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Hydrothermal process alters physicochemical characteristics of flour by fully or partially gelatinizing starch. Despite the recognized nutritional advantages of millet, the utilization of millet flour in food processing applications is limited because of its limited shelf life. By improving the functional properties, the utilization of millets in the development of innovative and gluten-free food products can be improved. This study aims to examine the effects of hydrothermal treatment on the modification of the functional characteristics of pearl millet flour. Water absorption capacity (WAC), oil absorption capacity (OAC), water solubility index (WSI), emulsion capacity (EC), and viscometric behaviour of pearl millet flour were studied under various soaking and steaming conditions and were found to be significantly affected by the process variables. The WAC and WSI decreased with soaking time but increased with soaking temperature and steaming time, whereas OAC showed the opposite trend for the same treatment parameters. The flour suspensions exhibited shear-thinning behaviour at all treatments within the domain. Further, the process parameters were modelled and optimised using RSM and ANN-GA techniques. The findings of this study will encourage the application of pearl millet flour in the development of various food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pearl millet, considered as nutri-cereal, has better nutritional composition and quality, as compared to other cereals. Though, it is less popular due to low shelf-life of the flour. Here, we characterize the rancid behavior of three diverse genotypes of pearl millet—WGI-100 (White), Purple, and fortified Dhanshakti (complete grains and decorticated) using different quality determinants linked with shelf-life. Starch, amylose, resistant and non-resistant starch content was observed maximum in Dhanshakti, whereas amylopectin was observed maximum in cv. purple. The activities of carbohydrate degrading enzyme (α-/β-Amylases) were observed maximum on 6th days after milling (DAM) in cv. Dhanshakti. Phytic acid and micronutrients (Fe and Zn) were observed more stabilized in flour during storage. We observed gradual decrease in the storage proteins and total lipid with increase in DAM due to oxidation. Evaluation of physicochemical treatments [salt (1%), lime (1%, grains soaked for overnight), hydrothermal-infrared (HT-IR, grains steamed for 5 min followed by quick drying using IR bulbs with wavelength of 0.7–2.0 µm), kilning (live steam, quick heating), near infra-red (NIR, short wave for 5 min) and air tight aluminum pouches (50 µm thickness)] showed HT-IR to be most effective treatment in arresting the lipid hydrolysis by denaturating/aggregating the rancidity causing enzymes (lipase and lipoxygenase). We observed Dhanshakti to be better in flour quality and nutrient density, as compared to other cvs. HT-IR was observed to be most cost-effective and promising technology in enhancing the shelf-life of pearl millet flour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: A total of 544 significant marker-trait associations and 286 candidate genes associated with total protein and 18 amino acids were identified. Thirty-three candidate genes were found near the strong marker trait associations (– log10P ≥ 5.5). Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is largely grown as a subsistence crop in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. It serves as a major source of daily protein intake in these regions. Despite its importance, no systematic effort has been made to study the genetic variations of protein and amino acid content in pearl millet germplasm. The present study was undertaken to dissect the global genetic variations of total protein and 18 essential and non-essential amino acids in pearl millet, using a set of 435 K Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and 161 genotypes of the Pearl Millet Inbred Germplasm Association Panel (PMiGAP). A total of 544 significant marker-trait associations (at P < 0.0001; – log10P ≥ 4) were detected and 23 strong marker-trait associations were identified using Bonferroni’s correction method. Forty-eight pleiotropic loci were found in the genome for the studied traits. In total, 286 candidate genes associated with total protein and 18 amino acids were identified. Thirty-three candidate genes were found near strongly associated SNPs. The associated markers and the candidate genes provide an insight into the genetic architecture of the traits studied and are going to be useful in breeding improved pearl millet varieties in the future. Availabilities of improved pearl millet varieties possessing higher protein and amino acid compositions will help combat the rising malnutrition problem via diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The yield of pearl millet, a resilient cereal crop crucial for African food security, is severely impacted by the root parasitic weed Striga hermonthica, which requires host-released hormones, called strigolactones (SLs), for seed germination. Herein, we identify four SLs present in the Striga-susceptible line SOSAT-C88-P10 (P10) but absent in the resistant 29Aw (Aw). We generate chromosome-scale genome assemblies, including four gapless chromosomes for each line. The Striga-resistant Aw lacks a 0.7 Mb genome segment containing two putative CARLACTONOIC ACID METHYLTRANSFERASE1 (CLAMT1) genes, which may contribute to SL biosynthesis. Functional assays show that P10CLAMT1b produces the SL-biosynthesis intermediate methyl carlactonoate (MeCLA) and that MeCLA is the precursor of P10-specific SLs. Screening a diverse pearl millet panel confirms the pivotal role of the CLAMT1 section for SL diversity and Striga susceptibility. Our results reveal a reason for Striga susceptibility in pearl millet and pave the way for generating resistant lines through marker-assisted breeding or direct genetic modification. Production of pearl millet is impacted by the root parasitic weed Striga hermonthica. Here, the authors assemble the genomes of resistant and susceptible lines of pearl millet and identify a critical gene CARLACTONOIC ACID METHYLTRANSFERASE1b (CLAMT1b) in determining Striga resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of millets are produced in India, particularly pearl millet, which is more nutritious than both wheat and rice. Native to India, the "north-western semi-arid region" produces rabadi, a natural dairy beverage made from cereal and fermented by lactic acid bacteria. The three components of rabadi viz. pearl millet, buttermilk and deionized water were optimized by using Design Expert software trial version13.0.12.0. Rabadi was processed by using the traditional technique i.e., the three components were mixed in sterile conditions and fermented for 4 h at 37 °C and then cooked for 7–8 min at high flame and finally boiled. Parameters such as pH, viscosity, ash, moisture, total solids, antioxidants, total phenols, tannins, suspension stability, titratable acidity, total sugars, and reducing sugars were analysed for all 16 runs predicted by the software. 6.83 g of pearl millet, 42.44 ml of buttermilk, and 50.72 ml of deionized water were predicted to be the best formulation of rabadi, when using the set goal of maximizing the antioxidants, total phenols and minimizing the tannins. FTIR analysis was also carried out, after the final concentration optimization, to confirm the presence of phenolic compounds, antioxidants, carbohydrates, proteins and fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An attempt was undertaken to comprehend how phenotypic markers, leaf tip necrosis (LTN), and pseudo black chaff (PBC), are associated with pleiotropic resistance genes in wheat (Triticum spp.). Pleiotropic resistance to stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici), leaf rust (P. triticina), stem rust (P. graminis f. sp. tritici) and powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) was evaluated in 57 Egyptian spring wheat cultivars at seedling stage in greenhouse and at adult plant stage in field during 2021/22 and 2022/23. At seedling stage, pleiotropic resistance rated moderately resistance (MR) was observed in five cultivars, Misr-3 (all three rusts), Misr-4 (stripe rust, leaf rust, powdery mildew), Giza-168 (leaf rust, stem rust, powdery mildew), Sakha-94 and Sids-13 (leaf rust, stem rust). At adult plant stage, Misr-4 outperformed all other evaluated cultivars, exhibiting a high level of pleiotropic adult plant resistance (PAPR) against all diseases investigated. High levels of PAPR were also noticed against the three rusts in nine cultivars, Misr-3, Sakha-93, Sakha-94, Sakha-95, Giza-156, Giza-168, Giza-171, Gemmeiza-10 and Sids-13, and moderate levels against powdery mildew in Misr-3, Sakha-95, Giza-156. Four PAPR genes were characterized in cultivars based on phenotypic and molecular markers. Phenotypic markers (LTN and PBC) were observed in 23 cultivars. Molecular marker csLV34 indicated the presence of Lr34/Yr18/Sr57/Pm38/Ltn1 in six cultivars, whilst marker Xwmc44 indicated that Lr46/Yr29/Sr58/Pm39/Ltn2 was present in five cultivars. Marker Xcfd71 indicated the presence of Lr67/Yr46/Sr55/Pm46/Ltn3 in 19 cultivars. Gene Sr2/Yr30/Lr27/Pbc was identified with marker csSr2 in three cultivars. A complete association between LTN and molecular markers was recorded, while a strong association (r = 0.73) was recorded between PBC and molecular markers. Findings demonstrated the reliability of phenotypic markers in predicting pleiotropic resistance in wheat, which would facilitate marker-assisted selection in breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought presents a major risk to wheat growth and productivity under changing climates. During the last few years, various morphological and physiological approaches were used to overcome drought stress-associated problems. Cultivation of tolerant wheat cultivars can serve as a sustainable choice to raise wheat yield under water stress. Herein, field trials were carried out at the experimental farm of Ismailia Agricultural Research Station, Egypt, in two successive growing seasons (2020/2021 and 2021/2022) to investigate the response of four Egyptian bread wheat cultivars (Misr 1, Misr 3, Giza 171, and Sakha 95) to drought stress according to morpho-physiological characteristics, yield, and stress indices. Irrigation treatments and cultivars were assigned to the main and sub-plots, consequently, in a split-plot design with three replicates. The findings revealed that in both the first and second seasons, drought drastically revoked growth vigor of shoot, growth vigor of flag leaf, relative water content (%), membrane stability index (%), photosynthetic pigments, heading (days), maturity (days), as well as yield and yield attributes: spike length, number of spikes/m2, spike weight, grain number/spike, 100-kernel weight, grain yield/m2, straw yield/m2, biological yield/m2, and harvest index of all four wheat cultivars. Conversely, drought caused a marked increase in saturation water deficit (%), carotenoids content, and NKP uptake of all four wheat cultivars in both study seasons. The current study found that all four of the wheat cultivars were drought-tolerant plants. These cultivars exhibited similar drought-tolerant behaviors, which included decreased loss in relative water content, membrane stability, and photosynthetic pigment levels, consequently reducing wheat grain yield loss under water stress. Additionally, the drought tolerance indices of Sakha 95 > Giza 171 > Misr 1 > Misr 3 were revealed by the stress sensitivity index (SSI), mean productivity (MP), stress tolerance index (STI), and yield stability index (YSI). In conclusion, Misr 3 was the least tolerant wheat cultivar and Sakha 95 was the most tolerant. These results can be applied to breeding programs by plant breeders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various plant species can be selected for environmental testing, including pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br), a globally significant cereal crop. This study aims to assess millet's suitability as a species for ecotoxicological tests, examining (1) germination and initial development dynamics, (2) the minimum seed quantity for reliable sampling, (3) optimal experimental design with replication numbers, (4) suitability of positive control, and (5) the effectiveness of the protocol in evaluating toxic effects of environmental pollutants. Millet exhibited rapid and uniform germination as well as consistent initial seedling development. To establish the minimum number of seeds required for reliable experimentation, germination, and seedling growth were compared across plots containing 10, 25, and 50 seeds. Consequently, 10 seeds per plot were chosen for subsequent experiments to reduce labor and costs while maintaining reliability. To validate the selected experimental design, and to establish a positive control for assays, aluminum was used as a toxic element at concentrations ranging from 10-2 to 10-6 M. While aluminum did not affect the final percentage of germinated seeds, it did exhibit an impact on the Germination Speed Index (GSI). Significant differences in root and aerial growth, and with fresh weight, were observed. The 10-3M concentration was chosen as the positive control as the 10-2 concentration showed extreme toxicity. To assess the applicability of the established protocol in determining the toxic effects of environmental pollutants, millet roots were exposed to the toxic agents atrazine, cadmium, methyl methane sulfonate (MMS), and Spent pot liner (SPL). Millet demonstrated sensitivity and efficiency in response to these tests. In conclusion, millet proves to be an effective species for the toxicological risk assessment of environmental pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doubled haploid (DH) production technology has been a valuable tool for the development of homozygous lines through anther culture within a short period in comparison with conventional breeding methods. Doubled haploid production in pearl millet through anther culture helps to overcome inbreeding depression which occurs due to continuous selfing for homozygous line development. We developed an efficient method to develop DH plants through anther culture in pearl millet in large numbers, which is the first report in pearl millet. The method encompasses a selection of the right stage of mother plant, optimal culture media, and influence of temperature for treatment of anther for callus induction followed by plant regeneration and flow cytometric analysis for ploidy determination. Anther culture experiments were done in proprietary pearl millet genotype of Rasi seeds '1988F1' (R × R cross) for achieving better calli or embryo induction and green plant regeneration in pearl millet. A significant frequency of 35.4% calli-embryoid response in Doubled-haploid Pearl millet Media (DPM4) was achieved at incubation temperature of 32 °C for spikes pre-treatment and anther initiation. This response was further improved to 44.4% by separating anthers from spikes on fourth day of incubation. Alteration of basal salt concentration and inclusion of 12% maltose as carbon source in calli induction media resulted in a higher number of embryo-like structures (ELS) which eventually increased the regeneration up to 12.9% in Regeneration Media (RM3). These experiments resulted in a promising procedure to develop DH plants in pearl millet to minimize the timeline for pure line development and trait introgression to accelerate breeding program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: The investigation is the first report on genome-wide identification and characterization of NBLRR genes in pearl millet. We have shown the role of gene loss and purifying selection in the divergence of NBLRRs in Poaceae lineage and candidate CaNBLRR genes for resistance to Magnaporthe grisea infection. Plants have evolved multiple integral mechanisms to counteract the pathogens' infection, among which plant immunity through NBLRR (nucleotide-binding site, leucine-rich repeat) genes is at the forefront. The genome-wide mining in pearl millet (Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone) revealed 146 CaNBLRRs. The variation in the branch length of NBLRRs showed the dynamic nature of NBLRRs in response to evolving pathogen races. The orthology of NBLRRs showed a predominance of many-to-one orthologs, indicating the divergence of NBLRRs in the pearl millet lineage mainly through gene loss events followed by gene gain through single-copy duplications. Further, the purifying selection (Ka/Ks < 1) shaped the expansion of NBLRRs within the lineage of pear millet and other members of Poaceae. Presence of cis-acting elements, viz. TCA element, G-box, MYB, SARE, ABRE and conserved motifs annotated with P-loop, kinase 2, RNBS-A, RNBS-D, GLPL, MHD, Rx-CC and LRR suggests their putative role in disease resistance and stress regulation. The qRT-PCR analysis in pearl millet lines showing contrasting responses to Magnaporthe grisea infection identified CaNBLRR20, CaNBLRR33, CaNBLRR46 CaNBLRR51, CaNBLRR78 and CaNBLRR146 as putative candidates. Molecular docking showed the involvement of three and two amino acid residues of LRR domains forming hydrogen bonds (histidine, arginine and threonine) and salt bridges (arginine and lysine) with effectors. Whereas 14 and 20 amino acid residues of CaNBLRR78 and CaNBLRR20 showed hydrophobic interactions with 11 and 9 amino acid residues of effectors, Mg.00g064570.m01 and Mg.00g006570.m01, respectively. The present investigation gives a comprehensive overview of CaNBLRRs and paves the foundation for their utility in pearl millet resistance breeding through understanding of host–pathogen interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pearl millet is one of the major food crops, particularly grown in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. This study aimed to determine correlation and path analysis for morpho-phenological and yield contributing traits along with grain micronutrients (Fe and Zn) in 184 advanced breeding lines and four checks viz., ICMV-221 (NC), ICTP-8203 (NC), VPMV-9 (LC) and Dhanashakti (NC), were assessed using Augmented Block Design during kharif 2021–22 at two locations viz., Regional Agricultural Research Station, Vijayapur and Agricultural Research Station, Mudhol. Analysis of Variance indicated the existence of sufficient variation in the material studied. The traits like 1000 grain weight, dry fodder yield, plant height, panicle girth and panicle length had significant and positive phenotypic correlation with grain yield. There was a highly significant and high positive correlation between the Fe and Zn content. These results would imply that simultaneous selection for high levels of both Fe and Zn content is possible. The path analysis indicated that the traits viz., 1000 grain weight, dry fodder yield, panicle girth and plant height had high and positive direct effects on grain yield. This indicates that grain yield can be improved through direct selection by these characters. Strong association of these traits revealed that the selection based on these traits would ultimately improve the yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br., 2n = 2x = 14) is a nutrient-dense and climate-resilient crop widely cultivated in the dry regions of Africa and Asia. In Burkina Faso, the actual mean yield of the crop is < 1 ton/ha compared with a potential yield of 3 tons/ha. Several constraints, including cultivar susceptibility to the noxious weed Striga hermonthica (Del.) Bentham (Sh) and severe and recurrent drought stress limit the potential productivity of the crop. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the combining ability effects and degree of heterosis for agronomic traits and resistance to Sh among complementary pearl millet genotypes to select promising parental lines and hybrids to develop and deploy farmer-preferred varieties. The narrow-and broad-sense heritability were relatively higher for Striga-resistance (≥ 70%) and low (≤ 23%) for grain yield. The general combining ability and specific combining ability ratios were less than unity for agronomic traits and Striga reaction indicating the predominance of non-additive gene action conditioning the assessed traits. The new experimental hybrids such as IP-11358 × ICMB177111, IP-11358 × IKMB18002, IP-10579 × ICMB177002 and IP-9242 × ICMB177002 are recommended for multi-environment evaluation and production in Sh-infested pearl millet cultivation agro-ecologies in Burkina Faso or similar agro-ecologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple contaminants are present in industrial effluents, affecting the quality of water treatment operations. As a result, understanding the outcome of the multicomponent adsorption systems is critical for developing an effective decontamination technique. In this study, a novel formulation comprising of two composites—Pennisetum glaucum (PG) biomass–functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNT), i.e., (PG + CNT), and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) treated Pennisetum glaucum biomass–functionalized carbon nanotubes, i.e., (PG + CNT + CTAB)—was synthesized and utilized for the adsorption of two anionic dyes, i.e., Aniline blue 93 (AB) and Congo red (CR), and two cationic dyes, Crystal violet (CV) and Malachite green (MG), from their individual and multi-adsorptive systems. The influence of different operational factors like pH, adsorbent dosage, and dye solution concentration on the adsorption process was evaluated by employing the Box-Behnken experimental design (BBD). The kinetics of AB, CR, CV, and MG biosorption were better fitted to the pseudo-2nd-order model. The unmodified and extended Langmuir models were suitable for evaluating the experimental data of individual and multicomponent systems. Meanwhile, the extended or modified Langmuir isotherm model confirmed the synergistic behavior of a single dye species over other dye species adsorption on composite surface in their respective adsorptive setups for all multicomponent systems. The thermodynamic observations indicate that the removal of cationic and anionic dyes was feasible. Overall, the synthesized composite is a biosorbent that is safe for the environment and can be used to adsorb anionic and cationic dyes from individual and multi-component dye-containing effluents at a natural pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress negatively influences agricultural land and production worldwide. Therefore, it is crucial to reduce the deleterious impacts of drought on cereal crops. However, the potential of melatonin in the mitigation of drought stress is not clearly understood especially in crop plants. The present study investigates the impact of different methods (seed priming and foliar) and concentrations (0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 µM) of melatonin on pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L. R. Br.) under drought stress. Impact of melatonin was determined by examining the growth, photosynthesis, osmolyte production, oxidative damage, antioxidant enzyme activities, and expression pattern of antioxidant-responsive genes under drought. The exogenous melatonin at different concentrations differentially improved the growth, physiological, and biochemical traits of pearl millet under drought stress. In both treated methods, melatonin positively regulated the expression pattern of antioxidant-responsive genes that are involved in drought tolerance. Moreover, melatonin improved the proline content and reduced oxidative damage by decreasing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Moreover, a significant improvement in the activities of antioxidants such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and glutathione reductase (GR) was noted in pearl millet under drought on exposure to melatonin. The seed priming at 120 µM and foliar at 160 µM was found very effective for pearl millet growth under drought. Overall, the present study suggested that seed treatment and foliar treatment of melatonin differentially mitigated the drought stress in pearl millet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet are considered promising alternative feedstocks for bioethanol production. Water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) extraction from the stems for first generation ethanol production is practically well mastered. However, structural carbohydrate (SC) release from the bagasse for cellulosic ethanol production still needs to be more understood and improved, especially for sweet pearl millet. In this study, the effects of two bagasse particle sizes (4.5–9 mm and 1 mm) and two pretreatment solutions (NaOH and H2SO4) at two concentrations (1% and 3%) on the release of SC from sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet bagasse were investigated. After the extraction of juice, the bagasse pretreatment was carried out at 121 °C for 60 min followed by an enzymatic saccharification. Results indicated that hemicellulose and lignin were better solubilized when the bagasse from both crops was pretreated with NaOH than with H2SO4. The highest glucose concentration (320 and 249 g/kg DM of bagasse for sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet, respectively) was reached after enzymatic saccharification of the bagasse chopped to 4.5–9 mm particle size and pretreated with 3% NaOH. Under these conditions, cellulose saccharification efficiency reached 88% and 73% for sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet, respectively, while that of hemicellulose saccharification approached 100% for sweet sorghum and reached 90% for sweet pearl millet. Potential first generation ethanol of 80.3 and 60.7 L/kg DM of biomass and cellulosic ethanol of 138.8 and 115 L/kg DM of biomass were estimated for sweet sorghum and sweet pearl millet, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grains of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br) cultivars from two regions in Algeria were used to investigate the effect of processing treatments (steaming, blanching, micro-waving, acid soaking, and fermentation) and storage conditions (ambient temperature and 4 °C) on sensory quality and shelf-life of the flour during 4 months of storage. Fat acidity and moisture were assayed for all treatments, besides rancidity signs. The results showed that storage conditions had no effect on fat acidity of the control-sample. Steaming and chemical treatment significantly reduced fat acidity by 43.08% and 39.28%, and moisture by 21.61% and 37.36%, respectively, of flour stored in ambient temperature. At 4 °C, same treatments reduced fat acidity by 52.06% and 52.75%, and moisture by 5.69% and 23.80%, respectively. Fermentation particularly increased fat acidity by 3.99% and moisture by 7.67%, of flour stored in ambient temperature. At 4 °C, it increased moisture by 32.12%. Dry-thermal treatment particularly reduced moisture by 52.85%, of flour stored in ambient temperature. At 4 °C, it reduced by 43.84%. Steaming and blanching treatments did not show any effect on flour general acceptability, while fermented flour was no more acceptable after 10 days of storage. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that there is no significant difference (p < 0.05) between the two study regions data. The storage conditions have shown significant effects (p < 0.05) on the fat acidity of pearl millet treated flour after 30 days of storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we investigated the impacts of atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), i.e., plasma treatment, on pearl millet seeds germination and plant growth. The effect of plasma discharge on water activation, by introducing the reactive species, was explored. We evidenced that about 30 min plasma treated pearl millet seeds exhibited 20% higher germination rate than the control seed watered with tap water. The HR-SEM study revealed that the plasma treatment increased the roughness and FTIR study showed that new oxygen functional groups were introduced on the seed surface. Moreover, it was observed that the water contact angle decreased for plasma treated seeds (50%) and the water uptake also increased considerably as compared to control seeds. These findings indicate that the seed surface has turned more hydrophilic after plasma treatment. A cylindrical double dielectric barrier discharge (D-DBD) reactor was employed for water activation, and 30 min of treatment under air has decreased the pH of deionized water from 7.4 to 4.5 and produced about 1.78 ppm of nitrate (NO3−) and 4.2 ppm of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Interestingly, the plasma activated water (PAW) improved the pearl millet seed germination by 30% (after 24 h of sowing) and plant growth as compared to tap water and deionized water. Remarkably, when PAW and plasma-treated seeds were combined, a beneficial impact in seed germination (95 ± 2%) and seedling growth have been evidenced owing to synergistic effect. We evidenced that among the long-lived species in PAW, NO3− enhanced the seed germination and plant growth under similar conditions. These findings demonstrate that the proposed cold plasma reactors could be utilized to boost seed germination and plant growth.Please confirm if the author names are presented accurately and in the correct sequence (given name, middle name/initial, family name). Author 4 Given name: [Amine Aymen] Last name [Assadi]. Also, kindly confirm the details in the metadata are correct.Yes, all author names are correctly editted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work studied the impact of different levels of PVC–microplastics (PVC–MPs), namely 0 (no PVC–MPs), 2, and 4 mg L−1, along with mercury (Hg) levels of 0 (no Hg), 10, and 25 mg kg−1 in the soil, while concurrently applying titanium dioxide–nanoparticles (TiO2–NPs) at 0 (no TiO2–NPs), 50, and 100 µg mL−1 to sorghum (Pennisetum glaucum L.) plants. This study aimed to examine plant growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments and gas exchange characteristics, oxidative stress indicators, and the response of various antioxidants (enzymatic and non-enzymatic) and their specific gene expression, proline metabolism, the AsA–GSH cycle, and cellular fractionation in the plants. The research outcomes indicated that elevated levels of PVC–MPs and Hg stress in the soil notably reduced plant growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments, and gas exchange attributes. However, PVC–MPs and Hg stress also induced oxidative stress in the roots and shoots of the plants by increasing malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and electrolyte leakage (EL) which also induced increased compounds of various enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and also the gene expression and sugar content. Furthermore, a significant increase in proline metabolism, the AsA–GSH cycle, and the pigmentation of cellular components was observed. Although, the application of TiO2–NPs showed a significant increase in plant growth and biomass, gas exchange characteristics, enzymatic and non-enzymatic compounds, and their gene expression and also decreased oxidative stress. In addition, the application of TiO2–NPs enhanced cellular fractionation and decreased the proline metabolism and AsA-GSH cycle in P. glaucum plants. These results open new insights for sustainable agriculture practices and hold immense promise in addressing the pressing challenges of heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the virtual screening of orally active lead compounds of pearl millet and their structural activity against the target protein of COVID-19. The researchers found potential inhibitors against COVID-19 through molecular docking and normal mode analysis. They identified luteolin, apigenin, and quercetin as effective compounds against the target peptide of COVID-19. The study suggests that pearl millet-based food products could be useful for COVID-19 patients. Additionally, the article provides a list of references covering various scientific topics that can be used as valuable resources for research in drug discovery, pharmacology, ethnopharmacology, virology, and molecular biology. [Extracted from the article]

The Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodopterafrugiperda, was first reported in a few regions of Burkina Faso in 2017. Since then, it has continued to spread and damage maize crops in the country, thereby threatening food security. This study, conducted three years later, aimed to assess the pest status on major rainy season crops, and the effects of cropping systems, crop diversity, and phenology in 11 localities of Sudanian and Sudano-Sahelian zones in Burkina Faso. Two sampling periods, the first conducted at the beginning of the rainy season and the second at the end of the season, were considered. Maize was the most FAW-infested crop, mainly as monocrops (84–88% of surveyed fields). Sorghum, pearl millet, cowpeas, and peanuts were the secondary infested crops, more infested when intercropped with maize. Maize fields were more FAW-affected in the Sudanian zone, whereas the secondary infested crops were significantly more affected in the Sudano-Sahelian zone. The highest field infestation rates were recorded during the second survey period, coinciding in most cases (> 90%) with the flowering and post-flowering of maize. Then, FAW attacks were found in vegetative, flowering, and post-flowering cereal organs. Despite the technical recommendations, most farmers (57.30 ± 10.34 and 66.78 ± 6.74% in the Sudanian and Sudano-Sahelian zones, respectively) did not apply insecticide in infested maize fields. Thus, in 3 years, the FAW has become an important pest of cereals, specifically maize, in the main agricultural zones of Burkina Faso. These results should be taken into account to develop effective control actions against FAW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A four year field investigation was carried out in sub-temperate conditions of Palampur, Himachal Pradesh (India) to study the performance of Napier bajra hybrid at variable levels of nitrogen under Eucalyptus tereticornis trees plantation. Significantly better growth as well as green and dry forage yields was obtained under no shade (open) condition. Tree shade reduced the herbage yield and economic returns appreciably. Herbage yield increased with increasing doses of nitrogen upto 125% recommended nitrogen. Quality parameters i.e. crude protein, ADF, NDF, nitrate and oxalate contents in forage were higher under tree shade conditions. Crude protein, nitrate and oxalate contents increased with increasing doses of nitrogen but reduction in ADF and NDF contents were observed at higher doses of nitrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural waste–based adsorbents offer an innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally benign approach for the removal of various dyes from wastewater. Herein, Pennisetum glaucum–based novel composites with functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNT) were developed for the effective and efficient removal of methylene blue (MB) and safranine O (SO) dyes from the single and binary systems for the first time. Characterization of as-synthesized composites was performed using various techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In batch studies, both the dyes were effectively removed at neutral pH with 0.01 g/10 mL of adsorbent dosage and 10 min of contact time at 30 °C. The adsorption isotherm and kinetic data were well fitted by the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order model, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of the composite containing 0.5% of CNT was 181.81 and 386.1 mgg−1 for MB and SO dyes, respectively, which were 267.29% and 94.61% greater than raw P. glaucum adsorbent. The adsorption was spontaneous, exothermic, and physisorption in nature, involving electrostatic, π-π, and H-bonding interactions. The as-prepared adsorbents exhibited excellent reusability, and their adsorption efficiency was maintained even after ten cycles. Finally, the present work suggests a promising strategy for the preparation and application of novel green adsorbents for wastewater remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress as a result of rapidly changing climatic conditions has a direct negative impact on crop production especially wheat which is the 2nd staple food crop. To fulfill the nutritional demand under rapidly declining water resources, there is a dire need to adopt a precise, and efficient approach in the form of different amendments. In this regard, the present study investigated the impact of nano-biochar (NBC) and brassinosteroids (BR) in enhancing the growth and productivity of wheat under different drought stress conditions. The field study comprised different combinations of amendments (control, NBC, BR, and NBC + BR) under three irrigation levels (D0, D1 and D2). Among different treatments, the synergistic approach (NBC + BR) resulted in the maximum increase in different growth and yield parameters under normal as well as drought stress conditions. With synergistic approach (NBC + BR), the maximum plant height (71.7 cm), spike length (17.1), number of fertile tillers m–2 (410), no. of spikelets spike–1 (19.1), no. of grains spike–1 (37.9), 1000 grain weight (37 g), grain yield (4079 kg ha–1), biological yield (10,502 kg ha–1), harvest index (43.5). In the case of physiological parameters such as leaf area index, relative water contents, chlorophyll contents, and stomatal conductance were maximally improved with the combined application of NBC and BR. The same treatment caused an increase of 54, 10, and 7% in N, P, and K contents in grains, respectively compared to the control treatment. Similarly, the antioxidant response was enhanced in wheat plants under drought stress with the combined application of NBC and BR. In conclusion, the combined application of NBC and BR caused a significant increase in the growth, physiological and yield attributes of wheat under drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Cover crops are an integral constituent of sustainable subtropical agroecosystems. Using grass/legume mixtures as opposed to monocultures has the potential to maximize their multifunctionality. This project aimed to understand temporal patterns of nitrogen (N) release of cover crop monocultures and mixtures in a subtropical vegetable production system. Methods: A litterbag experiment was established to study N release patterns of two commonly used grasses, two legumes, four two-species mixture each with one grass and one legume, and one four-species mixture. This field experiment was complemented by two laboratory incubations to quantify soil N mineralization after the termination of cover crops in 2020 and 2021. Results: The majority of residue N (> 60%) was lost in the first month of decomposition, suggesting no or minimal N release from cover crops beyond one cropping season. Mixtures enhanced N release relative to monocultures within the first two months; however, the timing of this synergistic effect depended on grass species in the mixture. Initial residue N concentration reasonably predicted the N loss trajectory of all residue types (r = -0.72; p < 0.05). Legumes showed the highest N mineralization rate, followed by mixtures and lastly grasses. Conclusions: Our findings reveal significant temporal variability in N release among different cover crop mixtures, despite the rapid decomposition across all cover crop treatments. Selection of appropriate species in cover crop mixtures helps to facilitate the synchronization of N release and crop update in subtropical systems where N management is extremely time sensitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain color in pearl millet is a combination of the color and thickness of the pericarp, particularly the mesocarp, and the color and vitreosity of the endosperm. Pearl millet has a thin pericarp which allows endosperm color and texture to appear through pericarp. Segregation analysis involving F1, F2, and BC1 populations from six crosses WGI 100 × ICMB 13222, HFeIT 17/2 × PPMI 1229, ICMB 13222 × PPMI 1229, HFeIT 17/2 × WGI 100, ICFD 14-R-61 × WGI 100 and ICFD 14-R-61 × PPMI 1229 revealed that single pair of major genes governs cream grain color in pearl millet. Cream grain color was found to be dominant over grey grain color. Two DNA pools were established from the homozygote cream and grey grain color plants for bulked segregant analysis. Among the 313 pairs of microsatellite primers used in the present study, three markers showed polymorphism in DNA pools, parents, F1and F2 populations. Molecular mapping and validation revealed that the gene controlling cream grain color is present on linkage group 2 and flanked by markers Xpsmp 2089 and Xipes 0218 at a distance of approximately 16.9 cM and 17.9 cM, respectively. This work is the first report on the molecular mapping of the gene that controls the color of cream grains in pearl millet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the potential of Pennisetum glaucum (pearl millet) as a replacement crop for cereals due to its resistance to abiotic stresses and its nutritional value. The study focuses on the oil content and fatty acid composition of different genotypes of P. glaucum. The results show that P. glaucum grains have a lower carbohydrate content compared to conventional cereals, but a higher protein content. The primary fatty acids in P. glaucum grains are linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid. The oil content and fatty acid composition vary among different genotypes of P. glaucum. The document also provides information on the macro element content of the seeds and describes the methods used for analysis. [Extracted from the article]

Powdery mildew caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is one of the serious diseases that attack wheat plants during the growing season. The Bgt virulence was screened against 16 Egyptian wheat cultivars and 21 powdery mildew differential lines carrying different (Pm) resistance genes in two regions (Kafr-Elsheikh and El-Minya) in Egypt 2021–2022. Broad-spectrum virulence and high diversity were observed at both regions. Regional populations of Bgt in Egypt are independent of each other. Genes, Pm2a, Pm3a, Pm1b, Pm3b, Pm21, Pm34, Pm36, Pm37, Pm53, PmNCA6, PmMIAG12, and PmNCAG13 were nationally effective, while Pm4a, Pm4b, Pm6, and Pm8 appeared to be defeated throughout the country affected by broad-spectrum virulence. Field responses showed that only four cultivars, Misr-1, Misr-2, Sakha-95 and Shandweel-1 were resistant in both regions. A strong correlation was recorded between FDS and AUDPC which implies that wheat pathologists and breeders may be able to assess their lines by a single scoring at an appropriate time. Phenotypic and genotypic data proved that ineffective Pm8 was present in four susceptible cultivars, Sakha-93, Sakha-94, Gemmeiza-10, and Gemmeiza-11, while it was present in combination with effective Pm3a in two resistant cultivars, Sakha-95 and Shandweel-1. This suggests that cultivar susceptibility may be attributed to the existence of ineffective gene Pm8 potentially suppressed by effective Pm3a in hexaploid-resistant wheat. Pyramiding effective resistance genes particularly those that have a suppression effect like Pm3a may be a viable option to avoid the risk of broad-spectrum Bgt virulence at a regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality reference genome assemblies, representative of global heterotic patterns, offer an ideal platform to accurately characterize and utilize genetic variation in the primary gene pool of hybrid crops. Here we report three platinum grade de-novo, near gap-free, chromosome-level reference genome assemblies from the active breeding germplasm in pearl millet with a high degree of contiguity, completeness, and accuracy. An improved Tift genome (Tift23D2B1-P1-P5) assembly has a contig N50 ~ 7,000-fold (126 Mb) compared to the previous version and better alignment in centromeric regions. Comparative genome analyses of these three lines clearly demonstrate a high level of collinearity and multiple structural variations, including inversions greater than 1 Mb. Differential genes in improved Tift genome are enriched for serine O-acetyltransferase and glycerol-3-phosphate metabolic process which play an important role in improving the nutritional quality of seed protein and disease resistance in plants, respectively. Multiple marker-trait associations are identified for a range of agronomic traits, including grain yield through genome-wide association study. Improved genome assemblies and marker resources developed in this study provide a comprehensive framework/platform for future applications such as marker-assisted selection of mono/oligogenic traits as well as whole-genome prediction and haplotype-based breeding of complex traits. Three high-quality reference genome assemblies for pearl millet provide a comprehensive platform for accurate characterization and utilization of genetic variation in the gene pool of this crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) is a cereal crop that is tolerant to drought, high-temperature and poor-nutrient stresses throughout its life cycle. The DOF (DNA binding with One Finger) family genes encode plant-specific zinc finger transcription factors. These transcription factors have a variety of functions and can be involved in regulating the stress tolerance of pearl millet. In this study, we identified 12 DOF family genes (PgDOFs) in pearl millet. Ten of them were distributed on four chromosomes and the other two were on scaffolds (i.e., non-chromosomal sequences). Protein sequence analysis showed that PgDOFs have the DOF domain in their N-terminal regions and that other conserved motifs are also present in them. PgDOFs and DOF proteins from five other plant species were divided into seven groups, and the 12 PgDOFs could be classified into six of those seven groups. In gene expression analysis, most PgDOFs were upregulated by cold, heat, dehydration and salinity stress. These data can be useful for further characterization of the PgDOFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study describes green synthesis of diverse nanoparticles using a single platform technology using water extract of powdered coffee and clove/polyphenols of coffee and clove under mild environmental conditions. Treatment of the respective chloride salt solutions/chloride salt combinations, with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) in presence of polyphenolic plant extract yielded 6.5–26.8% nanoparticles of Mn, Zn, Cu, Co, Fe, Ni, and P, with diameters ranging from 1.0 to 99.7 nm. The nanoparticles were found to be stable for more than 15 days. Their potential in enhancing crop growth was also examined by treating pearl millet plants to foliar sprays of the synthesized nanoparticles. Green-synthesized Fe nanoparticles had a greater effect in enhancing the plant biomass when compared with commercially available Fe nanoparticles. The nanoparticle spray also did not affect the soil microflora adversely. The biological route to nanoparticle synthesis, utilizing indigenous plant products is a cost-effective approach, and their potential to be utilized as both reducing and stabilizing agents in the process offers a green platform for nanoparticle synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of dry heat (DH, 70 °C, 3, 5, and 8 h), ultrasonication (US, 44 Hz, 10, 20, and 30 min), and their combination on pearl millet flour were evaluated for thermal, pasting, crystalline, and in-vitro starch digestibility properties. The dry heat treatment for 8 h decreased gelatinization enthalpy and increased peak viscosity, while ultrasonication for 10 and 20 min increased gelatinization enthalpy and peak viscosity. The FT-IR analysis revealed that the absorbance value of the starch–lipid complex was higher in dry heat with a corresponding increase in relative crystallinity. However, such pattern was not observed in ultrasonicated pearl millet flours. Among the different treatments dry heat for 8 h, ultrasonication for 20 min and combination of ultrasonication (20 min) with dry heat (8 h) increased resistant starch content (14.49–31.69%) and decreased glycaemic index (58.25–48.49). Pearson's correlation revealed that glycaemic index is inversely related to resistant starch content and relative crystallinity. The study revealed that dry heat and ultrasonication which are simple and environmentally friendly technologies could be used to modify the starch properties to enhance resistant starch content in pearl millet flours. This modified flour could be incorporated in food products with low glycaemic index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated the effect of debranching process on the production of retrograded starch from pearl millet starch. Starch was debranched with pullulanase for 12 h and stored at 4 °C for 24, 48, and 72 h; intrinsic qualities were determined for both retrograded starch and debranched retrograded starch. Native starch granules had round and smooth surfaces. The granular appearance has been lost and has led to a more compact microstructure due to the retrogradation process. The X- ray diffraction pattern of the native starch granules revealed an A- type with 22.40% crystallinity. After retrogradation and debranching, the crystalline type changed from A-type to B-V type. Consequently the percentage of crystallinity was increased in retrograded starch (55.69%) and debranched retrograded starch (61.53%) stored for 72 h. Amylose content was increased from 29.39 to 49.31% retrograded starch and 35.35 to 47.31% debranched retrograded starch in different storage hours at 24, 48 and 72 h. The X-ray diffraction pattern and scanning electron microscopy analyses showed that pearl millet starch debranched with pullulanase advantages for amylopectin to be debranched by pullulanase and short amylose chains released from amylopectin can form double helices, so the increased percentage of crystallinity and a large, more compact, laminiplantation structure. Debranched retrograded starch significantly (p < 0.05) improved the resistant starch content (52.24%) compared to retrograded starch stored for 72 h (43.67%). The study concluded that debranching and subsequent storage at 48 h best technique to produce a higher amount of resistant starch yield from pearl millet starch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to their roles in developmental and metabolic processes, MYB transcription factors play crucial roles in plant defense mechanisms and stress responses. A comprehensive analysis of six pearl millet genomes revealed the presence of 1133 MYB genes, which can be classified into four phylogenetically distinct subgroups. The duplication pattern of MYB genes across the pearl millet genomes demonstrates their conserved and similar evolutionary history. Overall, MYB genes were observed to be involved in drought and heat stress responses, with stronger differential expressed observed in root tissues. Multiple analyses indicated that MYB genes mediate abiotic stress responses by modulating abscisic acid-related pathways, circadian rhythms, and histone modification processes. A substantial number of duplicated genes were determined to exhibit differential expression under abiotic stress. The consistent positive expression trend observed in duplicated gene pairs, such as PMA5G04432.1 and PMA2G00728.1, across various abiotic stresses suggests that duplicated MYB genes plays a key role in the evolution of adaptive responses of pearl millet to abiotic stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pearl millet based functional pasta was formulated by incorporating freeze dried dragon fruit pulp powder and 2% (w/w) microcapsule containing dragon fruit peel extract. The control pasta consisted of 100% pearl millet flour. The other four functional pasta samples consisted of pearl millet and freeze-dried dragon fruit pulp powder (DFP) in the ratio of 95:5, 90:10, 85:15, and 80:20 (w/w), respectively. The inclusion of dragon fruit powder enhanced the swelling index, water absorption index, color, and functional properties of the pasta. The total phenolic content (0.24–0.43 mg GAE/100 g d.w.), antioxidant activity (17.76–30.67%), and betacyanin content (0.149–0.152 mg/g d.w.) of the pasta was increased with the increase of dragon fruit pulp level in the formulation. The release kinetics of phenolic compounds into the simulated gastric juice was modeled using Higuchi and Peppas- Sahlin models. Out of these two models Peppas- Sahlin model ( R 2 > 0.980 and R M S E < 1.527 ) found to predict the release of phenolics into simulated gastric juice with respect to time of release when compared with Higuchi model ( R 2 > 0.964 and R M S E < 6.126 ). The onset of transition temperature and enthalpy of gelatinization of pasta samples was found to be in the range of 66.321–74.681 °C and increased with the increase of dragon fruit level in the formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the scenario of water deficit stress, use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) adapted/tolerant to osmotic stress can be of great importance in designing suitable bioinoculants for the crops grown in stressed agro-ecosystems. The present investigation was conducted to study the in vitro response of selected Azospirillumformosense strains AIM3, AIM19, AIM38, AIM57 and AIM82 to PEG 6000-induced osmotic stress. The strains were first assessed for their growth and physiological responses under osmotic stress conditions (0, 10, 20, 30% PEG 6000). The growth of the cultures was not much affected under mild stress (10% PEG 6000), however, higher stress levels (30% PEG 6000) showed significant negative effect on growth with a sharp reduction in population of the cultures. Morphologically, the bacterial cells appeared as elongated rods and highly motile under 0 and 10% PEG 6000 whereas higher stress levels (20 and 30% PEG 6000) induced non-motile spheres with thick exopolymeric layer indicating stress adaptation. The intracellular accumulation of Pro and the biofilm-forming ability enhanced with increasing stress levels indicating osmoadaptation strategy of the strains. All the five strains could express PGPR traits (indole acetic acid and siderophore production and nitrogen fixation) under all levels of PEG 6000 indicating their PGP potential even under stress conditions. However, beyond 20% PEG 6000 there was drastic reduction in the expression of PGP traits. Seed germination bioassays indicated the positive effect of inoculation of bacterial strains on seed germination, seedling vigour index under 0, 10 and 20% PEG 6000 conditions. The present in vitro studies revealed responses and survival mechanisms of the A.formosense strains under osmotic stress conditions and their potential to alleviate moisture deficit effect in pearl millet plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of exogenous addition of vitamin E on the cellular uptake and transport of selenium (Se) across Caco-2 cell monolayer from wheat and pearl millet. Cellular bioavailability of Se was also determined by evaluating the activity of Se dependent enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and thioredoxin reductase (TR). Transport and uptake of Se was by passive diffusion (transcellular transport), which was time dependent. Uptake of selenomethionine (SeMet) and selenocysteine (SeCys2) by the Caco-2 cells incubated with wheat and pearl millet was significantly enhanced (p < 0.001) in the presence of vitamin E, which, however, was significantly decreased by heat processing (p < 0.001). The mRNA expression of the genes encoding the two Se dependant enzymes, GPx and TR was significantly upregulated in wheat and pearl millet respectively, upon the addition of vitamin E. The extent of upregulation ranged from 80 to 100%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the role of dung beetle species alone or associated under different species on nitrous oxide (N2O) emission, ammonia volatilization, and the performance of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.)]. There were seven treatments, including two controls (soil and soil + dung without beetles), single species of Onthophagus taurus [Shreber, 1759] (1), Digitonthophagus gazella [Fabricius, 1787] (2), or Phanaeus vindex [MacLeay, 1819] (3); and their assemblages (1 + 2 and 1 + 2 + 3). Nitrous oxide emission was estimated for 24 days, when pearl millet was planted in sequence to assess growth, nitrogen yield (NY), and dung beetle activity. Dung beetle species presented greater N2O flow of dung on the 6th day (80 g N2O-N ha−1 day−1) compared to soil and dung (2.6 g N2O-N ha−1 day−1). Ammonia emissions varied with the presence of dung beetles (P < 0.05), and D. gazella had less NH3−N on days 1, 6, and 12 with averages of 2061, 1526, and 1048 g ha−1 day−1, respectively. The soil N content increased with dung + beetle application. Dung application affected pearl millet herbage accumulation (HA) regardless of dung beetle presence, and averages ranged from 5 to 8 g DM bucket−1. A PCA analysis was applied to analyze variation and correlation to each variable, but it indicated a low principal component explanation (less than 80%), not enough to explain the variation in findings. Despite the greater dung removal, the largest species, P. vindex and their species combination, need to be more studied to get a better understanding about their contribution on greenhouse gases. The presence of dung beetles prior to planting improved pearl millet production by enhancing N cycling, although assemblages with the three beetle species enhanced N losses to the environment via denitrification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, reduced graphene oxide has gained more attention in various fields. In our study, a direct synthesis of reduced graphene oxide using a novel carbon-rich agro-waste from Pennisetum glaucum was used. Ferrocene acted as an oxidizing agent during thermal degradation at 300 °C for 15 and 20 min to promote graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide formation. The X-ray diffraction peak at 2θ indicating a shift from 16.86 to 24.28°, presence of functional groups like –OH stretching, –C = C–, C = O, C–O, and C–OH by Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy, prominent D and G bands at 1308 cm−1 and 1578 cm−1 by Raman spectra and UV–visible spectroscopy peak shift from 235 to 245 nm (π–π*, C = C bonds) confirmed the reduction of graphene oxide to reduced graphene oxide. The average particle size values 233.3 nm for graphene oxide and 63.57 nm for reduced graphene oxide illustrate the nanoscale range of our synthesized material. The negative zeta potential values in the range − 45.5 mV and − 29.5 mV for graphene oxide and its reduced forms infer the dispersion stability along with surface oxygen group presence. We have also highlighted the formation of graphene oxide quantum dots by magnetic stirring and confirmed by UV transilluminator and photoluminescence spectra. The photodegradation efficiency was optimized using central composite design for dosage, dye concentration, pH, and time for both malachite green and reactive blue dye. The kinetic studies report pseudo-first-order kinetic model for catalytic degradation and statistical Analysis of variance proved the significance of the process for p value < 0.05. Thus, the synthesized graphene materials could be used as a potential candidate for environmental applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association of plant beneficial Azospirillum and Bacillus spp. strains expressing different sets of PGP traits may have complementary or supplementary effects on host plants. In the present investigation, A.formosense and Bacillus spp. strains showing diverse PGP traits (IAA production, nitrogenase activity, phosphate, zinc and potassium solubilization, siderophores, antagonism against phytopathogens, osmotic stress tolerance, etc.) were assessed for compatibility by cross-streaking and co-culturing. Under co-culture (Azospirillum + Bacillus), a significant increase in the expression of PGP traits, nitrogenase activity (up to 89%), phosphate solubilization (upto 236%), siderophore production (upto 20%) was observed as compared to individual Azospirillum culture, indicating synergistic effect of co-culture. IAA production was higher in Azospirillum sp. strains as compared to Bacillus spp. strains, when cultured individually; however, when co-cultured, the IAA levels were in the mid-range indicating the contributory effects of compatible strains. The effect of individual Azospirillum and Bacillus strains and their co-inoculation was also assessed on the growth of pearl millet at early stages under moisture-deficit stress imposed using PEG6000 (0, 10, and 20%). Co-inoculation enhanced seed germination (up to 10, 3, and 6% increase under 0, 10, and 20% PEG, respectively, over individual Azospirillum treatment), root traits (increased root hair density and lateral branches), and seedling vigor indices (up to 22, 32, 43% increase in seed vigor index I and 8, 14, and 10% increase in seed vigor index II under 0, 10, 20% PEG, respectively, over individual Azospirillum treatment) under normal as well as moisture-deficit conditions suggesting the role of Bacillus spp. strains in better adaptation of the plants to stress and higher yield potential. The synergistic effect of co-cultured Azospirillum and Bacillus strains on PGP traits indicated metabolic interplay between the two strains which needs to be further understood. The positive effect of co-inoculation on plant growth under moisture-deficit stress indicated the promise of Azospirillum and Bacillus as a synergistic bioformulation for combating nutrient and drought stress in pearl millet, particularly in nutrient-poor dryland agricultural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pearl millet, a vital staple food and an important cereal, is emerging as crop having various end-uses as feed, food as well as fodder. Advancement in high-throughput sequencing technology has boosted up pearl millet genomic research in past few years. The available draft genome of pearl millet providing an insight into the advancement of several breeding lines. Comparative and functional genomics have untangled several loci and genes regulating adaptive and agronomic traits in pearl millet. Additionally, the knowledge achieved has far away from being applicable in real breeding practices. We believe that the best path ahead is to adopt genome-based approaches for tailored designing of pearl millet as multi-functional crop with outstanding agronomic traits for various end uses. Presently review highlight several novel concepts and techniques in crop breeding, and summarize the recent advances in pearl millet genomic research, peculiarly genome-wide association dissections of several novel alleles and genes for agronomically important traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive agricultural practices with chemical fertilizers are becoming the reason of environmental deterioration. To feed the ever increasing worldwide population with sustainability goals is a one major challenge and biostimulants developed from the beneficial soil and plant microbiome is a better approach for farming practices to increase the crop productivity. In agricultural fields various categories of biostimulants are utilized that contains one microbial culture and multiple strains of microbes in single formulation as microbial consortium. The mixture of microbial species in a formulation is an emerging technology in the present era because of its multiple benefits for plant growth and plant protection for agro-environment sustainability. The present study deals with the isolation of rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria from different cereal and pseudocereal crops and development of a single inoculum as well as consortium for the cereal crops growth. A total of 147 bacteria (rhizospheric and endophytic) were sorted out and were screened for plant growth promoting attributes of nitrogen fixation, phosphorus and potassium solubilization. Among all the bacterial isolates, three potential strains EU-PEN-6, EU-PRP-12 and EU-PRK-4 exhibiting N-fixing, P and K-solubilizing attributes were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Pseudomonas extremorientalis, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, respectively. In best of our knowledge, the present investigation has firstly reported P. extremorientalis, B. subtilis and B. amyloliquefaciens associated with the endophytic region of wheat and rhizosphere of pearl millet. The strains inoculation on pearl millet as single culture and as bacterial consortium improved the parameters like length and biomass of root/shoot, chlorophyll, carotenoids, total soluble sugar content, phenolics, and flavonoids over untreated control. The bacterial consortium was found to have more potential over single culture inoculation. A bacterial consortium could be used as bioinoculants for cereal crops growing in hilly regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change has raised threat to production of crops including millets that are grown in arid and semi-arid zones. Millets, in general and pearl millet which is one of the leading millet crops, withstand high temperature stress and reduced water availability during their life cycle as compared to other crops. Nevertheless, due to increase in soil temperature, the germination as well as seedling survival of pearl millet in farmer's fields are drastically affected. Thus, study of mechanisms of heat tolerance during seedling stage leading to identification of tolerant genotypes is crucial. In our study, initially fifteen pearl millet genotypes were assessed for their germination pattern at higher temperature. Percentage of germination as well as radicle and shoot length were affected when the seeds were germinated at supra-optimal temperatures of 40 and 43°C. Five of the selected genotypes showed variation in the extent of membrane damage on exposure to high temperature as revealed by membrane thermostability assay. During heat stress, all these five genotypes, in general, had enhanced levels of ROS and activity of ascorbate peroxidase, enhanced production of compatible solute, glycine betaine and reduced chlorophyll a and b contents. Lipid peroxidation increased under stress in all genotypes but to a greater extent in the susceptible genotype, 01222B. Expression of hsp60, hsp70, hsp90 and TFA4b genes was higher than their respective controls in short-term and long-term heat stressed leaves. The relative expression of small HSP decreased as the duration of heat stress increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In arid and semi-arid sub-tropical regions of India, pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.]—wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system is the most important system under irrigated conditions. However, it is very exhaustive cropping system and productivity of pearl millet-wheat system has become constant or marginally declined for the last three decades. The imbalanced use of fertilizers and high intensity farming activities declined the soil nutrient status and also deteriorate physical and biological properties of soil. Therefore, to maintain soil health and productivity, balanced fertilization based on soil testing is very essential. A study of balanced fertilization based on Soil Test Crop Response (STCR) approach was initiated in 2009 at Research Farm, CCSHAU, Hisar, with seven treatments viz. T1—control, T2—farm yard manure (FYM) @ 15 t ha−1, T3—recommended dose of nitrogen and phosphorus (RDN and P), T4—STCR with target yield (TY) 3.0 t ha−1, T5—STCR with TY 3.5 t ha−1, T6—integrated STCR with TY 3.0 t ha−1 + FYM and T7—integrated STCR with TY 3.5 t ha−1 + FYM. Integrated treatment (T7) recorded the highest crop grain and straw yield followed by chemical fertilizers alone (T3–T5) whereas lowest grain and straw yield was found in control (T1) after 10 cycles of pearl millet-wheat system. Application of FYM along with chemical fertilizers enhanced total N, P and K uptake by approximately 150, 192 and 150% respectively, over the control. However, soil organic carbon (SOC) and available nutrients were found maximum at early developmental stages and decreased at maturity. The long-term balanced nutrient management using STCR approach has improved soil nutrient status, SOC, pearl millet yield, nutrient uptake and use efficiency of fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Switching to crops with higher caloric yields has ended the cultivation of super-nutrient crops and general awareness of broader climatic adaptation of several native species to be grown in marginal environments. Integration of new crops into the existing cropping system might also require the application of different types of machinery for sowing and harvest and also depending on the crop, after harvest processing procedures, which should be provided for the farmers. Several crops with enormous nutritional values were once largely consumed by mankind. [Extracted from the article]

Flour of millets is nutritionally better, as compared to cereals, but has problem of low shelf-life. Here, we analyzed the nutritional density, and shelf-life of flours of millets (pearl millet, foxtail millet), and cereals (wheat, maize) stored for different durations. We observed maximum starch content in cereals (70–80%) compared with millets (48–72%). The maximum resistant starch (1.2–3.2%), micronutrients (15–72 ppm) and balanced essential amino acids were observed in millets, as compared to cereals. Total lipid and fatty acids were observed maximum in pearl millet cv. Dhanshakti and minimum in wheat cv. HD2329. Percent decrease in the lipid and increase in the FFAs upon storage was observed maximum in pearl millet and minimum in wheat. Oxidative markers like AV and PV showed significant decrease with increase in storage of flours in millets and cereals. Lipase activity was observed maximum in millets followed by wheat, whereas it was negligible in maize. LOX, GPX and PPO activities were observed maximum in foxtail millet cv. DHFT and minimum in cereals. Millets and cereals showed increase in the activities of rancidity causing enzymes initially (up to 10 DAM) and further, decrease was observed. The information generated can be used to develop nutrient-dense pre-mixes with better keeping quality in order to achieve the supremacy of millets in real sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eleven wheat cultivars were obtained for this study, and three treatments were carried out: salinity treatment in a greenhouse, drought treatment in hydroponics and drought with salinity treatment in hydroponics. In the case of salinity treatment in a greenhouse, the cultivars Sids1 and Giza168 showed a high tolerance to salinity. In the drought treatment in hydroponics using PEG6000 in water irrigation, Sids1 and Giza168 showed a high tolerance to drought. In the drought with salinity treatment in hydroponics using PEG6000 with NaCl 8000 ppm in water irrigation, the cultivars Sahel1 and Misr2 showed medium tolerance to salinity and drought. Also, phenotypic parameters of the cultivars were measured. The tallest cultivar was Misr 1 99.67 cm, while Sids1 showed the highest thousand grain weight at 46.81 g. Based on these results, we selected five cultivars of wheat: Sahel1, Gemmeiza10, Misr1, Sakha93 and Giza168 to complete this study and were done carried out a complete diallele hybridization and reverse hybridization between group one: Sahel1 and Gemmeiza10, group two: Misr1 and Sakha93 and group three: Giza168 and Gemmeiza10. The transcripts levels of salinity (Na+/H+ antiporter) and drought (DREB2) genes in the three groups of wheat hybrid were determined using qRT-PCR; DREB2 gene transcripts significantly in group one by 0.79-fold were compared to group three mRNA levels of DREB2 gene that was 0.24-fold. The change in mRNA levels of DREB2 gene of group two was by 0.2-fold, while the mRNA transcript levels of salinity (Na+/H+ antiporter) gene raised no significantly in the groups. In group one in this group the fold change was 0.0037-fold, while mRNA levels of Na+/H+ antiporter gene was 0.0041-fold, in group two. In group three was found the fold change 0.0024-fold. The (DREB2 & Na+/H+ antiporter) genes in hybrid wheat were identified by amplification followed by sequencing. Our results suggest that the best Egyptian wheat cultivars can be grown under difficult environmental conditions in Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity is the main impedance to world food security; it is considered one of the most serious environmental stresses that prohibit agricultural production in many countries. The development of salt-tolerant crop cultivars is indispensable. Eleven traits related to productivity and salinity tolerance were evaluated in the present study under different concentrations of salt stress. The data displayed that, Misr1, Misr2 and Shandaweel1 have maintained higher growth rates compared with the other cultivars under high salt concentrations. The results revealed a reduction in morphological and physiological parameters with the increase in saline conditions. Correlation coefficients among vegetative growth, physiological and biochemical traits show that the total number of leaves per plant was significantly positively correlated to all studied traits at (p < 0.05) except for both Na+ ppm and phenols content values which observed negative relationships. The genetic difference among the ten wheat cultivars used was resolved by simple sequence repeat (SSR), Sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP), and Start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism. The results of the comparison between the different molecular markers showed that the most effective marker that showed the genetic diversity between wheat cultivars was the SSR with 63.8% polymorphism. Allelic frequency of the different SSR, SRAP and SCoT markers tested has differed among the ten wheat cultivars. These findings could be a good indicator of the salt tolerance mechanism present in the studied wheat cultivars. Therefore, these markers are of considerable value and can be utilized to screen large wheat populations for salt tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-four pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L) R. Br) single-cross hybrids were evaluated at four environments of northern Ghana during the 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons to estimate the magnitude of genetic variability, heritability and stability for grain yield and related traits and grain micronutrients among the varieties with the view to selecting the most stable hybrids for adoption by farmers. Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) showed significant genotype × environment (G×E) interaction, and stability for the hybrids across the environments with genotypic variance (σ2G) contributing a greater proportion of the phenotypic variance (σ2p) for four traits including grain Fe content and yield. IPCA 1 and IPCA 2 accounted for between 75.95% for downy mildew incidence and 91.28% for grain Zn of the interaction sum of squares for the traits studied. IPCA 1 component accounted for 50.7, 63.2 and 64.1 of the G×E interaction, while IPCA 2 accounted for 30.8, 26.3 and 27.1, respectively, for grain yield, grain Fe and grain Zn content. Moderate to high broad-sense heritability was recorded for most traits, especially grain yield and grain micronutrient, implying that significant trait improvement may be achieved in these traits through recurrent selection. Overall, 3 hybrids viz ICMH IS 16013, ICMH 177023 and ICMH IS 16075 combined high yield with stability, whereas 4 viz ICMH 177023, ICMH IS 16044, ICMH IS 16076 AND ICMH IS 16214 high grain Fe and Zn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rhizosheath, the layer of soil that adheres strongly to roots, influences water and nutrients acquisition. Pearl millet is a cereal crop that plays a major role for food security in arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa and India. We previously showed that root-adhering soil mass is a heritable trait in pearl millet and that it correlates with changes in rhizosphere microbiota structure and functions. Here, we studied the correlation between root-adhering soil mass and root hair development, root architecture, and symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and we analysed the genetic control of this trait using genome wide association (GWAS) combined with bulk segregant analysis and gene expression studies. Root-adhering soil mass was weakly correlated only to root hairs traits in pearl millet. Twelve QTLs for rhizosheath formation were identified by GWAS. Bulk segregant analysis on a biparental population validated five of these QTLs. Combining genetics with a comparison of global gene expression in the root tip of contrasted inbred lines revealed candidate genes that might control rhizosheath formation in pearl millet. Our study indicates that rhizosheath formation is under complex genetic control in pearl millet and suggests that it is mainly regulated by root exudation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports levels of multiple mycotoxins across Nigeria's six agro-ecological zones and corresponding levels of natural anti-fungal phytochemicals present in pearl millet (PM). 220 representative composite samples of PM were collected for mycotoxin analysis using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS), and 24 were randomly selected for determination of metabolites using gas chromatography-high resolution time of flight-mass spectrometry (GC-HRTOF-MS). In total, 15 mycotoxins were detected, all with levels below the European Union (EU) permissible limits and level of aflatoxins only up to 1.34 µg/kg. This is in sharp contrast to high levels of mycotoxins reported in maize samples from the same agroecological zones. Phytochemical analysis of the same samples identified a total of 88 metabolites, 30 of which are known anti-fungal properties from other previously published studies. The most common of these include methyl ester, bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and ç-tocopherol. The number of anti-fungal metabolites recovered from each sample ranged from 3 to 17 and varied widely in both number and composition across the agroecological zones. The anti-fungal metabolites may probably make PM less susceptible to fungal proliferation compared to other grains. Hence, it is worth exploring for possible sources of biological control products from PM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]