Wheat grain obtained from agricultural overproduction is stored for a long time in grain warehouses, which reduces its baking value. The aim of this study was to use barley and wheat malt flours as additives to flours obtained from grain of different wheat varieties stored for 12 months under optimal conditions, to improve their baking properties. The addition of barley malt flour at a mean rate of 0.5% or wheat malt flour at a mean rate of 0.7% reduced the time needed for the wheat gel to reach its maximum viscosity by 67.2%, compared to the control sample (without malt flour added). Bread made of flour blends with malt flours added was characterised by a higher loaf volume and specific volume as well as darker crust and crumb. The addition of malt flours also led to significantly reduced hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of bread crumb. The study demonstrated that it is possible to effectively use long-stored wheat grains for bread making applying wheat malt flour or barley malt flour as enhancers.

Abstract. The present research was conducted to investigate the influence of annual precipitation on the depth of soil tillage with a disc harrow and to monitor their effect on the productivity of wheat grown by conventional technology. The study is based on a perennial field experiment on chernozem soils in the land of the Chirpan region located in central Bulgaria. Annual precipitation data were taken from the local GeoScan Meteo station. Data on the depth of disking, applied twice or three times during the monitored years according to climatic conditions, were measured with a linear meter. A moderate correlation (r = 0.568; 0.356; 0.383) between the annual precipitation and the depth of disking during the three agricultural years was found. Four regression models (Linear, Inverse, Quadratic, and Compound) describing the relation between them have been developed. From the obtained models‘ coefficients of determination (R2 ) for the three examined years the Quadratic model best expresses the relation between the investigated parameters (R2 = 0.172; 0.216 и 0.186). Statistically significant differences between the average wheat yield in the first and third agricultural year, as well as between the second and third agricultural year were obtained. It was found (R2 = 0.362) that the depth of disking affects the productivity of wheat grown by conventional technology about 36.2%.

Soil fungi played important roles in the maintenance of soil fertility and soil sustainable development. In this study, the effects of different fertilisers (i.e. bacterial fertiliser (BF), composed of organic matters and bacteria; mineral fertiliser (MF), composed of N, P and K) on soil fungi in wheat field were analysed. The results showed that the yield of winter wheat with BF was 4 788.52 kg/ha, which was significantly higher than that with term MF. Chao 1and Shannon indexes and principal coordinates analysis showed that fertilisation increased the richness of soil fungi to varying degrees and changed the fungal community structure of soil compared with no fertiliser control (NF). The soil fungal community was mainly composed of Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Mortierellomycota, with Ascomycota as the main species (62.67-65.08%). Compared with MF, the relative abundance of potential beneficial fungi Talaromyces in BF increased 4.44 times. Compared with no fertiliser control, the relative abundance of potential beneficial fungi Chrysosporium in BF increased 4.11 times. The abundance of potential soil pathogenic fungi (P < 0.01), like Stachybotrys, Acrocalymma, Achroiostachys, Arachnomyces and Setophoma, significantly decreased in BF treatment, which was beneficial to the maintenance of crop health and the sustainable development of the environment. Moreover, the network analysis showed that the interspecific relationship of soil fungi in BF was more intimate than MF and NF and fungi were inclined to adopt cooperative manner to adapt ecological niches in BF treatment. The improvement of wheat yield might be due to the optimisation of soil fungal community structure by applying BF, which strengthened the transformation of nutrients in soil, increased some biocontrol microorganism, and reduced the crop disease. The results explain the improvement of wheat yield by BF to a certain extent, and provided theoretical basis for high-yield cultivation of wheat.

The war in Ukraine has shown that the worldwide food security can be easily shaken. This article focuses on an evaluation of European Union (EU) wheat producers on the world market. Would EU producers maintain their competitive position without direct payments? What changes need to be introduced to improve the position of EU producers on the world market? To answer these questions, a data envelopment analysis has been applied. It is indicated that the competitive position of EU wheat producers is still strongly dependent on direct payments and that mechanisation costs are a key area for improved efficiency in wheat production in Europe.

Effets de l’itinéraire technique sur le rendement du Blé Tendre de multiplication (Cas de la Ferme – pilote, Hamadouche Ce travail a été réalisé au niveau de la ferme pilote, Hamdouche, dans le but d'étudier l'effet de la l’itinéraire technique sur le rendement du blé tendre au cours de la campagne agricole 2021/2022. Cette étude conclut à savoir l'importance d'appliquer l’itinéraire technique au niveau de la filière céréalière dans la région de Tlemcen, de sorte que l'on constate que l'application de l’itinéraire technique affecte positivement le produit en termes de qualité et de quantité de production au cours de la année, car on constate que certains agriculteurs y adhèrent sans le reste, pour plusieurs raisons dont : le coût élevé des moyens agricoles, le coût élevé des engrais et des médicaments, et le manque de main d'œuvre. Le non respect de l'application de l’itinéraire technique reste l'une des principales raisons de la faiblesse et de la baisse de la production céréalière quantitative et qualitative dans cette région. Mots clés : itinéraire technique, blé tendre, rendement, la ferme pilote Hamadouche Abstract : Effects of the technical route on the yield of Soft Wheat multiplication (Case of the Farm – pilot, Hamadouche

Radiation processing suppresses the development of microorganisms and pests in food products. This method is safe and does not affect nutritional value; however, it may change the properties of starch and proteins. The research objective was to define the effect of ionization on the baking properties and safety indicators of wheat flour. The study featured wheat flour subjected to gamma irradiation at 0–47.52 kGy, as well as dough and bread made from this flour. The flour samples were tested for the radioactivity of radionuclides; a set of experiments revealed their microbiological indicators and falling-number values. The dough samples were studied on an Alveograph and a Mixolab analyzer to define their structural and mechanical properties. The quality of bread was evaluated by its specific volume, shape stability, and sensory profile. The flour proved safe in terms of residual gamma radiation after 24 and 72 h. At the maximal dose of gamma radiation, the total viable count of mesophyll aerobic and optional-anaerobic microorganisms decreased by fifteen times, whereas the amount of mold decreased by five times. The total strain energy, elastic properties, and elasticity index of the dough declined by more than 50%. The dough had a lower stability during kneading. Its gelatinization onset started earlier by 2.3–3.3°C. The falling number decreased by more than four times, probably, due to the changes in the state of wheat starch. The bread samples had a smaller specific volume and a lower dimensional stability. They also demonstrated signs of darkening, stickiness, and crumb crushing at the maximal irradiation dose (47.52 kGy). The microbiological safety indicators of wheat flour increased at the maximal irradiation dose. However, the baking properties of flour decreased. The sensory and physicochemical parameters of bread quality started to deteriorate at ≥ 23 kGy. Therefore, ionization cannot be recommended as a disinfection method for baking wheat flour production.

Throughout history, Puccinia graminis tritici, Ug99 has been regarded as a significant danger to the production of wheat because it causes the stem or "black rust" disease. The main biotic factors limiting wheat yield are the three rust diseases that affect wheat: stem, leaf, and stripe rust. Stem rust, which can result in losses of up to 70%, is a significant threat to global food security. In cultivars that are susceptible, stem rust mostly parasitizes the surface of the leaf and stem, but it can also attack the leaf sheaths, spikes, glumes, awns, and grains. Heavy dews, high humidity, and warm temperatures (24–30 °C) are all favorable for the development of stem rust. Urediniospore production occurs in these circumstances 7–14 days following infection. Its expansion to other nations in Africa, Asia, and beyond is evident, whether caused by the wind or human intervention. The issue caused by rust can be solved by understanding the illness, locating resistance lines, and subsequently creating resistant types with the aim of shortening the disease. Cultural traditions, the use of pesticides, and the use of resistant varieties like Vijaya, Tilottama, Banganga, Gaura, Dhaulagiri, Danphe, Swargadwari, etc. are all part of management techniques.

HighlightsThe effect of laser biostimulation on wheat germination was explored using a single- and dual-wavelength (DW) laser.An 80 mW green-infrared DW laser treatment significantly enhanced several germination traits of wheat.The effect of a 100 mW single-wavelength red laser on wheat germination was non-significant.Abstract. Laser biostimulation of seeds has established itself as a safe and sustainable alternative to genetic modification or chemical use to enhance plant germination and growth. A knowledge gap, however, exists to define optimal laser parameters for different seeds as inappropriate irradiation may seriously damage or destroy germinability. To this end, the effect of laser biostimulation on germination of Canada Western Red Winter (CWRW) wheat seeds was evaluated using two low power portable lasers: 1) a single-wavelength red laser (659 nm) and 2) a dual-wavelength (DW) green/infrared laser [531 and 810 nm (ratio ~10:1)]. The seeds were pretreated with laser light before germination tests for 5, 10, and 15 minutes using total power densities of ~14.2 and 11.3 mW/cm2, respectively. Laser treatment with a DW laser for a duration of 10 min was found to be the most efficient as it significantly enhanced mean germination time, germination rate index, germination speed, number of roots, and hypocotyl length by 14.3%, 15.2%, 15.2%, 31.8%, and 60.9%, respectively, with respect to control samples. The effect of single-wavelength red laser on CWRW wheat seed germination traits was not statistically significant. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first on evaluating the effect of DW laser treatments in plant biostimulation and introduces a new pathway for manipulating the germination, growth, and development of seeds/plants. Keywords: Agriculture, Biostimulation, Dual-wavelength laser, Laser, Wheat.

The effects of different isomalt concentrations on the quality of wheat flour dough and spicy wheat gluten sticks (SWGS) were evaluated at the physical, structural and molecular levels. The results showed that the radial expansion rate (RER) and oil absorption rate (OAR) of SWGS increased first and then decreased with increased isomalt supplementation, which reached the maximum at 3 wt%. The pasting properties of wheat starch also changed, and the peak viscosity, breakdown and setback were decreased with the addition of isomalt. Dynamic rheological properties results showed that the storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G'') increased with the addition of isomalt, which may be attributed to the reinforcement of gluten network structure by hydrogen bonding of isomalt. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images illustrated that the SWGS surface becomes smooth and the broken gluten structure was reduced after the addition of different isomalt levels compared with the control group. Overall, the wheat flour dough quality analysis showed that the addition of isomalt could generate a close binding with wheat starch and protein and further strengthen the internal structure of gluten through isomalt hydrogen bonds.