Location: Stored Product Insect and Engineering Research
2018 Annual Report
Objectives
Quality and quantity of grain and their products can be enhanced by application of engineering principles to cultivar development, crop monitoring, harvesting, marketing, handling, storage, and processing. Our objectives are the following:
1. Develop technologies and techniques to rapidly evaluate grain quality that increase breeding efficiency and improve marketability.
A. The application of automated single kernel deoxynivalenol (DON) analysis to aid breeders in studying Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance mechanisms in wheat.
B. Develop spectroscopic methods for rapid phenotyping to detect barley yellow dwarf (BYD) virus infection and resistance.
C. Develop fourier-transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy methods to measure grain traits.
D. Develop a rapid, non-destructive method to predict bread quality of hard red winter wheat (HRW) at the first point of sale.
E. Develop imaging and near-infrared and visible spectroscopy instrumentation for sorting haploid and hybrid maize seeds.
F. Develop integrated measurement systems for rapid and efficient phenotyping of seeds.
G. Develop automated single kernel and bulk analysis methods to determine damage levels in wheat kernels caused by the Sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps.
2. Enable stored grain management practices that enhance grain quality, mitigate effects of changing climates, and prevent insect infestations.
A. Determine the accuracy, safety enhancements, and labor reduction of automated insect monitoring probe traps.
B. Develop improved grain aeration and fumigation strategies for insect-pest control in stored grain.
C. Determine the effect of time in storage and aeration on stored grain packing factors.
Pre-harvest quality can be improved through rapid phenotyping technology that relates phenotypic traits to plant genetics. Post-harvest quality can be improved though methods to measure grain traits and methods to enhance storage conditions. Changing climates are expected to produce extreme weather conditions, leading to a need for accelerated breeding programs and improved storage technology to maintain and improve yields and quality. Our unique facilities include the ability to study climate change influences on plant physical, physiological and morphological status through our expertise in instrumentation combined with use of our grain storage facilities and access to greenhouses.
Approach
United States farmers grow over 77 million metric tons of corn, wheat, soybeans, and other grains, worth over $115 billion annually, to supply the nation and the world with food, animal feed, and biofuels. Our goal is to improve U.S. grain quality and international competitiveness through the application of engineering principles to rapidly measure grain traits, and to maintain grain quality during storage. We propose to develop instruments to rapidly measure quality traits for inspection at the first point of grain delivery, for breeders when selecting traits for new lines, and for processors prior to grain buying or processing. We also propose to develop chemical-free technology to control insects and maintain quality during handling and storage. This research will lead to higher profits for the agriculture sector, higher-quality foods reaching consumers, and more food available for a growing world population.
Progress Report
This report documents progress for Project 3020-43440-008-00D “Impacting Quality Through Preservation, Enhancement, and Measurement of Grain and Plant Traits” which started June 2015. The project has two main objectives.
Objective 1: Develop technologies and techniques to rapidly evaluate grain quality that increase breeding efficiency and improve marketability. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and Fourier-transfer NIRS (FTNIRS) calibrations were developed and improved to measure deoxynivalenol (DON) and fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat samples. Thousands of breeder samples were evaluated and information provided to breeders to develop lines with DON and FHB resistance traits. Similar NIRS techniques were used to develop calibrations to detect Barley Yellow Dwarf in wheat. NIRS principles were also used to detect traits of insects that transmit infectious diseases, such as malaria, Zika, and dengue. Lipid-based discrimination of maize seeds using single kernel NIRS was investigated in an effort to reduce hybrid development times for breeders. Preliminary sorting of diploid and haploid maize based on oil content was completed with field proofing currently being conducted. Detection and quantification of chalkiness in rice was investigated using multi-spectral instruments. Rice chalk affects the quality of U.S. rice, particularly for long grain varieties. Near infrared spectra were collected on single wheat kernels with insect damage caused by the Sunn pest. Sunn pest inject wheat berries with an enzyme which degrades the protein and bread making quality. Grain morphology and the genotype by environmental interactions were studied to determine effect on test weight of spring and winter wheat. Imaging methods were developed and used to collect morphological features.
Objective 2: Enable stored grain management practices that enhance grain quality, mitigate effects of changing climates, and prevent insect infestations. Effectiveness of a modified 1-hr air-oven moisture method for determining popcorn moisture was compared to the standard 72-hr method which resulted in adoption of a more practical 1-hr method. Temporal and spatial patterns in aerosol insecticide particle sizes used inside flour mills was determined to study efficacy of distribution for insect control. Phosphine concentration distribution was studied during field tests in temporarily sealed bins to compare distribution from conventional probed tablets to the distribution using a closed-loop recirculation system. Results showed uneven distribution patterns and leakage over time with conventional probed tablets, which resulted in some areas in the lower half of the grain mass receiving a zero dose and some other locations remaining below the target phosphine concentration for the entire period of fumigation. The closed-loop fumigations with the same phosphine dosage yielded much more uniform phosphine concentrations, but suffered from equal or greater phosphine leakage losses. These results will be used to improve fumigation efficacy and reduce phosphine-resistant insect populations.
Accomplishments
1. Studying fusarium head blight resistance using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a disease of small grains most commonly associated with the fungal pathogen F. graminearum and has contributed to a declining acreage of wheat and profits to farmers. Development and deployment of resistant cultivars has proved to be an effective method to combat the disease; however, the majority of major resistance has typically been found in exotic material. Transferring resistance from these sources into locally adapted cultivars has been a slow process due to linkage drag associated with FHB resistance genes. Therefore, it is important for breeders to search for sources of resistance in native material. USDA ARS researchers in Manhattan, Kansas, collaborated on a study to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to spread of FHB within the spike (Type II resistance), accumulation of deoxynivalenol toxin in grain (Type III resistance), and resistance to kernel infection (Type IV resistance) using a doubled-haploid population developed from a cross between the hard red winter wheat cultivars, Art and Everest. NIRS was used to estimate deoxynivalenol levels and fusarium-damaged seeds. Three QTL conferring resistance to FHB traits were detected on chromosomes 2D, 4B, and 4D. The QTL on chromosomes 4B and 4D overlapped with the major height genes Rht-B1 and Rht-D1, respectively. Plant height has shown previous associations with FHB, though the underlying cause of these associations is not well understood. In this study, the haplotype analysis for the Rht-B1 and Rht-D1 loci showed an association between the dwarfing alleles and increased resistance to FHB. This suggests either pleiotropic effects of these loci or perhaps linkage with nearby genes for FHB resistance which will provide breeders with an avenue to pursue increased FHB resistance.
2. Use of near-infrared spectroscopy to detect Zika virus in mosquitos. The accelerating global spread of arboviruses such as Zika virus (ZIKV) highlights the need for more proactive mosquito surveillance. However, a major barrier to the anticipating arbovirus outbreaks has been the lack of rapid and affordable tests for pathogen detection in mosquitoes. USDA ARS researchers in Manhattan, Kansas, collaborated on research that showed for the first time that near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) - a reagent-free, instantaneous, and cost-effective tool - can be used to non-invasively detect ZIKV in whole, intact Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with prediction accuracies of 94.2–99.3% relative to quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). NIRS involves simply shining a beam of light on a whole mosquito for less than three seconds to collect a diagnostic spectrum. Given that NIRS is 18 times faster and 110 times cheaper than RT-qPCR, we anticipate that NIRS will be expanded upon for identifying potential arbovirus hotspots and guiding the spatial prioritization of vector control of the Zika virus.
Review Publications
Krajacich, B.J., Meyers, J.I., Alout, H., Dabire, R.K., Dowell, F.E., Foy, B.D. 2017. Analysis of near infrared spectra for age-grading of wild populations of Anopheles gambiae. Parasites & Vectors. 10:552. doi: 10.1186/s13071-017-2501-1.
Armstrong, P.R., McNeil, S., Manu, N., Bosomtwe, A., Danso, J.K., Osekre, E., Opit, G. 2017. Development and evaluation of a low-cost probe-type instrument to measure the equilibrium moisture content of grain. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 33(5):619-629. https://doi.org/10.1303/aea.12266.
Armstrong, P.R., Maghirang, E.B., Subramanyam, B., McNeill, S.G. 2017. Technical note: Equilibrium moisture content of kabuli chickpea, black sesame, and white sesame seeds. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 33(5):737-742. https://doi.org/10.1303/aea.12460.
Gonzales, H.B., Casada, M.E., Hagen, L.J., Tatarko, J., Maghirang, R. 2017. Sand transport and abrasion within simulated standing vegetation. Transactions of the ASABE. 60(3):791-802. https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.11878.
Tilley, D.R., Casada, M.E., Subramanyam, B., Arthur, F.H. 2017. Temporal changes in stored-product insect populations associated with boot, pit, and load-out areas of grain elevators and feed mills. Journal of Stored Products Research. 73:62-73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2017.07.002.
Bandara, Y., Tesso, T.T., Bean, S.R., Dowell, F.E., Little, C.R. 2017. Impacts of fungal stalk rot pathogens on physicochemical properties of sorghum grain. Plant Disease. 101(12):2059-2068. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-02-17-0238-RE.
Danso, J., Osekre, E., Manu, N., Opit, G., Armstrong, P.R., Arthur, F.H., Campbell, J.F., Mbata, G. 2017. Moisture content, insect pests and mycotoxin levels of maize at harvest and post-harvest in the Middle Belt of Ghana. Journal of Stored Products Research. 74:46-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2017.08.007.
Danso, J.K., Osekre, E.A., Manu, N., Opit, G.P., Armstrong, P.R., Arthur, F.H., Campbell, J.F., Mbata, G., McNeil, S.G. 2018. Post-harvest insect infestation and mycotoxin levels in maize markets in the Middle Belt of Ghana. Journal of Stored Products Research. 77:9-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2018.02.004.
Bhadra, R., Casada, M.E., Turner, A.P., Montross, M.D., Thompson, S.A., Mcneill, S.G., Maghirang, R.G., Boac, J.M. 2018. Stored grain pack factor measurements for soybeans, sorghum, oats,barley, and wheat. Transactions of the ASABE. 61(2):747-757. https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.12645.
Milali, M.P., Sikulu-Lord, M.T., Kiware, S.S., Dowell, F.E., Povinelli, R.J., Corliss, G.F. 2018. Do NIR spectra collected from laboratory-reared mosquitoes differ from those collected from wild mosquitoes? PLoS One. 13(5):e0198245. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0198245.
Sikulu-Lord, M.T., Devine, G.J., Hugo, L.E., Dowell, F.E. 2018. First report on the application of the near-infrared spectroscopy to predict the age of Aedes albopictus Skuse. Scientific Reports. 8:9590. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-27998-7.
Esperanca, P.M., Blagborough, A.M., Da, D.F., Dowell, F.E., Churcher, T.S. 2018. Detection of Plasmodium berghei infected Anopheles stephensi using near-infrared spectroscopy. Parasites & Vectors. 11:377. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-018-2960-z.
Arthur, F.H., Campbell, J.F., Brabec, D.L., Ducatte, G., Donaldson, J. 2018. Aerosol insecticide distribution inside a flour mill: Assessment using droplet measurements and bioassays. Journal of Stored Products Research. 77:26-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2017.12.004.
Manu, N., Osekre, E.A., Opit, G.P., Campbell, J.F., Arthur, F.H., Mbata, G., Armstrong, P.R., Danso, J.K. 2018. Population dynamics of stored maize insect pests in warehouses in two districts of Ghana. Journal of Stored Products Research. 76:102-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2018.01.001.
Wu, T., Armstrong, P.R., Maghirang, E.B. 2018. Vis- and NIR-based instruments for detection of black-tip damaged wheat kernels: A comparative study. Transactions of the ASABE. 61(2):461-467. https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.12432.
Li, J., Zhang, M., Dowell, F.E., Wang, D. 2018. Rapid determination of acetic acid, furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in biomass hydrolysates using near-infrared spectroscopy. ACS Omega. 3:5355-5361. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.8b00636.
Gonzales, H.B., Casada, M.E., Hagen, L.J., Tatarko, J., Maghirang, R.G., Barden, C.J. 2018. Porosity and drag determination of a single-row vegetative barrier (Maclura pomifera). Transactions of the ASABE. 61(2):641-652. https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.12338.
