Abstract. The quality of barley for the range of end uses from animal feed to brewing is determined by many genes, making the breeding of new barley varieties difficult. Understanding of the molecular basis of barley quality has been advanced by biochemical studies. More recently, molecular genetic tools are allowing the analysis of the biochemical factors contributing to grain quality. Many genetic loci influencing key quality attributes have been identified by gene mapping. Limited success has been reported in using this information to select for quantitative trait loci for these quality traits in plant breeding. Genomic techniques allowing more detailed analysis of variations in the barley genome in relation to quality promise to extend significantly the value of molecular genetic approaches to barley quality improvement. Definition of the genetic basis of malting quality requires the identification of the genes involved in germination and endosperm modification. Feed quality remains difficult to define. Recent advances are likely to accelerate the rate of discovery, providing new options for analysis of barley quality.
Starch, composed of amylose (AMY) and amylopectin (AP), is a common constituent of many agricultural grain crops and the main source of energy for both humans and domesticated animals. There are several physiochemical factors that determine the suitability of starch for a specific end use, which mainly entails the ratios of the AMY and AP, but also the granular and molecular structure thereof. This, in turn, determines its functional properties, i.e. swelling, gelatinisation, pasting and retrogradation. Different instruments, such as the Amylograph®, Falling Number® System, Ottawa Starch Viscometer and the Consistometer, in addition to the more recently developed Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) are used to study the functional properties of starch. Due to its reliability, repeatability and versatility, the RVA is increasingly used to determine the physiochemical and, in particular, the pasting properties of cereal starches. This review gives an update on the current knowledge of starch-related physiochemical and functional properties of a selection of cereal (i.e. wheat, barley, rice and maize) starches, and the RVA as a measuring instrument thereof, including critical analysis and discussion.
Triticale (× Triticosecale sp. Wittmack ex A. Camus 1927) is an anthropogenic cereal designed to incorporate the functionality and high yield of wheat (Triticum spp. Linnaeus 1753) and durability of rye (Secale cereale Linnaeus 1753). The potential of triticale has remained largely unrealised, and in the 135 years since A. Stephen Wilson first crossed wheat and rye, triticale has mostly been used as animal feed. Growing demand for food resources has led to an increased interest in triticale development. Efforts to breed cultivars appropriate for baking have met with difficulty, although relatively new approaches to triticale end-use propose greater applicability for human consumption. Further, environmental awareness has generated interest in the use of triticale within biofuel production. We review environmental and genetic effects on triticale yield with a view towards increased demand on a hardy and useful cereal crop. We find triticale could satisfy many of the hopes originally placed upon it, and may be useful in foodstuffs and fuel, but only when growth environment is carefully considered.
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