Improving green manure quality with phosphate rocks in Ontario Canada

Phosphate rock (PR) was applied to one conventional and two organic dairy fields and planted with buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) as a green manure crop. In total, five types of PR were applied at three application rates in order to determine the yield, concentration of P in the aboveground tissue and the P uptake of buckwheat. It was found that PR of relatively high carbonate substitution and small particle diameter could increase buckwheat tissue concentrations to a quality such that mineralization of the buckwheat mulch could occur. Buckwheat mulch and residual PR increased soil P flux as determined by anion exchange membranes in situ in the following spring. This provides evidence that buckwheat of high P quality has the potential to supply P to a subsequent crop

Buckwheat - an old crop with new health prospects

Interest in buckwheat has incresed due to it being a valuable raw material for functional food production. It has been reported to have general beneficial effects on health. Buckwheat competes well with weeds and suffers little from other pests. This may be because buckwheat contains allelopathic compounds and its cultivation was observed to reduce weed biomass. Its soil nutritional requirements are low

The effect of different mulches on the growth and yield of organically grown strawberry

Different mulches were studied in field trials over a three-year period under organic production in Mikkeli and Ruukki. The mulching materials were black plastic, flax fibre mat (woodchips+buckwheat husk in 2002), green mass, straw, buckwheat husk, birch woodchips and pine woodchips

Thermogravimetric Analysis of Indicators of the Paste Based on Sour Cream

For forming structural-mechanical properties of sour milk pastes and guaranteeing their stability at storage, it is promising to use non-fried buckwheat in their recipes that allows to raise the food value of products additionally. The aim of the researches was the study of features of the condition of moisture of sour milk pastes, based on sour cream with introducing non-fried buckwheat in the amount 5,0 % of the mixture mass. A sample with modified starch Е 1410 was taken as a control in the amount 1,3 %.The study of the moisture condition was realized by the thermogravimetric method using a derivatograph Q-1500D (Paulik-Erdey) (Hungry). It was established, that the content of adsorptive moisture of the sour milk paste was 34,0 %, whereas in the control – 34,5 %, that confirm the effectiveness of using non-fried buckwheat as a moisture-binding component. Such properties of non-fried buckwheat may be explained by the presence of starch compounds and easily accessible protein in its composition, able to hydration in the process of preparation of a component and to keeping moisture at further storage of a product

Diverse biological effects of glycosyltransferase genes from Tartary buckwheat

Background: Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is an edible cereal crop whose sprouts have been marketed and commercialized for their higher levels of anti-oxidants, including rutin and anthocyanin. UDP-glucose flavonoid glycosyltransferases (UFGTs) play an important role in the biosynthesis of flavonoids in plants. So far, few studies are available on UFGT genes that may play a role in tartary buckwheat flavonoids biosynthesis. Here, we report on the identification and functional characterization of seven UFGTs from tartary buckwheat that are potentially involved in flavonoid biosynthesis (and have varying effects on plant growth and development when overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana.) Results: Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the potential function of the seven FtUFGT proteins, FtUFGT6, FtUFGT7, FtUFGT8, FtUFGT9, FtUFGT15, FtUFGT40, and FtUFGT41, could be divided into three Arabidopsis thaliana functional subgroups that are involved in flavonoid biosynthesis of and anthocyanin accumulation. A significant positive correlation between FtUFGT8 and FtUFGT15 expression and anthocyanin accumulation capacity was observed in the tartary buckwheat seedlings after cold stress. Overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana showed that FtUFGT8, FtUFGT15, and FtUFGT41 significantly increased the anthocyanin content in transgenic plants. Unexpectedly, overexpression of FtUFGT6, while not leading to enhanced anthocyanin accumulation, significantly enhanced the growth yield of transgenic plants. When wild-type plants have only cotyledons, most of the transgenic plants of FtUFGT6 had grown true leaves. Moreover, the growth speed of the oxFtUFGT6 transgenic plant root was also significantly faster than that of the wild type. At later growth, FtUFGT6 transgenic plants showed larger leaves, earlier twitching times and more tillers than wild type, whereas FtUFGT15 showed opposite results. Conclusions: Seven FtUFGTs were isolated from tartary buckwheat. FtUFGT8, FtUFGT15, and FtUFGT41 can significantly increase the accumulation of total anthocyanins in transgenic plants. Furthermore, overexpression of FtUFGT6 increased the overall yield of Arabidopsis transgenic plants at all growth stages. However, FtUFGT15 shows the opposite trend at later growth stage and delays the growth speed of plants. These results suggested that the biological function of FtUFGT genes in tartary buckwheat is diverse

Wild Buckwheat Is Unlikely to Pose a Risk to Buckwheat-Allergic Individuals

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is a commonly allergenic food especially in Asia where buckwheat is more commonly consumed. Wild buckwheat (Polygonum convolvulus, recently changed to Fallopia convolvulus) is an annual weed prevalent in grain-growing areas of the United States. Wild buckwheat is not closely related to edible buckwheat although the seeds do have some physical resemblance. A large shipment of wheat into Japan was halted by the discovery of the adventitious presence of wild buckwheat seeds over possible concerns for buckwheat-allergic consumers. However, IgE-binding was not observed to an extract of wild buckwheat using sera from 3 buckwheat-allergic individuals either by radio-allergosorbent test inhibition or by immunoblotting after protein separation by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Furthermore, the extract of wild buckwheat was not detected in a buckwheat enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay developed with antisera against common buckwheat. Thus, wild buckwheat is highly unlikely to pose any risk to buckwheat-allergic individuals. The common names of plants should not be a factor in the risk assessment for possible cross-allergenicity

Ertragsleistung und Rutingehalte verschiedener Buchweizensorten unter ökologischen Anbaubedingungen

Buckwheat is an ancient traditional food and medicinal plant. In this study we investigated grain yield and rutin content of common (Bamby, Lileja, Hruszowska) and tataric (Lifago) buckwheat varieties under organic farming conditions at different N levels. Grain yield and rutin content were not significantly affected by the factors ‘year’ and ‘N-supply’. However, strong effects of the factor ‘variety’ could be determined. The tataric buckwheat Lifago showed highest grain and rutin yields compared to the common buckwheat varieties. Due to the rutin related bitter taste Lifago buckwheat is rather useful for medical application than for basic food. Converting rutin into less bitter active substance quercetin during processing as well as cross-breeding of common buckwheat x wild type buckwheat might be alternatives for basic food application. Since we found no effect of additional N-supply, buckwheat is well suited for low input farming systems like organic farming

Buchweizen: eine Futterpflanze für Milchkühe?

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) has a high ecological value due to the long and intensive flowering as well as its favorable impact on soil fertility. However, in Europe demand for buckwheat kernels as food is low. Therefore, the question arises whether cultivation of this plant could be promoted by using it as animal feed. In the current preliminary experiment, the extent to which buckwheat, offered in different forms, is consumed by dairy cows was tested in conjunction with potential effects on milk yield. Three groups of lactating cows were fed a silage-concentrate mixture, which either contained 3 kg DM/d buckwheat kernel flour (n=4), or 2.5 kg DM/d buckwheat total plant silage (n=3) or no buckwheat compound (control; n=4). After 4 days of adaptation, the experiment lasted for 10 days. During this relatively short period, neither feed intake nor milk yield or body condition were affected. However, the nutrient density of buckwheat silage was low. By contrast, the buckwheat kernel flour proved satisfactory as an energy concentrate

Phenolic contents, antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibition properties of Nepalese strain buckwheat vegetables

The sprouts, microgreens and leafy greens of common and tartary buckwheat of Nepalese strain were compared for the phenolic contents and biological activity. The tartary buckwheat samples expressed higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents compared to the common buckwheat. The sprouts had the highest total phenolic contents (9333.48 ± 150.23 and 6976.21 ± 213.65 mgGAE/100g dw in tartary and common buckwheat, respectively) whereas, the highest total flavonoid content was present in the leafy greens (7635.39 ± 141.40 and 4414.61 ± 70.85 mgRE/100g dw in tartary and common buckwheat respectively). The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) results revealed that the tartary buckwheat vegetables had higher rutin, (3800.28 ± 434.41 mg/100g in leafy greens), quercetin (159.75 ± 9.04 mg/100g in sprouts) and chlorogenic acid (293.47 ± 65.06 mg/100g in microgreens) contents than those of common buckwheat. However, other phenolics like vitexin, isovitexin, orientin and isoorientin contents were more abundant in common buckwheat. In biochemical assay, all three types of vegetable of common and tartary buckwheat showed higher antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibition effect in dose dependent manner. Based on these results, it can be conformed that all the vegetables (microgreens, sprouts and leafy greens) of both varieties of buckwheat of Nepalese strains can be regarded as a potent sour ce of functional food.Key words: Antioxidant, α-glucosidase, buckwheat vegetables, Nepalese strain buckwheat, phenolics

Murine Model of Buckwheat Allergy by Intragastric Sensitization with Fresh Buckwheat Flour Extract

Food allergies affect about 4% of the Korean population, and buckwheat allergy is one of the most severe food allergies in Korea. The purpose of the present study was to develop a murine model of IgE-mediated buckwheat hypersensitivity induced by intragastric sensitization. Young female C3H/HeJ mice were sensitized and challenged intragastricly with fresh buckwheat flour (1, 5, 25 mg/dose of proteins) mixed in cholera toxin, followed by intragastric challenge. Anaphylactic reactions, antigen-specific antibodies, splenocytes proliferation assays and cytokine productions were evaluated. Oral buckwheat challenges of sensitized mice provoked anaphylactic reactions such as severe scratch, perioral/periorbital swellings, or decreased activity. Reactions were associated with elevated levels of buckwheat-specific IgE antibodies. Splenocytes from buckwheat allergic mice exhibited significantly greater proliferative responses to buckwheat than non-allergic mice. Buckwheat-stimulated IL-4, IL-5, and INF-γ productions were associated with elevated levels of buckwheat-specific IgE in sensitized mice. In this model, 1 mg and 5 mg dose of sensitization produced almost the same degree of Th2-directed immune response, however, a 25 mg dose showed blunted antibody responses. In conclusion, we developed IgE-mediated buckwheat allergy by intragastric sensitization and challenge, and this model could provide a good tool for future studies