Thesis (Ph. D.)--Washington State University, December 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Dec. 15, 2009). "Department of Crop and Soil Sciences." Includes bibliographical references.

Among three varieties of Australian lentils, Len culinaris, Matilda had larger physical dimensions and higher protein contents, but no significant difference in chemical composition or physical dimensions existed between Digger and Cobber. Optimum conditions for the extraction of lentil flours which passed through a 0.79 mm screen were pH 9.0 at 30??C for Matilda and pH 8.5 at 35??C for both Digger and Cobber. These conditions enable a high yield of lentil starches and proteins, with minimal changes or damage to their quality. Matilda offered advantages for processors over the other varieties: it had higher protein and fibre; lower lipid; and greater foam-forming capacity and foam stability. Its starch had higher Tg, lower Tm and better expansion behaviour. All lentil starches were shear-thinning. The flow of the molten lentil starches under limited moisture content differed from starches sheared in excess moisture condition. When extruded, lentil starches offered good expansion and had higher Tg than did cereal starches in extruded products. The overall rheological behaviour of lentil flours differed from that of their corresponding starches. The lentil flours had poorer pasting quality and expansion possibly because of interference by their lipid and protein components. Starch rheological behaviour was greatly affected by the amylose/amylopectin ratio and the molecular weight of starches, while flour behaviour was more influenced by the interfering components. The ?? value obtained from capillary rheometry (CR) could be used for the screening of materials for their expansion behaviour. The CR data gave excellent agreement to the results achieved from the extruder and in predicting the expansion indices and calculated viscosity of six flour blends. In all, the quantitative and qualitative knowledge on the physico-chemistry and rheology of lentils give a better understanding of the behaviour of lentil flours and starches in the expansion of extruded products, producing suitable end products with acceptable quality and storage stability. This project highlights the lentil flour and starch rheology characteristics in view of possible application in extruded products.

Consumption of pulse crops has been linked to improvements in blood vessel function, but which pulse variety/type is better and how they work remains unknown. Two distinct studies were conducted to address these questions. In study 1, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were fed control diet, or diets containing 30% (w/w) beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, or mixed pulses. Normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were fed the control diet. The lentil–containing diet significantly attenuated the rise in BP (+8 and +31 mmHg, vs. control) and reduced large artery remodeling compared to control. In study 2, SHR were fed control, mixed lentil, green lentil, or red lentil diets for 8 weeks. WKY were fed control or mixed lentil diets. Green lentils decreased arterial remodeling and improved arterial compliance in the SHR. A diet high in green lentils could be a valuable adjunct to allopathic medicine to mitigate effects of hypertension on the vasculature. / October 2013

Among three varieties of Australian lentils, Len culinaris, Matilda had larger physical dimensions and higher protein contents, but no significant difference in chemical composition or physical dimensions existed between Digger and Cobber. Optimum conditions for the extraction of lentil flours which passed through a 0.79 mm screen were pH 9.0 at 30??C for Matilda and pH 8.5 at 35??C for both Digger and Cobber. These conditions enable a high yield of lentil starches and proteins, with minimal changes or damage to their quality. Matilda offered advantages for processors over the other varieties: it had higher protein and fibre; lower lipid; and greater foam-forming capacity and foam stability. Its starch had higher Tg, lower Tm and better expansion behaviour. All lentil starches were shear-thinning. The flow of the molten lentil starches under limited moisture content differed from starches sheared in excess moisture condition. When extruded, lentil starches offered good expansion and had higher Tg than did cereal starches in extruded products. The overall rheological behaviour of lentil flours differed from that of their corresponding starches. The lentil flours had poorer pasting quality and expansion possibly because of interference by their lipid and protein components. Starch rheological behaviour was greatly affected by the amylose/amylopectin ratio and the molecular weight of starches, while flour behaviour was more influenced by the interfering components. The ?? value obtained from capillary rheometry (CR) could be used for the screening of materials for their expansion behaviour. The CR data gave excellent agreement to the results achieved from the extruder and in predicting the expansion indices and calculated viscosity of six flour blends. In all, the quantitative and qualitative knowledge on the physico-chemistry and rheology of lentils give a better understanding of the behaviour of lentil flours and starches in the expansion of extruded products, producing suitable end products with acceptable quality and storage stability. This project highlights the lentil flour and starch rheology characteristics in view of possible application in extruded products.

The inheritance of resistance to ascochyta blight in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) caused by Ascochyta fabae Speg. f. sp. lentis Gossen et al (Syn. A. lentis Vassil.) was studied using as parents the Canadian cultivars Eston (susceptible) and Laird (moderately resistant) and two resistant lines from ICARDA, ILL-5588 and ILL-5684. The F2, F2-derived Fa families and F2-derived F4 families of each cross were evaluated for ascochyta resistance under field conditions in an ascochyta nursery during 1987, 1988 and 1989, respectively. The parents and segregating populations were rated for ascochyta reaction on the basis of foliage symptoms, using a 1 to 9 disease rating scale, with plants rated 1 to 5 considered resistant and plants rated 7 to 9 considered susceptible. In addition percent seed-borne ascochyta infection was evaluated, using the seed plating technique. The cuItivar Eston was susceptible. Laird lentil was resistant to foliar infection by ascochyta, but its resistance breaks down in the late podding stage and under the wet conditions of the ascochyta nursery percent seed-borne ascochyta infection was even higher than in the susceptible cultivar Eston. The lines ILL-5588 and ILL-5684 were highly resistant with resistance persisting after maturity and the seed coats do not become infected and discolor materially even with prolonged exposure to wet weather at harvest. A chi-square test for goodness-of-fit of the F2 and F2- derived F3 families indicated that resistance to foliar infection by ascochyta in Laird lentil was conditioned by a single recessive gene, ral1• Results also indicated that the resistance to foliage and seed infection by ascochyta of ILL- 5588 and ILL-5684 was due to two - dominant genes,' Ral2 and Ral3. ILL-5588, but not ILL-5684, also carried the ral1 gene for resistance to foliar infection by ascochyta and is the better source of resistance to ascochyta. The high correlation between percent seed-borne ascochyta infection in Fz-derived F3 families and in F2-derived F4 families plus the medium to high heritability estimates (0.52 to 0.8l) indicate that it will be easy to select for ascochyta resistance in these crosses. An effective method of selecting for ascochyta resistance in lentil was developed. An ascochyta nursery is developed by spreading infected lentil straw between the lentil rows prior to flowering. This nursery is then sprinkled intermittently once or twice each day until about two weeks after maturity. The crop is permitted to dry naturally and selections made for ascochyta resistant F2 plants or replicated progeny rows in later generations. Ascochyta resistance is based on a low level of discolored seed (0 to 5%), reconfirmed by plating the seed to determine percent seed-borne ascochyta infection in replicated progeny rows. Only a few selections have a high level of clean bright seed and require seed planting. This technique is quick, easy, effective and efficient. Resulting selections are resistant to both foliar infection and seed infection by ascochyta.

Lentil (Lens culinaris) is a major grain legume (pulse) crop in Canada. Ascochyta blight, caused by Ascochyta lentis Kaiser et aI. (1997) (syn. Ascochyta fabae Speg. f sp. lentis Gossen et aI., 1986) is an important disease of lentil in Canada and worldwide. This disease can be serious, especially in wet growing seasons, and losses can be as high as 70% due to reduction in yield and quality. The main objective of this study was to determine the mode of inheritance of resistance to seedborne ascochyta blight in lentil. Seven lentil cultivars/lines, four resistant (ILL 5588, Indianhead, PI 339283 and PI 374118 (tentative)) and three susceptible (Eston, Laird and ZT4), were crossed in all possible combinations, excluding reciprocals. Fl plants were grown in the greenhouse and spaced F2 plants were grown in an irrigated ascochyta nursery. F2 plants were harvested individually and seeds were plated on agar media to determine percentage seedborne ascochyta infection. F2 plants with [greater than or equal too] 12% seedborne ascochyta infection were considered resistant and those with > 12% seedborne ascochyta infection were considered susceptible. F3 rows were grown in an irrigated ascochyta nursery in the field and harvested in bulk. One hundred seeds from each of the F3 rows were plated on agar media and percentage seedborne ascochyta infection was determined. F3 families with [greater than or equal to] 12% seedborne ascochyta infection were considered resistant and those with > 12% seedborne ascochyta infection were considered susceptible. Chi-squared test of goodness-of-fit to various one and two gene ratios showed that the resistance in Indianhead lentil was governed by a single recessive gene. Resistance in ILL 5588 lentil was governed by a single dominant gene. The resistance in PI 339283 was governed by at least one dominant gene. Lentil line PI 374118 showed a high level of seedborne ascochyta infection and was regarded as susceptible. The recessive gene governing resistance in Indianhead lentil was epistatic to the dominant genes for resistance in ILL 5588 and PI 339283 lentil. Indianhead lentil showed high foliage infection by ascochyta, suggesting that resistance to seedborne ascochyta infection and resistance to foliage infection are controlled by two different genetic systems.

This study focuses on investigating the effect of post-harvest handling conditions and storage time on the dehulling efficiency and cooking quality of two varieties of red lentils, as well as optimizing the dehulling conditions. The effects of storage time, storage moisture content and storage temperature, as well as the effect of different storage pre-treatments aiming to simulate post-harvest handling, were studied. Dehulling efficiency was mostly affected by the pre-milling moisture content, regardless of the storage conditions. Pre-treatments involving moisture content changes lowered the dehulling efficiency of both varieties of red lentils, whereas freezing and thawing cycles had less of a negative effect on the dehulling characteristics. Textural parameters were mostly affected by storage time; samples became harder after storage. The final recommendation arising from this study is to monitor the moisture content of lentils during storage as it has a detrimental effect on both the dehulling and cooking quality.

This study focuses on investigating the effect of post-harvest handling conditions and storage time on the dehulling efficiency and cooking quality of two varieties of red lentils, as well as optimizing the dehulling conditions. The effects of storage time, storage moisture content and storage temperature, as well as the effect of different storage pre-treatments aiming to simulate post-harvest handling, were studied. Dehulling efficiency was mostly affected by the pre-milling moisture content, regardless of the storage conditions. Pre-treatments involving moisture content changes lowered the dehulling efficiency of both varieties of red lentils, whereas freezing and thawing cycles had less of a negative effect on the dehulling characteristics. Textural parameters were mostly affected by storage time; samples became harder after storage. The final recommendation arising from this study is to monitor the moisture content of lentils during storage as it has a detrimental effect on both the dehulling and cooking quality.

No description available.

This study examined the effects of elevated CO2 and its interaction with drought and nitrogen fertilizer on the growth, production and nodulation of the leguminous crop lentil (Lens culinaris Medic) cultivars ILL7979 and ILL6994 (Idlib 3). Plants were grown under ambient and elevated CO2 at full and limited irrigation conditions in both open top chambers, which were later proven to be unreliable because of CO2 leakage, and tightly sealed and ventilated chambers which were reliable. Destructive harvests at anthesis and at maturity were conducted and results from sealed chambers at maturity showed that above ground dry weight was increased by an average of 12% under elevated CO2, but this increase was not statistically significant.