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The greater part of this work describes the biochemical and morphological changes accompanying grain development in cereals. Attention is focussed on those aspects most likely to be involved in the regulation of grain yield and composition. Thus, since starch is the major component of grain yield much of the work is concerned with the developmental enzymology of carbohydrate synthesis. The composition, properties and structure of the developing starch granules and amyloplasts have also been described. Grain development is associated with a range of catabolic processes and a number of enzymes active in carbohydrate degradation has been identified. Although oxygen levels in the developing endosperm are unknown, recent work suggests that the mitochondria present are fully func- tional. It is possible that oxygen required for grain respiration is derived from pericarp photosynthesis. At the same time this tissue may fix carbon dioxide derived from endosperm respiratory processes. Thus, the pericarp may be involved in the overall control of endosperm metabolic activity. Studies of endosperm cell division indicate that this continues for more than half the developmental period, later divisions producing mainly aleurone cells. Hence, stimulation of endosperm cell division early in development will increase the yield of carbohydrate whereas at later stages it will increase the yield of protein. Further studies describe the pattern of mineral ion accumulation, the growth and nutrition of the develop - ing embryo and the morphological changes in the crease region through which nutrients move from the vascular tissue of the pericarp to the endosperm. A second group of papers is concerned with the control of a- amylase and polyphenol oxidase activity during cereal grain germination. Finally, there is a small group of papers describing research on the properties of photosynthesising tissues including marine algae.

Cereal based foods, including breakfast cereals and Asian noodles are potentially good sources of selenium. Although these are major foods consumed globally, their contribution to dietary intakes of selenium is unclear. In addition, there has been very limited research into the effect of processing steps on the analysis and apparent retention of selenium. The low levels typically present in foods and the presence of multiple chemical forms of the element provide significant analytical challenges to research in this area. Therefore, the aims of this study were firstly to evaluate and validate procedures for extraction and measurement of selenium in wheat flour. Secondly, the procedure has been applied to analysis of selenium in cereal foods. The methods employed were firstly validated using wheat-based reference materials and then samples of various breakfast cereals as well as different styles of Asian noodles were analysed. Selenium was extracted using closed- v essels by microwave digestion with a mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide, followed by determination through Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The optimum conditions for selenium determination in cereal based foods involved the digestion of 0.1 g samples using 1 mL of nitric acid and 1 mL of hydrogen peroxide. The addition of 1% (v/v) methanol was found to enhance the sensitivity of the ICP-MS system. Two particular isotopes of selenium (77 and 82) could be effectively employed in the analysis and there was no significant decrease in total selenium in the digested extracts during storage for up to twelve days under refrigeration and room temperature conditions. Good precision levels were obtained and the total selenium levels in the breakfast cereal samples ranged from 0.059 to 0.378 µg/g. For white salted noodles the values varied between 0.057 and 0.712 µg/g, for yellow alkaline noodles, 0.109 to 0.265 µg/g and 0.077 to 0.284 µg/g for fried instant noodles. There was no appar ent change observed in total selenium during the processing of fried instant noodles, indicating the effectiveness of the extraction method developed here. It is concluded that microwave digestion is an effective approach to sample extraction, the procedures validated in this study are suitable for cereal grain foods and that there is considerable variation in the selenium contents of breakfast cereal and Asian noodle products.

Master of Science / Food Science Institute / Jon Faubion / Brewing of beer has a long history and has evolved over time as tastes, markets and science have progressed. Traditionally malted barley is the grain source used in brewing. Malt provides a multitude of benefits including: fermentable carbohydrates, nitrogen for yeast metabolism, color compounds, flavor compounds and minor constituents that provide for various qualities in beer such as foam and colloidal stability. There is, however, interest from brewers and drinkers alike for a variety of beer styles. Because of this and other reasons, brewers have worked with adjuncts such as oats, sorghum, wheat, rice, and maize. These grains can be used in unmalted or malted forms, but the incorporation of these grains affects the brewing process and final beer qualities. A review of literature reveals the use of grains other than malted barley reduce the nitrogen contribution and alter the amino acid profile available for yeast metabolism, leading to slower fermentations and variations in the fermentation products resulting in changes to beer flavor. Exceptions include sorghum and oats, which provide a more beneficial amino acid profile than barley despite lower levels of nitrogen when compared to barley. Extract is found to increase when using maize and rice, while oats and sorghum reduce the amount of extract. Wheat has comparable extract to barley. Grains that contribute B-glucans and arabinoxylans will increase viscosity, while grains without these components will reduce viscosity if fermentation is complete. Additionally, most grains will reduce the foam stability due to altered nitrogen and protein contributions; wheat being the lone exception that improves foam stability. This review will discuss the above mentioned attributes and more to explore the changes to be expected when brewing with unmalted and malted grains other than barley.

Agriculture is, after fossil fuels, the second largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions, which are responsible for global climate change, and it is necessary to look for ways to reduce this environmental load. Cereals are the most cultivated crops in the world, so it is appropriate to examine their share of this load. The aim of the thesis was to evaluate and compare the environmental aspects of the cultivation of selected cereals (wheat, rye and barley) in the conventional and ecological farming system. The resulting environmental load was first calculated on 1 kg of grain, and then the load was recalculated to a load of 1 kg of protein contained in grain of selected cereals. Protein content in grain is one of the grain quality indicators. A simplified LCA method has been used for the environmental load calculations. This method is used for environmental impact assessments and covers the whole life cycle of the product.

Langzeitdüngungsversuche (LTFE) sind für die Agrarforschung von entscheidender Bedeutung, da sie dokumentieren, überwachen, lernen und zeigen können, was in der Vergangenheit geschehen ist, und mit Hilfe von Vorhersagemodellen vorhersagen und simulieren können, was in Zukunft geschehen wird. Diese Modelle dienen dazu, zukünftiges Pflanzenwachstum unter verschiedenen Klima- und Bewirtschaftungsszenarien abzuschätzen und so Entscheidungsprozesse zu unterstützen. In diese Studie wurden die Reaktionen der Getreideerträge auf das Düngermanagement in Sandböden in einem LTFE (1971 bis 2016) in Nordostdeutschland analysiert. Die Ziele dieser Studie waren a) die Analyse der Ertragsreaktionen von Sommergerste, Winterroggen und Winterweizen auf das Düngemanagement, b) die Analyse der Sensitivität der Ertragsreaktionen auf den Zeitpunkt von Wetterereignissen und c) der Vergleich verschiedener Analysemodelle. Die Studie ergab, dass die Reaktion der Getreideerträge auf das Düngermanagement von komplexen Beziehungen zwischen Klimaabhängigkeit, Vorfrucht und Bodeneigenschaften beeinflusst wurde. Die Witterungsbedingungen bei der Aussaat und in den frühen Wachstumsstadien des Getreides beeinflusste den Kornertrag. Bei Wintergetreide waren die Intensität und Dauer der extremen Temperaturen im Sommer, insbesondere die Anzahl der Tage mit einer Höchsttemperatur von über 30°C im Juli, eine wichtige Variable für den Ertrag. Unter den untersuchten Modellen zeigte das LMM-Modell eine bessere Vorhersageleistung als das M5P-Modell, und beide hatten umfangreichere Regressoren als die ANOVA und die BMA. Das M5P-Modell bot eine intuitive Visualisierung wichtiger Variablen und ihrer kritischen Schwellenwerte und offenbarte andere Variablen, die vom LMM-Modell nicht erfasst wurden. Die Ergebnisse dieser Analyse tragen zu umfassenden Strategien für eine nachhaltige Pflanzenproduktion im Hinblick auf den zukünftigen Klimawandel bei. / Long-term fertilizer experiments (LTFEs) are essential for agricultural research as they provide necessary information and data to build predictive models. These models can be used to estimate future plant growth under different climate and management scenarios to support decision-making processes. The current study analyzed cereal grain yield responses to fertilizer management in sandy soil in a LTFE (1971 to 2016) in Northeast Germany. The objectives of this study were to a) analyze yield responses of spring barley), winter rye, and winter wheat to fertilizer management, b) analyze the sensitivity of yield responses to timing of weather events, and c) compare different analysis models. The study revealed that cereal yield response to fertilizer management was influenced by complex relationships among climatic dependence, preceding crop, and soil characteristics. Weather conditions at seeding and early growth stages of cereal were found to be sensitive to grain yield. For winter cereals, the intensity and duration of extreme temperatures in the summertime (harvest year), especially the number of days recorded with a maximum temperature above 30°C in July was an important variable for the yield. Among the investigated models, LMM-model had a better predictive performance compared to M5P-model and both had richer regressors than the ANOVA and BMA-model. The M5P-model presented an intuitive visualization of important variables and their critical thresholds, and revealed other variables that were not captured by the LMM-model. The findings of this analysis contribute to comprehensive strategies for sustainable crop production with regard to future climate change.