Cadmium (Cd) contamination in soil threatens global food production and human health. This study investigated zinc (Zn) addition as a potential strategy to mitigate Cd stress using two barley genotypes, Dong-17 (Cd-sensitive) and WSBZ (Cd-tolerant). Hydroponically grown seedlings were treated with different Cd (0, 1.0, 10 mu M) and Zn (0, 5, 50 mu M) levels. Results showed that Zn addition effectively alleviated Cd induced growth inhibition, improving SPAD values, photosynthetic parameters, fluorescence efficiency (Fv/Fm), and biomass. Zn reduced Cd contents in roots and shoots, inhibited Cd translocation, and ameliorated Cd induced ultrastructural damage to organelles. Transcriptomic analysis revealed distinct gene expression patterns between genotypes, with WSBZ showing enhanced expression of metal transporters, antioxidant defense, and stress signaling genes. Significantly, cell wall related pathways were upregulated in WSBZ, particularly lignin biosynthesis genes (PAL, C4H, 4CL, COMT, CAD/SAD), suggesting cell wall reinforcement as a key Cd tolerance mechanism. Zn induced upregulation of ZIP family transporters and downregulation of Cd transporters (HvHMA) aligned with reduced Cd accumulation. These findings provide comprehensive insights into molecular mechanisms of Zn mediated alleviation of Cd toxicity in barley, supporting improved agronomic practices for Cd contaminated soils.

When processing barley for the brewing and food industries, one of the process steps is the separation of barley grains. After separation, waste fractions are created that contain damaged grains, dust, stones, grass, clay residues, etc. The waste fractions therefore contain recyclable components. It is important to find a suitable way to use these waste fractions. This research is focused on the possibilities of applying torrefied waste fractions as soil enrichment to support plant growth. The first waste fraction contained lower-quality barley grains that are used as feed for livestock. The second waste fraction contained grass seeds and chaff and can be used as feed for forest animals. The third waste fraction, which contained aspiration dust, is currently being incinerated and disposed at biogas plants. Experiments were conducted with different ratios of torrefied fractions added to the soil and the values of total nitrogen were analyzed as an indicator of the benefit to the soil. The results showed that torrefied waste fractions exhibit positive properties for plant growth. The best results were achieved with a mixture containing 10 and 50 % of soil enriched with torrefied second and third waste fractions. Experiments confirmed a positive effect on plant growth, which suggests the possibility of applying this procedure in practice. Compared to current research, this method can contribute to the sustainable management of biowaste and its effective use for improving soil conditions with a high potential for sustainable agriculture.

We identified several new TILLING mutants of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with missense mutations in the HvNAC8 gene, a homolog of the SUPPRESSOR OF GAMMA RESPONSE 1 (SOG1) gene in Arabidopsis thaliana. In Arabidopsis, SOG1 is the primary regulator of the DNA Damage Response (DDR) pathway. We aimed to transfer this knowledge to barley, an agriculturally important crop. Our detailed analysis of the hvnac8.k mutant revealed an impaired DDR pathway. The hvnac8.k mutant accumulates DNA damage under genotoxic stress induced by zeocin, but it also shows increased DNA damage under normal growth conditions. Despite this, the frequency of dividing cells in the root meristem of the mutant treated with zeocin is much less affected than in the wild type. This suggests that the mutant bypasses the typical DDR regulation, where cell division is halted to allow DNA repair following damage. We also analyzed our mutant under aluminum (Al3+) stress. Aluminum ions, present in acidic soils that constitute approximately 50 % of arable land, are a common stressor that significantly reduce barley yield. Al3 + is known to cause DNA damage and activate DDR. Consequently, we aimed to assess whether the hvnac8.k phenotype could confer a beneficial effect under aluminum stress, a widespread agronomic challenge. Our findings suggest that modulation of the DDR pathway has the potential to improve aluminum tolerance in barley.

Barley is an important cereal crop with versatile uses: barley grains are part of the human diet and are also used for animal feed, while the potential to use barley for ethanol production provides this grain with a promising bioenergy potential. As scientific research in the field of bioenergy progresses, barley may play an even greater role in meeting the world's future energy needs. The challenge facing today's barley growers, and one that will undoubtedly be addressed by future generations of grain farmers, is how to grow higher yields with lower costs while minimizing damage to the soil. One way to achieve this is by using simplified tillage methods, thereby avoiding soil compaction, structural degradation, and erosion. Moreover, studies have shown that when soil is cultivated using simplified methods, crop yields may actually increase. Our research was conducted in a long-term stationary field experiment, which was located at the Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy Experimental Station. The aim of the investigation was to determine the effect of conservation tillage and deep plowing systems on soil water capacity and pore size distribution in spring barley cultivation. Comparing simplified tillage systems with deep plowing (DP), it can be concluded that the no-tillage (NT) technology most significantly improved the studied indicators, while the deep plowing (DP) technology exhibited the poorest results.

Recently, natural and environmentally friendly materials have been highly considered for soil reinforcement and stabilization in road and geo-environment infrastructures and constructions. In the present research, laboratory experiments are conducted to evaluate the potential of combining barley fibers and nanoclay to enhance the mechanical properties of clay subgrade while maintaining its affordability and environmental sustainability. Also, it is aimed to explore the potential for extensive use of barley fiber waste, which ranks as the second most abundant agricultural product globally. The laboratory samples were produced by including nanoclay at concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% and barley fibers at concentrations of 0.3%, 0.6%, and 0.9% with fiber lengths of 5 mm, 10 mm, and 15 mm. The primary objective was to determine the optimal content of nanoclay and the most effective fiber length through the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test. Afterward, the nanoclay was used at its optimal concentration along with different ratios of fibers to perform California bearing ratio (CBR), direct shear, indirect tensile strength, and freeze/thaw (F/T) tests. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging was employed to examine the mechanism of soil reinforcement by incorporating fibers and the enhancement achieved by the nanoclay introduction into the prepared samples. The results revealed that adding nanoclay to clay caused the development of a cohesive gel between particles and fibers, resulting in improved interlocking and friction. The results also demonstrated a significant increase in the UCS by 142%, tensile strength by 178%, CBR by 120%, and shear strength characteristics. Furthermore, the samples containing an appropriate amount of nanoclay exhibited enhanced durability and greater strength when subjected to F/T cycles. This research determined the optimal fiber length and dose as 10 mm and 0.6%, respectively. Additionally, the highest UCS was achieved with a nanoclay concentration of 1%. Overall, the test results illustrate the effectiveness of these stabilizers in improving the mechanical properties of clay subgrades.

As the population grows, more food is needed to keep the food supply chain running smoothly. For many years, intensive farming systems have been used to meet this need. Currently, due to intense climate change and other global natural problems, there is a shift towards sustainable use of natural resources and simplified methods of tillage. Soil tillage intensity influences the distribution of nutrients, and soil's physical and mechanical properties, as well as gas flows. The impact of reduced tillage on these indices in spring barley cultivation is still insufficient and requires more analysis on a global scale. This study was carried out at Vytautas Magnus University, Agriculture Academy (Lithuania) in 2022-2023. The aim of the investigation was to determine the effect of the tillage systems on the soil temperature, moisture content, CO2 respiration and concentration in spring barley cultivation. Based on a long-term tillage experiment, five tillage systems were tested: deep and shallow moldboard ploughing, deep cultivation-chiseling, shallow cultivation-chiseling, and no tillage Shallow plowing technology has been found to better conserve soil moisture and maintain higher temperatures in most cases. During almost the entire study period, the spring barley crop with deep cultivation had lower moisture content and lower soil temperature. Shallow cultivation fields in most cases increased CO2 emissions and CO2 concentration. When applying direct sowing to the uncultivated soil (10-20 cm), the concentration of CO2 decreased from 0.01 to 0.148 percent. pcs. The results show that in direct sowing fields, most cases had a positive effect on crop density. Direct sowing fields resulted in significantly lower, from 7.9 to 26.5%, grain yields of spring barley in the years studied.

In this study, wild barley (Hordeum brevisubulatum) infected (E+) and uninfected (E-) by Epichlo & euml; bromicola were used for hydroponic experiments during the seedling stage. Various attributes, such as the effect of fungal endophyte on the growth and development of wild barley, the absorption of cadmium (Cd) and mineral elements (Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn), subcellular distribution, and chemical forms were investigated under CdCl2 stress. The results showed that the fungal endophy significantly reduced the Ca content and percentage of plant roots under Cd stress. The Fe and Mn content of roots, the mineral element content of soluble fractions, and the stems in the pectin acid or protein-chelated state increased significantly in response to fungal endophy. Epichlo & euml; endophyte helped Cd2+ to enter into plants; and reduced the positive correlation of Ca-Fe and Ca-Mn in roots. In addition, it also decreased the correlation of soluble components Cd-Cu, Cd-Ca, Cd-Mg in roots, and the negative correlation between pectin acid or protein-chelated Cd in stems and mineral elements, to increase the absorbance of host for mineral elements. In conclusion, fungal endophy regulated the concentration and distribution of mineral elements, while storing more Cd2+ to resist the damage caused by Cd stress. The study could provide a ground for revealing the Cd tolerance mechanism of endophytic fungal symbionts. NOVELTY STATEMENT The present study is the first to study the effect of fungal endophy on essential mineral elements of plants under heavy metal stress, filling a gap in the existing research. The study could be helpful to reveal the mechanism of endophytic fungi to improve the host's tolerance to heavy metals and provide a foundation for the grass-endophyte symbionts to improve heavy metal-contaminated soils as ecological grasses.

Cereals are a staple food in many regions of the world and are essential for global food security. Lead is one of the most significant environmental stressors, impacting plants throughout their life cycle and causing substantial damage to plant growth and development. It disrupts intracellular processes, thereby reducing plant productivity. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of exogenously applied vitamin PP (100 mu M) (nicotinamide) on the morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters of spring barley var. Eunova under lead stress (1 mM Pb(NO3)2) and to determine the most effective method of applying this vitamin in a pot experiment. Vitamin PP was applied exogenously through three different methods: seed soaking, foliar application, and soil irrigation. The application of 1 mM Pb(NO3)2 resulted in decreased root (from 13.9% to 19.9%) and shoot length (from 16.2% to 24.8%) and increased catalase (CAT) activity from 45% to 106%, and peroxidase (POX) activity from 39% to 46% compared to the control. Lead stress led to an increase in proline (Pro) content from 30 to 63% and comparatively in malondialdehyde (MDA) content (rising from 61% to 79.4%), as well as elevated assimilatory pigment content (by 35%) in barley grown in the pot experiment. Exogenous vitamin PP significantly and positively influenced the improvement of the measured morphological, biochemical, and physiological parameters, reducing the toxicity of lead salts. It was shown that the most effective method of vitamin PP application was achieved through foliar spraying and irrigation.

The following study analyzed the impact of fertilizing barley with fly ash from biomass combustion grown on two types of soil, Haplic Luvisol (HL) and Gleyic Chernozem (GC), on the properties of starch. The experiment was conducted in 2019 (A) and 2020 (B), and barley was fertilized with ash doses (D1-D6) differing in mineral content. In the tested barley starch samples, the amylose content, the clarity of the paste, and the content of selected minerals were determined. The thermodynamic characteristics of gelatinization and retrogradation were determined using the DSC method. Pasting characteristics, flow curves, and viscoelastic properties of starch pastes were performed. Starches differed in amylose content and paste clarity. The highest gelatinization and retrogradation enthalpy (Delta HG and Delta HR) values were recorded for samples GCD1A and HLD5B. None of the tested factors significantly affected the pasting temperature (PT), but they had a significant impact on the remaining parameters of the pasting characteristics. The average PT value of barley starches was 90.9 degrees C. However, GCD2A starch had the highest maximum viscosity and the highest rheological stability during heating. GCD2A paste was characterized by the highest apparent viscosity. It was shown that all pastes showed non-Newtonian flow and shear-thinning and had a predominance of elastic features over viscous ones. The resulting gels had the characteristics of weak gels. Ash from burning wood biomass is an innovative alternative to mineral fertilizers. It was shown that the use of such soil fertilization influenced the properties of barley starch.

Soil pH is a key parameter that directly influences crop health and productivity, as well as the soil's ability to support plant life. However, measuring this parameter can often be an arduous and laborious task due to spatial and temporal variations and the need for repeated sampling. In addition, conventional sample collection and laboratory analysis techniques are costly, time-consuming, and environmentally damaging. This paper presents the design and implementation of an innovative ground robot to measure the pH level in barley cropland. The robot has an adapted pH measurement system, which is complemented by an autonomous navigation system and a real-time data processing system. This system consists of a robust and accurate pH electrode capable of penetrating diverse types of soil and accurately measuring its acidity or alkalinity. Results from field tests indicate that the robot can manage a wide variety of soils and climatic conditions, and the pH measurements obtained correlate closely with those obtained by traditional methods. This study proposes the adoption of ground robots for pH level measurement.