Repression of barley cathepsins, HvPap-19 and HvPap-1, differentially alters grain composition and delays germination.

During barley germination, cysteine proteases are essential in the mobilization of storage compounds providing peptides and amino acids to sustain embryo growth until photosynthesis is completely established. Knockdown barley plants, generated by artificial miRNA, for the cathepsins B- and F-like HvPap-19 and HvPap-1 genes, respectively, showed less cysteine protease activities and consequently lower protein degradation. The functional redundancy between proteases triggered an enzymatic compensation associated with an increase in serine protease activities in both knockdown lines, which was not sufficient to maintain germination rates and behaviour. Concomitantly, these transgenic lines showed alterations in the accumulation of protein and carbohydrates in the grain. While the total amount of protein increased in both transgenic lines, the starch content decreased in HvPap-1 knockdown lines and the sucrose concentration was reduced in silenced HvPap-19 grains. Consequently, phenotypes of HvPap-1 and HvPap-19 artificial miRNA lines showed a delay in the grain germination process. These data demonstrate the potential of exploring the properties of barley proteases for selective modification and use in brewing or in the livestock feeding industry.

Combined Influences of Water Content and Coarse Grain Content on Shear Strength of Unsaturated Soil Mixture.

An interlayer existed between the ballast layer and subgrade in the conventional railway substructure. Considering that the shear strength τ of the interlayer soil was influenced by the changes in the ballast grain content and water content, this aspect was explored in the present study. Monotonic triaxial tests were fulfilled, which considered five coarse grain contents fv and three water contents of fine soil wf. The results showed that the growth in fv contributed to an increment in τ of the soil mixture under both saturation and unsaturation. Conversely, in previous studies, the growth of fv induced an increment in τ under saturation, but a decline in that under unsaturation. This was explained by the competing influences of fv and suction ψ: in previous studies, increasing fv induced a decline in the dry density of the fine soil fraction ρd-f, which contributed to a decline in ψ. When the negative influence of declining ψ outweighed the positive influence of the incrementing fv, the τ of the soil mixture decreased. Meanwhile, modelling of the τ-ψ relationship in the soil mixture with varying fv was performed. This proposed model was examined using the test results from both the present and previous studies, which shows its reasonably good performance.

Automated Quantification of the Behaviour of Beef Cattle Exposed to Heat Load Conditions.

Cattle change their behaviour in response to hot temperatures, including by engaging in stepping that indicates agitation. The automated recording of these responses would be helpful in the timely diagnosis of animals experiencing heat loading. Behavioural responses of beef cattle to hot environmental conditions were studied to investigate whether it was possible to assess behavioural responses by video-digitised image analysis. Open-source automated behavioural quantification software was used to record pixel changes in 13 beef cattle videorecorded in a climate-controlled chamber during exposure to a simulated typical heat event in Queensland, Australia. Increased digitised movement was observed during the heat event, which was related to stepping and grooming/scratching activities in standing animals. The 13 cattle were exposed in two cohorts, in which the first group of cattle (n = 6) was fed a standard finisher diet based on a high percentage of cereal grains, and the second group of cattle (n = 7) received a substituted diet in which 8% of the grains were replaced by lucerne hay. The second group displayed a smaller increase in digitised movements on exposure to heat than the first, suggesting less discomfort under hot conditions. The results suggest that cattle exposed to heat display increased movement that can be detected automatically by video digitisation software, and that replacing some cereal grain with forage in the diet of feedlot cattle may reduce the measured activity responses to the heat.

Boosting Whole-Grain Utilization in the Consumer Market: A Case Study of the Oldways Whole Grains Council's Stamped Product Database.

Whole grains are a vital part of a healthy diet, yet there are insufficient data on the whole-grain content of commercial food products. The purpose of this research is to examine the long-term change in (1) measured whole grains in food products, (2) Whole Grain Stamp usage and (3) the prominence of whole-grain ingredients and product categories, across the United States and Latin America. These changes were quantified by analyzing the Oldways Whole Grains Council's (WGC) Stamped Product Database from 2007 to 2020. Mean whole grains increased 36-76%, from 19 grams to 25.8 grams per serving in the U.S. and 18.1 grams to 31.9 grams per serving in Latin America. Whole Grain Stamp usage worldwide has increased from 250 products in 2005 to more than 13,000 products in 2020. These findings suggest that manufacturers are increasing the percentage of the grain that is whole in their products and developing more whole-grain products for consumers, thus providing an opportunity for consumers to meet national-level whole-grain recommendations.

Zinc Enrichment in two Contrasting Genotypes of Triticum aestivum L. Grains: Interactions between Edaphic Conditions and Foliar Fertilizers.

This study aimed to assess the implications of Zn enrichment in wheat grains as a function of contrasting genotypes, edaphic conditions and foliar fertilizers. Triticum aestivum L. varieties Roxo and Paiva were grown in four production fields, and sprayed with ZnSO4 (0, 16.20 and 36.40 kg/ha) Zn-EDTA (0, 6.30 and 12.60 kg/ha) and Tecnifol Zinc (0, 3.90 and 7.80 kg/ha). The heterogeneous edaphic conditions of the wheat fields were chemically characterized, it being found that soil properties determine different Zn accumulation in the grains of both genotypes. Foliar spraying enhanced to different extents Zn content in the grains of both genotypes, but the average of enrichment indexes varied among the wheat fields. Zinc mostly accumulated in the embryo and vascular bundle and to a lesser extent in the endosperm. Grain yield and test weight sprayed by ZnSO4 gave the highest values in both genotypes, but the opposite was found for Zn-EDTA. Considering the color parameters, lightness and red-green transitions were found to be a conjunction of genotype characteristics, fertilization types and edaphic conditions prevailing in each field. It is concluded that the index of Zn enrichment in wheat grains is a docket of edaphic conditions, genotype and type of fertilization.