| Foxtail millet is cultivated as a food and fodder cereal crop and serves as a Chinese traditional medicine in food therapy. It has become an important content of the national modern agricultural technology system. Weed is the main limiting factor to the foxtail millet production of large areas, and the yield and quality of foxtail millet are seriously affected by irrational application of herbicide. Its great nutritional value and high digestibility are prominent attribute in the quality of foxtail millet. Grain quality determine much of the value of foxtail millet. Thus, grain quality should be concerned more than yield in the production of foxtail millet. Because of the unique agricultural ecological environment, the quality of foxtail millet is superior in Shanxi province. The present study was carried out to investigate the quality difference of 15 foxtail millet varieties in 5 foxtail millet growing regions of Shanxi province (from south to north):Gaoping, Qincounty, Fenyang, Yuci and Fanshi. The quantitative relationship between grain quality of foxtail millet and ecological factors was established by multi index comprehensive analysis method, exploring the key ecological factors of affecting grain quality. Also, the present study assessed the quantitative relationship between foliar application of sodium selenite and grain quality of foxtail millet. The results will have certain guiding significance for the cultivation management of high quality foxtail millet. The results were showed as following:(1) The experiment results showed that the recommended dosage of tribenuron-methyl (22.5 g ai ha-1) was not safe for the conventional variety Jingu 21, but relatively safe for the hybrid variety Zhangzagu 10. At this dosage, the herbicide significantly decreased grain yield and biomass, grain protein content, and grain Mn, Cu, Fe, and Zn concentrations in Jingu 21, but not in Zhangzagu 10. The hybrid variety Zhangzagu 10 showed a stronger tolerance to tribenuron-methyl than the conventional variety Jingu 21.(2) ? The grain protein content in Gaoping was higher than in other 4 foxtail millet growing regions of Shanxi province. Jinzhong 21-31 had the highest protein content. There were many varieties' protein content exceeded 11%, such as, Jinzhong 21-31, Jinpingu 4, Changsheng 11, Changnong 35, Xianggu 1, Jinpingu 3? Changza 1201. ? The grain fat content in Fanshi was higher than in other 4 foxtail millet growing regions of Shanxi province. Xianggu 1 had the highest protein contents. ? The average amplitude length of gel consistency in Gaoping, Qincounty, Fenyang, Yuci and Fanshi were 80.49-112.49 mm, which belonged to medium gel consistency.Fenxuan 13 belonged to hard gel consistency. Changnong 35 belonged to soft gel consistency, and the remaining varieties belonged to medium gel consistency. ? The grain alkali value in Qinxian andFenyang was 4, which belonged to medium gelatinization temperature. Fenxuan 13 belonged to high gelatinization temperature, which alkali value was 2.7. Changnong 35, Taixuan 16, Jinzhong 21-31 and Jinpingu 3 belonged to medium gelatinization temperature, which alkali value were 4-5. ? The grain amylose content in Qinxian was lowest (15.13%) than in other 4 foxtail millet growing regions of Shanxi province, which belonged to low amylose. The grain amylose content in Yuci was highest (18.23%), which belonged to non-waxy type. Changsheng 11, FZYZ008, Changnong 35, Jinpingu 3 and Jinzhong 21-31 belonged to low amylase foxtail millet varieties, which alkali value were 13.21-14.86%. Fenxuan 13, K43-1, Changgu 468, Changza 1201, Lvheigu, Taixuan 16, Changnong 43, Jinpingu 4 and Xianggu 1 belonged to non-waxy type foxtail millet varieties, which alkali value were 17.18-19.79%. ? The grain Cu content in Fenyang and Yuci were higher than in other 3 foxtail millet growing regions of Shanxi province. Jinzhong 21-31 had the highest Cu content. Changnong 43 grain Cu concentration was lowest, which was 14.7% lower than Jinzhong 21-31. The grain Zn content in Fanshi was highest (9.19 mg kg-1). Changsheng 11 had the highest Zn content. Fenxuan 13 grain Zn concentration was lowest, which was 14.8% lower than Changsheng 11. The grain Fe content in Fenyang and Gaoping were higher than in other 3 foxtail millet growing regions of Shanxi province. Jinpingu 3 had the highest Fe content. K43-1 grain Fe concentration was lowest, which was 4.13% lower than Jinpingu 3. The grain Mn content in Qinxian was highest (12.68 mg kg1). Jinpingu 3 had the highest Mn content. Changnong 43 grain Mn concentration was lowest, which was 14.20% lower than Jinpingu 3. The grain Ca content in Gaoping was higher than in other 4 foxtail millet growing regions of Shanxi province. Fenxan 13 had the highest Ca content. Changza 1201 grain Ca concentration was lowest, which was 6.62% lower than Fenxan 13. The grain Mg content in Fenyang was highest. Jinpingu 4 had the highest Mg content. Changnong 43 grain Mg concentration was lowest, which was 5.00% lower than Jinpingu 4. In conclution, the grain moisture content was affected by environmental factor. The grain protein, fat, gel consistency, alkali value and amylose contents were affected by environmental factor and variety factor. The grain Cu?Zn?Fe?Mn?Ca and Mg contents were affected by environmental factor.In order to comprehensively assess the quality of foxtail millet, the main quality index and mineral nutrition index of the tested foxtail millet varieties were analyzed by cluster analysis, and the 15 foxtail millet varieties were classified into four types. The first category was the best quality, including Changnong 35, Jinpingu 4, Jinzhong 21-31 and FZYZ008. The second category was the superior quality, including Xianggu 1, Changsheng 11, Jinpingu 3, Taixuan 16, Lvheigu and K34-1. Third types of foxtail millet quality were ordinary, including Changsheng 12, Changnong 43, Changgu 468 and Changza 1201. The fourth type of foxtail millet quality was worst, including Fenxuan 13. Changnong 35 was the synthetically highest ranked vatieties, which were not only had super nutrition and cooking quality, but also ensured the four basic nutrient levels. If do not take into account the contents of mineral contents, Xianggu 1 and Changsheng 11 also showed high quality potential.Elevation, rainfall and available phosphorus were the main ecological factors affecting the foxtail millet grain quality by stepwise regression and path analysis. Elevation and available phosphorus content were higher, the more rainfall and the higher the quality of foxtail millet quality. The higher elevation and the more rainfall and available phosphorus, the quality of foxtail millet quality was higher.(3) The experiment results showed that foliar application of Se effectively and reliably increased grain Se content in foxtail millet without negatively affecting the yield or Mn, Cu, Fe, and Zn concentrations. Moreover, foliar Se application significantly increased total grain yellow pigment concentration in foxtail millet. Thus, foliar applied selenite has a significant potential to increase the concentrations of selenium and yellow pigment (putative lutein) of foxtail millet and, thus, the health benefits of this crop. |
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