Research Project: Impacting Quality through Preservation, Enhancement, and Measurement of Grain and Plant Traits

Location: Stored Product Insect and Engineering Research

2019 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
Progress was made on all main objectives and subobjectives of this project, all of which fall under National Program 306, Component 1, Define, Measure, and Preserve/Enhance/Reduce Attributes that Impact Quality and Marketability. Under Objective 1, Develop technologies and techniques to rapidly evaluate grain quality that increase breeding efficiency and improve marketability, lipid-based discrimination of doubled haploid (DH) corn seeds using single kernel NIRS was investigated in an effort to reduce hybrid development times for breeders. Doubled haploid corn kernels are used to expedite development of new varieties by developing inbred lines much quicker than using repeated self-pollination. Sorting of DH and sibling hybrid maize kernels based on oil content was completed and results showed that the normally small pool of DH kernels could be enriched by up to 5 times by eliminating hybrid kernels. Further enrichment by traditional hand sorting, based on kernel color, can thus become less expensive and more time efficient. Alkaline spreading value (ASV) is used as measure of starch gelatinization temperature in rice, a cooking quality parameter. Detection and quantification of ASV in rice was investigated using near infrared spectroscopy on single grains. Images of grains were also collected during ASV testing in order to develop objective image-based measurement of ASV. These methods may provide a faster and nondestructive method compared to subjective human scoring to measure ASV which would be useful for rice breeding and quality control. Studies to detect chlorpyrifos insecticide residue on rice were completed using bulk NIR analysis. MLR limits could be detected at different levels with good confidence, approaching quantitative for samples of paddy, brown and polished rice. A low-cost spectrometer, developed in-house, using LEDs of various wavelengths could also detect MRL for most conditions. Research on improving methods for sorting of contaminates from wheat samples, included the removal of smutty wheat, was conducted. Sorter was 80% - 90% effective in removing smutty wheat with a single pass through the sorter. Wheat samples contaminated with smutty wheat were milled and the resulting flour was imaged and analyzed. Phenotyping of wheat seeds was performed with a single camera, and with a two-camera system. Seed volume was estimated using both systems, with the two-camera system providing a better estimate of volume. Seed volume and weight will eventually be combined to give an estimate seed density and correlation to test weight. These values will be useful for phenotyping of small grains for parameters related to milling and agronomic practices. Under Objective 2, Enable stored grain management practices that enhance grain quality, mitigate effects of changing climates, and prevent insect infestations, factors influencing the effectiveness of phosphine fumigations for maintaining grain quality through the elimination of insect infestations was evaluated. Phosphine is widely used as a fumigant for stored product insect infestations in grain, but understanding the behavior of phosphine gas inside the fumigated space is crucial to maintaining a lethal dosage and protecting stored grain from subsequent insect damage. Wireless phosphine sensors are new commercial technology developed to monitor phosphine concentrations during fumigation, and we used them to evaluate fumigations of grain bins filled with wheat and fumigations of railcars during transport. Fumigation of rail cars containing grain is a widely used tactic, but little was known about railcar fumigation effectiveness. The wireless technology proved to be very useful for measuring how phosphine levels change over time and revealed that many railcar fumigations did not achieve an adequate gas concentration and hold it for long enough to provide effective insect control. This information will help the grain industry evaluate and improve fumigation practices within railcars. Phosphine is available in either gas form or generated from solid material, in pellets or tablets, that reacts with water in the air. The solid form is the most commonly used; however, limited information is available on the rate of phosphine gas generated. A mathematical equation was formulated, based on previous studies in the literature, to describe the rate. This equation was incorporated in a computer model, built to predict the phosphine concentration within fumigated grain. The gas generated by a single pellet was measured in laboratory experiments with wheat in a sealed barrel. The model considered the temperature and the amount of phosphine that is absorbed by wheat which reduces the overall gas concentration. The results from the laboratory confirmed the mathematical model. The gas generation model will enable accurate computer simulations of phosphine fumigations that will help improve understanding of factors affecting the fumigation process, lead to better control of those factors, and help ensure phosphine fumigation effectiveness. Grain bulk density is an important property in the grain industry and is used in grading, designing storage systems, and estimating the mass of grain in bins. Bulk density is affected by many factors in a storage bin, including how the grain was handled, creating a complex problem to analyze. The discrete element method (DEM) of modeling considers the movement and interactions of each particle, which make it effective for studying how handling processes affect the bulk density. Successful use of DEM to study variation of grain bulk density requires knowledge of how the particle shape and contact parameters (i.e. coefficients of friction, coefficient of restitution) affect modeling the bulk density. Experimental and DEM simulation results of density measurements showed that the bulk density is higher for particles having lower aspect ratio and smoother surfaces, showing that it is important to capture the true shape of particles being modeled to accurately predict grain bulk density. For contact parameters, particle-to-particle coefficient of static friction and particle-to-particle coefficient of rolling friction had the most significant effect on bulk density. Determining these material properties accurately will improve the prediction of grain bulk density as affected by different handling processes.

Accomplishments
1. Doubled haploid sorting of maize kernels. Rapid method for sorting haploid and hybrid kernels to allow for faster development of new corn hybrids was completed by ARS scientists in Manhattan in collaboration with the University of Florida. Doubled haploids (DHs) have been a valuable tool for corn breeding for many years to develop inbred lines. Inbred lines are used in crosses to develop hybrids that have desirable agronomic traits. DHs can generate a fully homozygous inbred line in just two generations while traditional breeding methods require six or more generations of self-pollinations to achieve a nearly homozygous inbred line. Identification of the rare haploid kernels among a pool of hybrid siblings has been the focus of efforts to increase DH production efficiency and is most commonly done by manual sorting using color differences in the embryo and tip cap of the kernel. Maize haploid classification using single kernel near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was shown to be a promising alternative to the slow and tedious method of visual hand sorting or instrumented methods using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), which is an order of magnitude slower than NIR. Research has shown that doubled haploid (DH) kernels can be distinguished from their hybrid siblings based primarily on kernel oil content and other spectral differences. Normally DH kernels make up approximately 10% of the kernels, but using NIR this level was increased by a factor of 5, to above 50%. This allows subsequent slower sorting methods, such as manual color sorting, to be completed more quickly by reducing the overall number of kernels to be sorted. This method will allow faster development of new corn hybrids.

2. Forces on grain bin monitoring cables determined during filling and emptying of silos. Temperature and moisture content are the two most important quality parameters for safe grain storage and are frequently monitored by stored grain managers. Monitoring is usually accomplished with temperature and/or moisture sensors incorporated into cables suspended from the bin roof. These cables create a substantial extra load during bin filling and emptying from forces such as friction. These forces must be known and accounted for in the design of the roof structure. To address these design requirements, scientist at ARS in Manhattan, Kansas, determined forces on five different cable sizes and configurations during filling and emptying of 25-m (82-ft) deep concrete bins of wheat and corn. The average forces during emptying were always higher than during filling, generally by a factor of near or equal to two. The maximum vertical forces recorded for a cable was 4.73 kN (1060 lb) for the largest cable. The forces generally increased with increasing cable size. Cables close to the sidewalls of the bin had higher vertical forces than those in the center. These results can be used by designers to estimate loads on bin roofs and show that cable size and design along with center versus sidewall cable mounting locations are key variables to account for in the force calculations.

Review Publications
Armstrong, P.R., Maghirang, E.B., Ozulu, M. 2019. Determining damage levels in wheat caused by Sunn pest (Eurygaster integriceps) using visible and near-Infrared spectroscopy. Journal of Cereal Science. 86:102-107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2019.02.003.
Duodu, K.G., Dowell, F.E. 2018. Sorghum and millets: Quality management systems. In: Taylor, J. R. N., Duodu, K. G.m editors. Sorghum and millets: Chemistry, technology, and nutritional attributes. 2nd edition. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Woodhead Publishing. p. 421-442.
Lemes da Silva, C., Fritz, A., Clinesmith, M., Poland, J., Dowell, F.E., Peiris, K. 2019. QTL mapping Fusarium head blight resistance and deoxynivalenol accumulation in the Kansas wheat variety 'Everest'. Molecular Breeding. 39:35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-019-0937-z.
Peiris, K., Bowden, R.L., Todd, T.C., Bockus, W.W., Davis, M.A., Dowell, F.E. 2019. Effects of barley yellow dwarf disease on wheat grain quality. Cereal Chemistry. 00:1-11. https://doi.org/10.1002/cche.10177.
Scheff, D.S., Brabec, D.L., Campbell, J.F., Arthur, F.H. 2019. Case study: A practical application of an aerosol treatment in commercial mill. Insects. 10(5):E150. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10050150.
Maia, M.F., Kapulu, M., Muthui, M., Wagah, M.G., Ferguson, H.M., Dowell, F.E., Baldini, F., Ranford-Cartwright, L. 2019. Detection of Plasmodium falciparum infected Anopheles gambiae using near-infrared spectroscopy. Malaria Journal. 18:85. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-019-2719-9.
Danso, J.K., Osekre, E.A., Opit, G.P., Arthur, F.H., Campbell, J.F., Mbata, G., Manu, N., Armstrong, P.R., McNeill, S.G. 2019. Impact of storage structures on moisture content, insect pests and mycotoxin levels of maize in Ghana. Journal of Stored Products Research. 81:114-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2018.11.012.
Fernandes, J.N., Dos Santos, L.B., Chouin-Carneiro, T., Pavan, M.G., Garcia, G.A., David, M.R., Beier, J.C., Dowell, F.E., Maciel-De-Freitas, R., Sikulu-Lord, M.T. 2018. Rapid, non-invasive detection of Zika virus in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes by near-infrared spectroscopy. Science Advances. 4(5):eaat0496. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aat0496.
Tamagno, S., Sadras, V.O., Haegele, J.W., Armstrong, P.R., Ciampitte, I.A. 2018. Interplay between nitrogen fertilizer and biological nitrogen fixation in soybean: Implications on seed yield and biomass allocation. Nature Scientific Reports. 8:17502. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-35672-1.
Lambert, B., Sikulu-Lord, M.T., Mayagaya, V.S., Devine, G., Dowell, F.E., Churcher, T.S. 2018. Monitoring the age of mosquito populations using near-infrared spectroscopy. Nature Scientific Reports. 8:5274. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-22712-z.
Milali, M.P., Sikulu-Lord, M.T., Kiware, S.S., Dowell, F.E., Corliss, G.F., Povinelli, R.J. 2019. Age grading An. gambiae and An. arabiensis using near infrared spectra and artificial neural networks. PLoS One. 14(8):e0209451. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209451.
Brabec, D.L., Campbell, J.F., Arthur, F.H., Casada, M.E., Tilley, D.R. 2019. Evaluation of wireless phosphine sensors for monitoring fumigation gas in wheat stored in farm-bins. Insects. 10(5):121. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10050121.
Manu, N., Opit, G., Osekre, E., Arthur, F.H., Mbata, G., Armstrong, P.R., Danso, J.K., McNeill, S.G., Campbell, J.F. 2019. Moisture content, insect pest infestation and mycotoxin levels of maize in markets in the northern region of Ghana. Journal of Stored Products Research. 80:10-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2018.10.007.
Manu, N., Osekre, E.A., Opit, G.P., Arthur, F.H., Mbata, G., Armstrong, P.R., Danso, J.K., McNeill, S.G., Campbell, J.F. 2019. Moisture content, insect pests and mycotoxin levels of maize on farms in Tamale environs in the Northern Region of Ghana. Journal of Stored Products Research. 83:153-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2019.05.015.
Bosomtwe, A., Danso, J.K., Osekre, E.A., Opit, G.P., Mbata, G., Armstrong, P.R., Arthur, F.H., Campbell, J.F., Manu, N., McNeill, S.G., Akowuah, J.O. 2019. Effectiveness of the solar biomass hybrid dryer for drying and disinfestation of maize. Journal of Stored Products Research. 83:66-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2019.05.011.
Arthur, F.H., Scheff, D.S., Brabec, D.L., Bindel, J. 2019. Aerosol concentration, deposition, particle size, and exposure interval as mortality factors Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Journal of Stored Products Research. 83:191-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2019.06.005.
Athanassiou, C.G., Kavallieratos, N.G., Brabec, D.L., Agrafioti, P., Sakka, M., Campbell, J.F. 2019. Using immobilization as a quick diagnostic indicator for resistance to phosphine. Journal of Stored Products Research. 82:17-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2019.01.004.