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Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology pp 4550–4563Cite as

Grain Quality in Oil and Cereal Crops

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Definition of the Subject

Grain quality is frequently regarded by agronomists and breeders to be as important as yield. Quality characteristics are the reason why only few plant species are used to satisfy most human requirements for food and fiber [1]. Grain quality comprises a group of characteristics that collectively determine the usefulness of the harvested grains for a particular end use. Therefore, to breed and manage grain crops to achieve a specific quality standard and to be able to predict the quality of a particular crop in a particular growing environment is rather important. Achieving this objective is dependent upon the knowledge of the factors modifying grain composition, and consequently grain quality.

As grain markets have become more specialized, there is a growing pressure on farmers to produce grains with greater uniformity and with certain characteristics [2]. Appropriate husbandry to obtain grains with high and stable “quality” will likely be of increasing...

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Abbreviations

Cereals:

Monocotyledon plant grains that accumulate starch as the main storage substance for subsequent germination. Two types have been distinguished – cereals that contain gluten and are used for bread-making (wheat, oats, barley, rye) and cereals that do not contain gluten (rice, maize).

Genotype × environment interaction:

Relative changes in genotype performance when grown under different environments.

Grain development:

Structural and functional changes that occur in the fertilized flower producing a mature grain capable of germinating.

Grain growth:

Irreversible increase in grain weight and size caused by cell division, expansion, and reserves accumulation.

Grain quality:

Group of grain characteristics and measurable attributes (objectively or subjectively) to meet the clients’ requirements (i.e., customer, industry, consumers).

Oilseeds:

Dicotyledon plant grains that accumulate oil as the main storage substance for subsequent germination. Oilseed crop seeds (sunflower, rapeseed, ground pea) are composed of 40–50% oil and 20–30% protein while proteo-oil crop seeds (soybean, lupine) comprise 15–30% oil and 30–40% protein.

Photoassimilates:

Carbohydrates (sugars, starch, or fructans, depending on the species) synthesized by the green plant parts and translocated to actively growing organs, like grains. Photoassimilates may originate from current photosynthesis or reserve remobilization.

Source–sink balance:

Quantitative relationship between plant photosynthetic capacity (source) and number of organs under active growth (sink) that are sustained by the former.

Plant stress:

Changes in plant metabolism in response to environments that endanger plant survival or hinder reaching maximum reproductive capacity.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Crop Production, University of Buenos Aires, Av. San Martin 4453, C1417DSE, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Dr. Déborah P. Rondanini (Faculty of Agronomy)

  2. CONICET, National Council of Scientific and Technical Research, Av. Rivadavia 1917, 1033AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Dr. Déborah P. Rondanini (Faculty of Agronomy) & Dr. Lucas Borrás (Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias)

  3. Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Campo Exp. Villarino s/n, S2125ZAA, Zavalla, Santa Fe, Argentina

    Dr. Lucas Borrás (Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias)

  4. Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida, Av. Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    Dr. Roxana Savin

Authors
  1. Dr. Déborah P. Rondanini
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  2. Dr. Lucas Borrás
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  3. Dr. Roxana Savin
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Correspondence to Déborah P. Rondanini .

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  1. RAMTECH LIMITED, Larkspur, CA, USA

    Robert A. Meyers

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Rondanini, D.P., Borrás, L., Savin, R. (2012). Grain Quality in Oil and Cereal Crops . In: Meyers, R.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0851-3_108

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