Winter rye grain quality of hybrid and population cultivars

AricleRye (Secale cereale L.) is an important European crop used for food that is grown primarily in Eastern, Central and Northern Europe. Consuming rye grain products provides a rich source of dietary fibre as well as several bioactive compounds with potentially positive health implications. The goal of the research was to compare the rye grain quality of hybrid and population cultivars. A field trial was carried out in Priekuli Research Centre, Institute of Agricultural Resourses and Economic (in Latvia) during a three-year period: 2014/2015, 2015/2016, and 2016/2017. The trial included population winter rye cultivars ‘Kaupo’, ‘Amilo’, ‘Dankowskie Amber’ and hybrid rye cultivars ‘Brasetto’, ‘Su Drive’, ‘Su Mephisto’. Rye grain quality indices were analysed at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, in Grain and Seed Research laboratory. Average data in our investigation (three years) show that cultivar, crop-year (weather conditions) and cultivar×crop-year interaction significantly (P < 0.05) affected rye grain protein content, starch content and Hagberg falling number. A significant negative correlation was found between protein content and starch content r = -0.937 (population cultivars grain), r = -0.944 (hybrid cultivars grain), medium strong negative correlation was found between protein content and falling number, respective r = -0.549 and r = -0.573. Differences between hybrid cultivar grain protein content, falling number and starch content comparing with population cultivar grains were not observed. The results of the current research show that the quality of all the studied cultivars meets the requirements for high-grade rye grains for food consumption

Growth characteristics of American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) woods and field - cultivated at Northern Europe

Received: February 19th, 2022 ; Accepted: May 15th, 2022 ; Published: May 16th, 2022 ; Correspondence: [email protected] Latvia, Northern Europe, American ginseng was grown in three forest types with different dominant species, as well as in agricultural field conditions - cultivated under artificial shade with three different types of mulches. Field cultivation yielded higher yields, root length, and root weight than wood cultivation under dominant species Corylus avellana, Betula pendula, and Picea abies. Mulching had a positive impact on ginseng growth in the field. Mulching with straw and buckwheat hulls resulted in longer and heavier roots. In American ginseng roots, the contents of six ginsenosides were determined: Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rc, Rb2, and Rd. Re was the most abundant ginsenoside, followed by Rb1 > Rd > Rg1 = Rb2 > Rd. The total content of ginsenosides in our study did not reach the 4 percent threshold set by US Pharmacopeia. These findings show that Panax quinquefolium can be grown in Northern Europe at 57°N, but it takes more than four years to achieve adequate yields and ginsenoside content

Faba Bean Cultivation – Revealing Novel Managing Practices for More Sustainable and Competitive European Cropping Systems

Faba beans are highly nutritious because of their high protein content: they are a good source of mineral nutrients, vitamins, and numerous bioactive compounds. Equally important is the contribution of faba bean in maintaining the sustainability of agricultural systems, as it is highly efficient in the symbiotic fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. This article provides an overview of factors influencing faba bean yield and quality, and addresses the main biotic and abiotic constraints. It also reviews the factors relating to the availability of genetic material and the agronomic features of faba bean production that contribute to high yield and the improvement of European cropping systems. Emphasis is to the importance of using new high-yielding cultivars that are characterized by a high protein content, low antinutritional compound content, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. New cultivars should combine several of these characteristics if an increased and more stable production of faba bean in specific agroecological zones is to be achieved. Considering that climate change is also gradually affecting many European regions, it is imperative to breed elite cultivars that feature a higher abiotic–biotic stress resistance and nutritional value than currently used cultivars. Improved agronomical practices for faba bean crops, such as crop establishment and plant density, fertilization and irrigation regime, weed, pest and disease management, harvesting time, and harvesting practices are also addressed, since they play a crucial role in both the production and quality of faba bean

Trait identification of faba bean ideotypes for Northern European environments

European pulse production faces a continued loss of cultivated area along with decreasing or stagnant yields. Vicia faba is a traditional legume with high genetic diversity cultivated in a wide range of European climates. Therefore V. faba is promising to identify stable and high yielding genotypes for specific target environments. The Nordic-Baltic region is challenging for legume growing due to short vegetation period and heat/drought stress in continental climates. Within the pan-European Eurolegume project a set of 18 V. faba accessions containing var. minor and major local landraces and modern cultivars of different geographical origin was evaluated in multi-environmental trials. The aim of this study was to identify ideotypes for Northern Europe and reveal key phenotypic traits conferring high yield potential and stability. Four target environmental clusters represented the range of Nordic growing conditions with yield levels from 128 gm−2 to 380 gm−2. Multivariate classification differentiated distinctive groups of var. minor and var. major accessions with few overlapping genotypes, the former having higher average yield, taller structure, more pods per node and longer flowering duration. Late sowing under long-day conditions above 55°N latitudes resulted in early flowering due to short vegetative development (650 °Cd). Extended flowering duration and tall stature were the most important traits conferring high yields. A negative trade-off between yield potential and yield stability was detected, with yield advantages of stress resistant genotypes only in a limited range of low yielding target environments (< 180 gm−2). The highest yielding accessions (Latvian var. minor landrace Bauska and var. major landrace Cēres) represented a favourable combination of yield potential and stability. High temperatures at flowering, within a range of average maximum July temperatures between 20.5–24.5 °C, were identified as most critical environmental variable depressing yield levels between 38.5 (var. major) and 56.2 (var. minor) gm−2 °C−1. It was concluded that Baltic landraces are promising ideotypes, with adapted flowering phenology and morphological structure, for increased V. faba yields in Nordic target environments.Trait identification of faba bean ideotypes for Northern European environmentssubmittedVersio

Faba bean cultivation – revealing novel managing practices for more sustainable and competitive European cropping systems

Faba beans are highly nutritious because of their high protein content: they are a good source of mineral nutrients, vitamins, and numerous bioactive compounds. Equally important is the contribution of faba bean in maintaining the sustainability of agricultural systems, as it is highly efficient in the symbiotic fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. This article provides an overview of factors influencing faba bean yield and quality, and addresses the main biotic and abiotic constraints. It also reviews the factors relating to the availability of genetic material and the agronomic features of faba bean production that contribute to high yield and the improvement of European cropping systems. Emphasis is to the importance of using new high-yielding cultivars that are characterized by a high protein content, low antinutritional compound content, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. New cultivars should combine several of these characteristics if an increased and more stable production of faba bean in specific agroecological zones is to be achieved. Considering that climate change is also gradually affecting many European regions, it is imperative to breed elite cultivars that feature a higher abiotic–biotic stress resistance and nutritional value than currently used cultivars. Improved agronomical practices for faba bean crops, such as crop establishment and plant density, fertilization and irrigation regime, weed, pest and disease management, harvesting time, and harvesting practices are also addressed, since they play a crucial role in both the production and quality of faba bean. © 2018 Karkanis, Ntatsi, Lepse, Fernández, Vågen, Rewald, Alsiņa, Kronberga, Balliu, Olle, Bodner, Dubova, Rosa and Savvas