and estimated leaf appearance of landrace and improved maize cultivars / Emissão de folhas observada e estimada de cultivares crioulas e melhoradas de milho

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to compare the simulations of leaf appearance of landrace and improved maize cultivars using the CSM-CERES-Maize (linear) and the Wang and Engel models (nonlinear). The coefficients of the models were calibrated using a data set of total leaf number collected in the 11/04/2013 sowing date for the landrace varieties 'Cinquentinha' and 'Bico de Ouro' and the simple hybrid 'AS 1573PRO'. For the 'BRS Planalto' variety, model coefficients were estimated with data from 12/13/2014 sowing date. Evaluation of the models was with independent data sets collected during the growing seasons of 2013/2014 (Experiment 1) and 2014/2015 (Experiment 2) in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Total number of leaves for both landrace and improved maize varieties was better estimated with the Wang and Engel model, with a root mean square error of 1.0 leaf, while estimations with the CSM-CERES-Maize model had a root mean square error of 1.5 leaf.

RESUMO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar a simulação da emissão de folhas de cultivares crioulas e melhoradas de milho realizada pelos modelos CSM-CERES-Maize (linear) e Wang e Engel (não linear). Para tanto, foram realizados dois experimentos nas safras agrícolas de 2013/2014 e 2014/2015 com delineamento de blocos ao acaso. Os coeficientes dos modelos foram calibrados a partir de um conjunto de dados de número de folhas totais de plantas, coletados na semeadura de 04/11/2013 para as cultivares crioulas 'Cinquentinha' e 'Bico de Ouro' e o híbrido simples 'AS 1573PRO'. Para a variedade de polinização aberta melhorada 'BRS Planalto', os coeficientes foram estimados com dados da semeadura de 13/12/2014. A avaliação dos modelos foi realizada com dados independentes de semeaduras dos anos agrícolas 2013/2014 (Experimento 1) e 2014/2015 (Experimento 2) em Santa Maria, RS, Brasil. A melhor estimativa do número total de folhas, tanto para cultivares crioulas como melhoradas, foi obtida com o modelo Wang e Engel. A raiz do quadrado médio do erro do Wang e Engel foi de 1,0 folha, em comparação com o linear CSM-CERES-Maize, em que a raiz do quadrado médio do erro foi de 1,5 folha.

Nitrogen in the production of green and dry mass and the efficiency of nitrogen conversion and apparent recovery of pearl millet cultivars / Nitrogênio na produção de massa verde e seca, eficiência de conversão e recuperação aparente do nitrogênio de cult

The potential of dry (DM) and green (GM) matter yield, plant nitrogen concentration (NC), apparent nitrogen conversion efficiency (NCE) and apparent N recovery (ANR) of pearl millet cultivars with nitrogen fertilization are analyzed. Current experiment was conducted in the municipality of Ceres GO Brazil, within the Cerrado (Brazilian savannah) biome. A 3x4x2 randomized factorial block design was employed, with three repetitions. Treatments were composed of three pearl millet cultivars (ADR-7010, ADR-500 and BRS-1501), four N doses (0, 50, 100 and 200 kg ha-1) and two sowing times (December and February). Plants from each seeding were harvested twice at a height of 0.70 m. There was a significant effect on the interaction between cultivars and N doses. GM yield of ADR-7010 cultivar increased up to 140 kg.ha-1 of N. There was a quadratic effect of N doses on DM yield, with maximum production at 158 kg ha-1 N. The quantity of N extracted by the plants varied according to the cultivar, with BRS-1501 accumulating the highest N quantities in the shoots. Maximum NC of pearl millet shoots would be achieved with 147 kg N ha-1. The highest NCE occurred with N doses of 50 kg ha-1, with a DM yield of 11.60 kg per kg of applied N. ANR was also highest for N doses of 50 kg ha-1, with a 53% maximum recovery.

O presente trabalho de pesquisa teve como objetivo avaliar o potencial produtivo de massa verde e a massa seca da planta inteira, N contido na planta, bem como a eficiência de conversão do N e a recuperação aparente do N de cultivares de milheto, sob doses de nitrogênio, em diferentes épocas de semeadura no município de Ceres, Goiás. O experimento foi instalado em delineamento de blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 3x4x2, constituídos de cultivares de milheto (ADR-7010, ADR-500 e BRS-1501) e doses de N (0, 50, 100 e 200 kg ha-1 de N, aplicados na forma de uréia) o fatorial foi avaliado em duas épocas de semeadura (Dezembro/2010 e Fevereiro/2011). Foram realizados dois cortes em cada época quando as plantas atingiram 0,70 m de altura. Ocorreu efeito significativo da interação entre cultivares e doses de nitrogênio. A produção de massa verde para a cultivar ADR-7010 aumentou até a dose de 140 kg ha-1 de N. Ocorreu efeito quadrático da aplicação das doses de N na produção de MS, a dose para a máxima produção foi de 158 kg ha-1 de N. A quantidade de N extraído pela planta variou de acordo com a cultivar, onde a BRS-1501 acumulou maiores quantidades de N na parte aérea. O máximo teor de nitrogênio contido na parte aérea das plantas de milheto seria atingido com a aplicação de 147 kg N ha-1. A maior eficiência de conversão aparente do nitrogênio ocorreu na dose equivalente a 50 kg ha-1 de N, com produção de 11,60 kg de MS por kg de N aplicado. A recuperação aparente do nitrogênio foi maior para a dose de 50 kg ha-1 de N, com máxima de recuperação de 53%.