Climate change is a reality and will affect the poor in developing countries in many ways. The effectiveness of global change research could be substantially improved by linking International ...Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) study with Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centres based in the tropics. These centres are carrying interdisciplinary research and development on how to achieve food security and reduce rural poverty through the innovative management of natural resources. A CGIAR intercentre working group on climate change (ICWG-CC) identified joint opportunities that take advantage of the comparative advantages of both institutions. CGIAR centres will focus on adaptation and mitigation research in developing countries. A natural resource management research approach is suggested, which consists of six steps: (1) identifying and quantifying the extent of food insecurity, rural poverty and resource degradation; (2) conducting technological and policy research on economic and environmental functions; (3) optimising the trade-offs between global environmental benefits and private farmer benefits; (4) extrapolating and disseminating results, including research on policy implementation; (5) assessing impact and (6) providing feedback.
Two examples of current CGIAR research illustrate this approach. Agroforestry alternatives to slash and burn (ASB) agriculture at tropical forest margins were identified and the trade-offs between carbon sequestration and farmer profitability provided options to policy makers. Land tenure problems were resolved with participatory policy research. Agroforestry practices sequester an additional 57
Mg C per ha, three times that of croplands or grasslands are able to do. Soil nutrient capital is being replenished in subhumid tropical Africa through improved leguminous tree fallows, rock phosphate and biomass transfers of
Tithonia diversifolia, helping farmers to attain food security. Afterwards, when farmers shift to high-value tree or vegetable crop production, poverty is reduced. The transformation of low productivity croplands to sequential agroforestry is estimated to triple system carbon stocks in 20
years.
The effect of temperature during grain filling on eating and cooking quality of early‐season indica rice was investigated by using four cultivars with different amylose content. Starting from ...flowering stage until maturity, the plants of all cultivars were subjected to two temperature treatments, referred as optimum (mean daily air temperature, 22 °C) and high (32 °C) temperature regimes. The results showed that the effect of high temperature on apparent amylose content and gel consistency in milled rice was cultivar‐dependent. Under high temperature, amylose content increased for cv. Jiayu353 and remained little changed for cv. Guangluai4, which had intrinsically higher amylose content, and decreased for cv. Zhefu49 and cv. Jiazao935, which had lower amylose content. By contrast, high temperature reduced or kept stable gel consistency values for cultivars with higher amylose content and increased gel consistency values for those with lower amylose content. Moreover, high temperature significantly increased the gelatinization temperature of all cultivars. Pasting profiles and X‐ray diffraction pattern of rice were also affected by temperature. The results suggest that high temperature during grain filling change the component and crystalline structure of starch and result in deterioration of eating and cooking quality for early‐season indica rice.
Development of high yielding wheat (
Triticum aestivum
L.) varieties with acceptable end-use quality is a major focus in breeding programs worldwide. Variations in molecular weight (Mw) distribution ...of endosperm proteins are known to influence end-use quality traits. This paper reports the relationship of the size-exclusion high performance liquid chromatography (SE-HPLC) profile of endosperm proteins with grain yield. Flour samples were previously analyzed for Mw distribution of sodium-dodecyl sulfate (SDS) extractable and unextractable proteins using the SE-HPLC protocol. Correlations were calculated between grain yield and HPLC absorbance data obtained at 0.01-min retention time intervals. Although both SDS-extractable and unextractable proteins had positive correlations with grain protein content, only SDS-unextractable very high Mw polymeric proteins (UVHP) had no negative association with grain yield, while SDS-extractable fractions rich in low Mw polymeric proteins had a negative correlation (
r
= −0.41) with grain yield. These results suggest that in an effort to increase grain yield, breeding programs should target grain yield and also increase levels of UVHP and decrease SDS-extractable polymeric proteins, thereby, maintaining acceptable bread-making quality.
Olea europaea (Oleaceae) leaves of 14 different cultivars have been studied by a new isocratic HPLC method. Qualitative and quantitative determinations of principal compounds were established for ...each cultivar. Oleuropein concentration was determined for each sampled tree, using coumarin as internal standard. Bid el Haman, Chemlali, Meski, Cailletier, Tanche, a Verdale−Picholine hybrid, and Lucques, in particular, had high oleuropein concentrations and could be useful sources for industrial extractions. Keywords: Olea europaea; Oleaceae; cultivars; phenolic compounds; oleuropein; HPLC analysis; NMR
Rice bran contains high amounts of beneficial antioxidants including tocopherols, tocotrienols, and oryzanols. Current rice milling technology produces rice bran from different layers of the kernel ...caryopsis. Under current practices, these layers are combined and then steam-extruded to form a stabilized rice bran pellet that is storage-safe prior to oil extraction. Each of these rice bran intermediates can vary in antioxidant content. The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in selected antioxidants in rice bran from both long- and medium-grain rice during commercial milling and bran processing. Rice bran collected from various milling breaks of a commercial system had varying antioxidant levels. Bran collected after milling break 2 had the highest levels of tocopherol and tocotrienol. Oryzanol concentration was significantly higher in outer bran layers. Results also indicate that the long-grain rice bran averaged approximately equal to 15% more antioxidants than the medium-grain rice bran.
Two fibre plants are under cultivation in the European Union - flax on approximately 125,000 ha and hemp on approximately 15,500 ha in the year 2004. Seeds, hurds and especially fibres of hemp are ...used for further processing. The most important markets for hemp fibres produced in the EU are pulp and paper and the automotive industry. Just under 5% of the EU hemp fibres were used in the construction sector. Approximately 95% the whole production of 40,000 t of the hemp hurds are used as animal bedding and 95% of the estimated 6000 t per year hemp seeds are sold for animal feed, mainly as bird feed.PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to determine the effects of row spacing (RS) and irrigation (IR) on protein content, oil content, and fatty acid composition of soybeans grown in the Harran region of Turkey. ...Oil content of the seed varied from 20.9 to 22.3%. Oil and protein contents were both affected by year. RS and IR affected protein and oil contents significantly (P < 0.01) in both years. RS of 70 cm had the highest protein content, followed by RS of 60, 40, and 50 cm, respectively. IR every 3rd day resulted in the highest level of protein, followed by 6th, 9th, and 12th day irrigation, respectively. The correlation coefficient (r) between protein and oil content was −0.791 in 1998 and −0.721 in 1999. RS (P < 0.01) and IR (P < 0.01) influenced oleic and linoleic acid contents significantly. Interactions of RS and IR were also found to be significant (P < 0.05) for the oleic and linoleic acid contents of soybeans. Keywords: Soybean; irrigation; row space; oil and protein; fatty acid
In Australian commercial cultivars, each high molecular weight glutenin (Glu-1) homoeologous locus consists of one of two predominant alleles: Glu-A1a (subunit Ax1) or Glu-A1b (subunit Ax2*) at the ...GluA1 locus, Glu-B1b (Bx7 and By8 subunits) or Glu-B1i (Bx17 and By18 subunits) at the Glu-B1 locus, and Glu-D1d (Dx5 and Dy10 subunits) or Glu-D1a (Dx2 and Dy12 subunits) at the Glu-D1 locus. PCR-based assays have been developed in this study to discriminate between these common alleles at each locus. Primers specific for the Glu-A1 Ax2* gene give a single fragment of 1319 bp only in the presence of this gene. Primers targeting the Glu-B1 locus resulted in a co-dominant marker for which the Bx7 genotype produced two fragments (630 bp and 766 bp) and the Bx17 genotype a single fragment (669 bp). The third pair of primers was specific for the Dx5 gene and resulted in a single band of 478 bp. A multiplexed PCR assay was established which permitted the discrimination of the major HMW glutenins in a single PCR reaction and agarose gel assay. As the HMW glutenin composition of a wheat line is extremely important in determining the functional properties of wheat gluten, these markers are useful for the purposes of marker-assisted breeding. These markers may also be useful for the purpose of DNA-based identification of wheat varieties.
Grain texture affects many milling characteristics and end-use qualities in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) such as milling yield, flour particle size, and starch damage. In wheat, grain texture is ...controlled primarily by the two genes puroindoline a (pina) and puroindoline b (pinb) that reside at the Hardness (Ha) locus. Variation in puroindoline activity and abundance is known to influence a variety of milling and baking traits, and the reconstitution of flour with puroindoline A protein (PINA) has been shown to positively affect loaf volume and crumb grain. To investigate which milling and baking traits are affected by the addition of puroindolines in vivo, we transformed the hard red spring wheat cultivar Hi-Line, with genetic constructs driving the expression of pina-D1a, pinb-D1a, or both pina-D1a and pinb-D1a. Transgenic lines exhibited decreased grain hardness and increased puroindoline content. Selected T3 lines were grown in replicated field trials under dry and irrigated conditions. Harvested grain was then milled and baked. Lines transformed with the puroindolines exhibited decreased total flour yields and increased break flour yields, yielding flour with lower protein and ash content. Decreases in loaf volume, mixograph absorption, and crumb grain scores were also observed in transgenic lines having high puroindoline expression. Decreased loaf volume was also observed in whole wheat bakes of transgenic soft wheats vs. normal hard wheat, indicating a direct effect of puroindolines on loaf volume. Puroindoline content did not affect dough mixing times. These results demonstrate that the puroindolines can be used to profoundly influence a variety of milling and bread baking traits in wheat.
