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ARS Home » Plains Area » Manhattan, Kansas » Center for Grain and Animal Health Research » Stored Product Insect and Engineering Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #342353
Research Project: Impacting Quality through Preservation, Enhancement, and Measurement of Grain and Plant Traits

Location: Stored Product Insect and Engineering Research

Title: Effects of barley yellow dwarf disease on wheat grain quality

Author
item PEIRIS, K.H.S. - Kansas State University
item Bowden, Robert
item TODD, TIMOTHY - Kansas State University
item BOCKUS, WILLIAM - Kansas State University
item DAVIS, MARK - Kansas State University
item Dowell, Floyd

Submitted to: Cereal Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2019
Publication Date: 5/24/2019
Citation: 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.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cche.10177

Interpretive Summary: Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) is a disease caused by several viruses that seriously affect the productivity of important grain crops including wheat. BYDV infections affect photosynthesis and other physiological processes within the plant causing chlorosis, stunting, and yield loss due to reductions in root growth, plant height, above ground dry weight and yield components such as number of heads, number of kernels per head and 1000-kernel weight. Limited research information is available on the effects of BYDV infections on quality traits in harvested grains. The objectives of this study were to use near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to assess protein and starch content of samples from visually healthy and BYDV infected plants so we could study the variation of selected grain yield and quality traits in relation to the visually assessed BYDV incidence levels, and to verify if BYDV incidence can be modeled by NIRS analysis of grain samples. Results showed that BYDV infected plants generally had grains with increased protein content and reduced starch content, reduced average kernel weight and reduced total kernel weight per head. The extent of grain protein content change depends on cultivar and BYDV incidence. Results suggest that NIRS analysis of grains may be useful in BYDV screening trials to assess the impact of BYDV infections on wheat grain quality traits and to predict BYDV incidence levels of trial plots.

Technical Abstract: Wheat grain samples from experimental plots that had varying levels of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) incidence and grain samples extracted from spikes of visually healthy and BYDV infected plants were evaluated for selected grain yield and quality traits. Near infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to determine protein content (PC) and starch content (SC) of grain samples. Compared to visually healthy plants, BYDV infected plants generally had grains with increased PC and reduced SC, reduced average kernel weight and reduced total kernel weight per head. Number of kernels per head was not affected by BYDV infection. Yield, 1000-kernel weight and SC of grains harvested from experimental plots were negatively correlated while grain PC was positively correlated with BYDV incidence. The extent of grain PC change depends on cultivar and BYDV incidence. A NIRS calibration (coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.60 and root mean square error of calibration = 10.9%) predicted the BYDV incidence with R2 = 0.56 and root mean square error of prediction = 9.2%. Results suggest that NIRS analysis of grains may be useful in BYDV screening trials to assess the impact of BYDV infections on wheat grain quality traits and to predict BYDV incidence levels of trial plots.