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NC_OLD213: Management of Grain Quality and Security for World Markets

Annual/Termination Reports (SAES-422): [11/17/2003] [03/08/2005] [10/24/2005] [03/14/2006] [03/08/2007] [02/29/2008]

Date of Annual Report: 11/17/2003

Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 02/24/04 to 02/25/04
  • Period the Report Covers: 02/2003 to 02/2004

    • Participants:
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:
    Minutes of the NC-213 Annual Business Meeting
    February 24, 2004 Hilton Towers ? Minneapolis, MN


    The NC-213 Annual Business Meeting was held on February 24, 2004 in Directors Row 2, third floor, of the Hilton Towers in Minneapolis, MN.


    The following were present:
    Lloyd Bullerman-University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Mark Casada-USDA ARS GMPRC Manhattan KS
    Florence Dunkel-Montana State University-Bozeman
    Peter Goldsmith-University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    Arvid Hawk-Cargill, Inc.
    Ken Hellevang-North Dakota State University
    Tim Herrman-Kansas State University
    Charlie Hurburgh-Iowa State University
    David Jackson-University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Bill Koshar-The Ohio State University/OARDC
    Dirk Maier-Purdue University
    Frank Manthey-North Dakota State University
    Linda Mason-Purdue University
    Mike Montross-University of Kentucky
    Vance Morey-University of Minnesota
    Marvin Paulsen-University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    Richard Pierce-USDA GIPSA Kansas City MO
    Robert Smigelski-The Andersons, Inc.
    James Stitzlein-Consolidated Grain & Barge
    Richard Stroshine-Purdue University
    Steve Tanner-USDA GIPSA Kansas City MO
    Don Wicklow-USDA ARS NCAURA Peoria IL
    Bill Wilcke-University of Minnesota
    Charlene Wolf-Hall-North Dakota State University


    The meeting was called to order at 3:05 pm by Chair, Dirk Maier.


    1. Selection of new objective chairs was discussed. Charlie Hurburgh moved that the following be nominated:
    Obj 1. Florence Dunkel and Don Wicklow
    Obj 2. Tim Herrman and Charlene Wolf-Hall
    Obj 3. Dirk Maier and Mike Montross
    The motion was seconded by Linda Mason. In discussion it was stated that more economists were needed on the committee. However, due to a present dearth of economists on the committee, the motion carried.


    There was discussion about having the Objective Chairs serve on the Anderson Grant Committee instead of terminology that called it a Grant Review Panel. If an objective chair had a proposal submitted he or she would be excused from deliberation on that proposal. This is listed as an Objective Chair duty; however, under the Anderson Grant Committee duties, the Objective Chairs are excluded from the list of people to serve on the Anderson Grant Committee.


    2. Election of officers. Our present secretary had been unable to secure travel funds to attend NC-213 and had discussed with Dirk Maier, the possibility to step down presumably until a future date when funding and time commitments would enable continuation of officer rotation. Given the situation, the committee with regret chose to nominate a new secretary who would move into the Vice Chair position following this meeting; and a secretary elect who would move into the Secretary position following this meeting. The current Vice Chair, Marvin Paulsen, would move to Chair following this meeting. David Jackson was nominated as Secretary and Mike Montross was nominated as Secretary-elect. Linda Mason moved election of these two individuals. Charlie Hurburgh seconded the motion. Both agreed to serve. The motion passed.


    3. Revision to Responsibilities of NC-213 Officers Document. A sub-committee of volunteers consisting of Charlie Hurburgh, David Jackson, Tim Herrman and Dirk Maier was appointed to study the NC-213 Officer Responsibilities and Objective Chair responsibilities and provide a set of new/ revised recommendations prior to the 2005 NC-213 Annual meeting. Part of the Objective Chair responsibilities would include how they serve on the Anderson Grant Committee. [Dirk Maier expressed willingness and was appointed to chair this committee by incoming Chair, Marvin Paulsen after the meeting.]


    4. NC-213 website revisions. The Fine Materials in Grains edited by Richard Stroshine has been placed on the web site. We would also like to have some NCR bulletins included. There was some mention of trying to make the site even more user friendly.


    5. Annual meeting A/V costs. Bill Koshar reported that a slide projector at the Minneapolis meeting costs $75. The committee suggested asking NC-213 members living locally to try to provide items such as slide projector, overhead, and a laptop for PowerPoint projection. At this meeting Vance Morey supplied a laptop for PowerPoint and graciously loaded and brought up the PowerPoint presentations. His efforts were greatly appreciated.


    6. Scheduling of the NC-213 2005 Annual Meeting. People liked having the NC-213 Annual Meeting piggy back with another meeting, such as GEAPS in 2004. Next year GEAPS meets February 26 to March 1 in Albuquerque. We also discussed having it with the Wheat Council in Kansas City. Charlie Hurburgh moved to have the 2005 Annual Meeting in Kansas City in conjunction with the Wheat Council on February 9 ? 11, 2005, with exact dates and location to be determined as local arrangements are worked out. Motion was seconded by Tim Herrman and was passed. It was suggested that there could be a one-half day visit to FGIS in Kansas City.


    7. Update on the 2004 International Quality Grains Conference. Dirk Maier reported on the progress of the program and provided a tentative program for the International Quality Grains Conference, which will be held July 19-22, 2004 in Indianapolis. He encouraged members to submit for one or two more speaker slots on the program and openings still exist for posters. Mike Montross is handling tabletop exhibits. GIPSA has contributed $5000 toward the cost of the program. Dirk has written two proposals, which were submitted by Bill Ravlin on behalf of NC-213 to NRI 61.0 Markets & Trade for $10,000, and NRI 71.1 Improving Food Quality for $15,000. Dirk is to be commended for all of the work done in organizing this conference.


    8. Midterm project review, need for collaboration and future Anderson Grant RFP?s. The NCRA Review Committee wants to see more collaboration among participants and states. The committee discussed that the 2004 IQGC should be a very good example of collaboration between participants and states. The committee discussed the Anderson Team proposals in the past had had a low number of participants. Bob Smigelski indicated purpose of the Anderson Grants was to support research on grain quality and get people involved. They like to see students supported by the funds and have projects funded for research that industry can use. They like to see their funds seed a concept and then leverage support from other agencies or groups.


    David Jackson stated that NC-213 should continue the team projects since NCRA is asking for more teamwork. Linda Mason moved to continue team project RFP?s but have them due in the summer. Tim Herrman seconded the motion. Motion passed.


    9. NC-213 Annual Progress Report ? purpose and format. The 2002 Annual Report of Progress was created in HTML format and posted on the NC-213 website in PDF and HTML format. There were 189 hits, with 25 hits coming from search engines.


    The committee seemed to have no suggestions for changing the current procedure. Tim Herrman said he likes the NC-213 Newsletter and its format and that it needs to be widely placed in Director?s Offices, and presumably in many offices where good publicity can be maintained.

    10. Submission of SAES-422 Annual Report. SAES-422 requires an annual report within 60 days following the Annual meeting. The SAES-422 includes the following sections from NIMSS.


    Accomplishments: In this section focus on intended outcomes and potential impacts. This information should be built around the activity‘‘‘‘s milestones, as they were identified in the original proposal. The report should also reflect on the items that stakeholders want to know, or want to see.


    Impact Statements: In this section focus on intended outcomes and potential impacts. This information should be built around the activity‘‘‘‘s milestones, as they were identified in the original proposal. The report should also reflect on the items that stakeholders want to know, or want to see. Also, describe plans for the coming year in no more than one or two short paragraphs. Even though the description is the same as Accomplishments, the impact statements are intended to be short, descriptive statements focusing on specific impacts. NIMSS has room for five Impact Statements.


    Publications: For Annual Reports list the publications for current year only (with the authors, title, journal series, etc.). If the list exceeds the maximum character limit below, an attachment file may be used. Publications: Max characters = 50000. In 2003, Donna Schenck-Hamlin gathered this information for the committee by using the publication database.


    The committee discussed who should be involved in preparing this report. Don Wicklow felt that the Objective Chairs should be involved in this report. This opinion was given before we found out on March 9, 2004 that Bill Ravlin has in the past prepared this report and and will do so again in 2004. Once a draft is completed, Bill Ravlin will circulate it among NC-213 Officers and Objective Chairs for review and input before the final report is submitted to NIMSS.


    The meeting was adjourned at 5:15 pm.

    [Note: There was no NC-213 Executive Meeting held the next day as scheduled at 7:00 am because all of the business was completed in this Annual Meeting.] Chairman Dirk Maier had provided an advance Agenda with a nine page write up giving background discussion information for the agenda. This enabled a very effective use of committee time.

    Respectfully submitted,
    Marvin R. Paulsen ? Past Vice Chair
    March 23, 2004


    URL: Copy of minutes

    Accomplishments:
    Objective A--Determine the effects of genetic traits, abiotic environmental conditions, and handling practices on the quality of cereals and oilseeds.


    A method to develop a quantification of sphingolipids in soybeans without alteration of their chemical structure and to provide preliminary evidence reflecting the effects of composition (variety), maturity, and environmental conditions on sphingolipid contents of soybeans. Solvent partition and TLC purification was identified to be the most accurate sample preparation method for HPLC quantification.


    ARS scientists in Manhattan, KS and in Peoria, IL, obtained near infrared spectra for corn kernels infected by the mycotoxin producers A. flavus and F. verticillioides, making it possible to correctly classify infected kernels contaminated with mycotoxins. These spectra were applied successfully in programming a high volume commercial optical grain sorter to reject aflatoxin- and fumonisin-contaminated kernels in combine harvested 2002 corn grown in Eastern Kansas and Central Illinois to produce an ‘‘accepted grain lot‘‘ conforming to FDA guidelines for use in human food.


    Objective B-Assess the effects of microbial growth, insect infestation and handling on quality of cereals and oilseeds.


    Data from three years of field tests of controlled aeration of wheat in Kansas were analyzed and a journal manuscript prepared. Automatic control of aeration based on ambient temperature alone is not always adequate for summer aeration in such warm, humid climates because conditions are commonly encountered where temperatures normally desirable for summer aeration (below 21 to 24°C) occur with humidity high enough that no cooling takes place. Forty-six years of historical weather data were studied to evaluate the effect of year-to-year weather variation on summer aeration management in Kansas.


    The impact of fungal feeding insect infestations on detection of CO2 was monitored as part of on-going stored grain insect pilot bin studies during the summer of 2003. A methodology for quantifying the total amount of CO2 retained in the storage structure using a portable CO2 that confirms the feasibility of early detection of the onset of grain spoilage was developed. One storage tank containing semi-wet corn the on-set of grain spoilage was detected almost two weeks before it was detected with temperature cables. A preliminary mathematical model was developed.


    Kansas State and Purdue Universities developed a common survey tool in order to gather data from 150 country elevators throughout seven U.S. Corn Belt states. Information gathered from state grain and feed association directories allowed a random sample of elevators to be drawn based on overall licensed warehouse storage capacity. The purpose of this study was to investigate how well country elevators were equipped to handle the segregation of incoming multiple grain types. Additionally, site-specific system simulation models were developed for the receiving operation of three elevator facilities. The models were validated with the collected data, and used to explore ?what if? grain segregation scenarios. For one facility, improvement plans made by one operations manager were modeled to quantify the envisioned changes.


    Objective C - Quantify and define quality of cereals and oilseeds for various end-use markets.


    A project developed a non-enzymatic preparative-scale synthetic method for dityrosine and 3-bromotyrosine. These standard compounds make detection of these structures much easier in the many biological systems in which they occur. A patent that describes a native peroxidase in the endosperm of wheat that causes formation of tyrosine crosslinks during the breadmaking process, was prepared.. The protein and gene structure of the peroxidase are illustrated in detail. This patent also illustrates the manipulation of the breadmaking process using free radical scavengers to affect the activity of this native enzyme.


    A Study was conducted to evaluate the effects of handling equipment on commingling during grain transfer operations in the research elevator at the USDA-ARS Grain Marketing and Production Research Center in Manhattan, KS. White corn was moved first through selected pieces of cleaned elevator equipment followed by yellow corn through the same equipment without any special clean-out between the two operations. Grain flow rates ranged from 43 to 50 t/h. Commingling was calculated as the percentage of white kernels mixed in the yellow corn samples collected at selected time intervals during the second operation. Commingling started at levels above 1% during the first 38 sec or less and declined to levels below 0.5% after the first metric ton of grain transfer. The grain cleaner had the highest cumulative commingling at 0.24%, followed by the weighing scale at 0.22%, the pit and boot at 0.18%, and the grain scalper at 0.01%. For grain transfer in this elevator with the pit and boot, scale, and cleaner in the grain path, total possible commingling was 0.64%.


    Field-grown hard red winter wheat Karl and soft red winter wheat Clark were harvested at 21 days after flowering and air-dried in the spike at 20 C for 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, 96 h and until completely air-dried (one week). Fresh samples of Karl and Clark were also harvested and prepared immediately for microscopy. The methods used in this study can be used to investigate endosperm structural changes caused by adverse environmental stress.


    A study was conducted to compare moisture meter readings to the 103°C 72-hr air oven reference method for naturally wet corn during the fall of 2002. A total of 178 samples were collected from 12 counties in Illinois. The oven moistures of the samples ranged from 12.6 to 39.6% wet basis. Each sample was tested by the Illinois Department of Agriculture in air ovens and in the Dickey-john GAC 2100, GAC 2000, and GAC II; Motomco 919, 919E, and 919ES; Steinlite SL 95, SB 900, SS 250, RC, RCT; and Burrows 700 moisture meters. Compared to the oven, most of the meters performed within the acceptable limits up to approximately 25% moisture content on combine and hand-shelled corn. Above 25% moisture, most of the meters read lower than the air oven on hand-shelled corn. Based on only one crop year with predominately hand-shelled samples no recommendations for changes in moisture meter calibrations could be made.


    Soybeans were obtained from four crop years 1999 through 2002 from the USDA/ARS National Germplasm Lab at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Samples were scanned on a Perkin Elmer Spectrum One FT-NIR spectrophotometer. The instrument measured absorbance between 4000 per cm to 12000 per cm, with 8 per cm resolution. A total of 16 scans were averaged for each sample. The FT-NIR isoflavone calibration equations had a relatively low root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) for all three types of isoflavones. FT-NIR calibrations had an RMSEP of 295, 269 and 82 for the total of three forms of daidzin, genistin, and glycitin, respectively. The validation data set correlation coefficients (r) ranged from 0.85 to 0.88 for the total of the three forms of daidzin and genistin. Results indicate that the FT-NIR technique with ground samples can be useful in screening for isoflavones levels in soybeans.


    The SPROC model, which calculates outputs and estimates a total value of processed products per bushel (EPV), has become a standard tool of breeders and others studying soybean markets. Annual national surveys coupled with the SPROC model have demonstrated consistent regional patterns with accompanying embedded value differences. The amount and relative direction of these differences, northern states versus central versus southern states, have changed very little over time. Forecasting composition on smaller geographic areas (such as county) is much less predictable, which is probably why processors try very hard to minimize basis premiums to areas they think may have better beans. The inherent variability of producer deliveries (from different fields and varieties in a local area) has been very stable through numerous sampling studies from 1983 ? present, as has been the variability among varieties grown at a given location.


    Studies have indicated that the level of fumonisin B1 in corn-based foods was reduced significantly by extrusion processing as determined by chemical (HPLC) and biochemical (ELISA) assay methods. However, it is still unproven whether the toxicity or biological activity of FB1 is likewise destroyed. Therefore, there is still a need to determine the reduction of toxicity of FB1 in extruded corn based food products using in vitro and in vivo bioassay methods that include cell culture bioassays and feeding of extruded FB1 contaminated corn grits to rats in controlled feeding studies.


    Objective D - Determine the economic impact of improving the quality of cereals and oilseeds.


    The Iowa Grain Quality Initiative (IGQI) developed producer training and awareness materials that encourage the development of higher value grain markets in Iowa. In 2003 the corn stewardship poster project was expanded to include nine Midwestern states. Thirty-seven partners from university extension programs, corn producer organizations, grain handler associations, and three seed companies cooperated on the project that promoted the delivery of Market ChoicesSM corn to grain collection sites willing to accept it. Market ChoicesSM corn is corn that is not authorized but may be scientifically accepted in the European Union. Two posters were developed, 18?x24? (publication SP 161) and 8.5?x11? (publication SP 162), promoting the delivery of Market ChoicesSM grain to facilities that accept it. The posters used the National Corn Growers Association?s Know Where to GoSM service mark as the main theme. This phrase is recognized by over 85% of producers. The posters were distributed to 4,346 grain collection sites in the partner states. The 806 Extension offices in cooperating states received the posters. Pioneer distributed the small poster to 19,000 producers that purchased Market ChoicesSM hybrids. Dow AgroSciences purchased an additional 10,000 small posters for distribution to producers. The American Seed Trade Association?s (ASTA) Market ChoicesSM committee developed a sticker that elevators could use for producer correspondence to indicate their Market ChoicesSM grain receiving policy. The sticker was included in the poster mailing. A comprehensive web site, www.marketchoices.info, was created to disseminate information related to Market ChoicesSM grain and receive feedback. Future corn issues that require quick action by value chain participants will be more easily coordinated. IGQI provided information about the StarLinkTM corn settlement. Producers and Extension offices downloaded the StarLinkTM settlement information (2,278 downloads) and the StarLinkTM Situation publication (4,666 downloads) from the IGQI web site. The settlement documents enabled producers to file for a share of the $110,000,000 (plus accrued interest) class action suit settlement for producers of non-StarLinkTM corn from 1998 to 2002.


    An Iowa grain company and Iowa State University created a guideline procedure for upgrading entry level quality management systems to ISO 9000-2000. An internal study in 2002 showed that $2 was returned for every $1 invested in the quality management system. The goal is total traceability from inbound receipt to outbound shipment. To date this has been achieved in units of 15,000 ? 20,000 bushels, but not to individual railcars or trucks. An electronic quality manual template was developed. After audit, scheduled for January 13-14, 2004, this template and its development will be made available in the public domain.

    Impact Statements:
    1. The new sorghums are being grown by some producers who have received from 10 to 25 cents per bushel more for the grain. The high yields under limited irrigation combined with slightly higher grain prices have encouraged producers to plant food sorghums. A source of good quality sorghum is available for use in food and feed products. Information and grain samples were supplied to potential Japanese food processors by US Grains Council. NC-213 researchers provided technical assistance in Japan a
    2. The understanding of what happens during staling will lead to improved flavor and texture of tortillas which could significantly increase their consumption since they are low in fat and contain significant levels of calcium and fiber. A combination of maltogenic amylases and hydrocolloids give tortillas longer shelf life in terms of rollability.
    3. Microbial endophytes can restrict the spread of A. flavus and other mycotoxin producing fungi in preharvest corn and there is a common interest in understanding the mechanism(s) by which competing strains of Aspergillus species inhibit aflatoxin production. Acremonium zeae is one of the two most common fungal endophytes of corn and pyrrocidine antibiotics have a central role in effecting the outcome of competitive encounters with other microbial endophytes of corn.
    4. Creation of an object oriented grain handling system software package will enable elevator operators to test the flexibility of their current facility or create their ideal grain handling facility with all its equipment in a simple click and drag type format. A system simulation and economic analysis tool would allow them to define the operating conditions at their elevator (e.g. truck size distribution, type of grain, delivery rate), estimate average delay time and queue length, and quantify th
    5. Securing and improving the quality of grains produced in the U.S. so that they meet the needs of both domestic and overseas customers is a very important, but difficult, task. Grain quality improvement begins with a breeding program and ends with growers. In 2003, the HWWQL evaluated intrinsic quality parameters of hard winter breeding lines (2002 crop) and our data of breeders nursery samples are of prime importance for the release of breeding lines, some of which become released cultivars g
    Last Modified: unknown

    Date of Annual Report: 03/08/2005

    Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 02/23/05 to 02/24/05
  • Period the Report Covers: 02/2004 to 02/2005

    • Participants:
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:
    Brief Summary of General Business Meeting Minutes.

    The NC-213 Annual General Business meeting was held on February 24, 2005 in the Salon G of the Embassy Suites, Kansas City, MO.

    Meeting began at 11:15 am.

    Minutes of the last business meeting approved were accepted. -The Presidents proposed budget was discussed.

    -Linkages and leveraging of NC-213 project areas and funds were discussed. Specific examples of effective leveraging and linkages, such as the NC-213 sponsored International Quality Grains Conference (JULY 19 - 22, 2004) which was an outstanding success.

    -Nominations for secretary were taken. Charlene Wolf-Hall was nominated and elected as the next secretary.

    -Options for the 2005 NC-213 summer workshop were reviewed. It was agreed, among 4 options that we would attend the Organic Stored Products Workshop at Purdue University in August. Dirk Maier is responsible for arrangements.

    -Various locations were discussed for the next annual technical conference and business meeting. The advantages of holding the meeting in Minneapolis, Kansas City, Omaha and in conjunction with the Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) were discussed. A unanimous vote was received for holding the 2005 meeting in Nashville, TN on February 28 to March 1, 2006.

    -The importance of finalizing the technical meeting in time for appropriate publicity in the GEAPS mailings and website was discussed.

    -The development of a multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary educational/ outreach program by NC-213 was discussed. . This effort would explore ways that courses could be developed in areas specific to grain quality topics that might be used for course credit or as certificates for professionals working in grain quality.

    -It was agreed that Charlene Wolf-Hall would coordinate the development of a white paper discussing the programs focus. This white paper would be developed in a format suitable for eventual submission for a USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant. -The membership approved the use of Andersons funding (to a maximum of $15,000) to support development of the white paper. The white paper would be presented at the summer workshop meeting.

    -A draft revision to the NC-213 officers responsibility document was presented. The intent is to eliminate inconsistencies in the current document. Final revisions will be presented at the Nashville business meeting.

    -Richard Stroshine was congratulated on receiving the 2005 Andersons NC-213 Research Award

    The meeting was adjourned at 12:10 pm.

    Accomplishments:
    1. Develop practices and technologies to support quality management systems for production, distribution, processing, utilization of quality grains and oilseeds.

    -Kansas State University and Purdue University developed a common survey tool in order to gather data from 150 country elevators throughout seven U.S. Corn Belt states. Simulation and statistical tools proved to be an effective methods for evaluating the efficiency and performance of the grain elevators.

    -Calibration models for determination of amino acid concentration in whole soybeans were developed using five NIR spectrometers and three regression methods. The study resulted in models characterized by various degree of accuracy most of which were usable for research purposes and sample screening.

    -A three year database from a private variety testing service was assembled. This database contains yield and quality data from approximately 2500 soybean plots annually, across the corn belt and east coast growing regions.

    -Maize kernel hardness and proximate constituents were evaluated by several methods on 248 maize samples. The groups resulting from cluster analysis seem to have unique physical and chemical properties showing the different order in values of hardness measurements.

    -Transglutaminase was shown to allow soft wheat flour to make satisfactory pan bread.

    -Currently available precision farming, communication and other technologies were investigated that could be used to aid in the segregation and tracing of differentiated grains and oilseeds from the seed bag to the planter, field, combine and into the post-harvest handling and delivery system.

    -New sorghum hybrids with significantly improved food characteristics were developed by incorporation of genetic material from the world collection.

    -Combinations of soy flour, guar gum, CMC and amylases were optimized to produce tortillas with optimum shelf stability. Other additives from soy were evaluated and some products had improved functionality in corn and flour tortillas.

    2. Develop basic knowledge, science-based standards, and technologies that promote crop quality, food security and food safety in grain markets.

    -Extractable starch yield was measured using NIT spectroscopy. Soybean fatty acids and amino acids were measured using FT-NIR spectroscopy. A conceptual and flowchart analysis of grain isolation/traceability was initiated, along with an inventory of current providers of quality management system/traceability services.

    -A computer model was developed to simulate the temperature of headspace and grain in the upper 1.0-m depth of a bin. The model outputs the temperatures of headspace and grain layers to a depth of 1.0-m from the top surface for mechanically ventilated and unventilated headspace conditions.

    -Corn flaking grits were inoculated with two fumonisin producing strains of Fusarium proliferatum in attempts to produce grits containing 50 ppm of fumonisin for extrusion studies; fumonisin concentrations of 30 ppm were acheived.

    -The 2003 hard red spring and durum wheat harvest of the Northern Plains region was surveyed for quality, microbial loads and mycotoxins.

    -Ozone and hydrogen peroxide were evaluated for treating FHB infected malting barley.

    -A small prototype continuous-flow dryeration (CFD) system was set-up, and data collected for a range of operating conditions. Single kernel moisture content and stress crack analysis tests were performed while corn was steeped in the tempering bin.

    -CO2 monitoring technology can be effectively used in stored grain management. Experiments with a representative stored-product beetle, the cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne), showed that the number of beetles captured in pitfall traps baited with pheromones and a food attractant oil, or in traps with only mineral oil, was inversely proportional to the distance from a source of dispersing beetles.

    -Fifty years of historical weather data were evaluated to determine the effect of humidity on summer aeration strategies in the hard red winter wheat belt. A procedure was developed to predict the true final grain temperature after aeration.

    3. Create and disseminate scientific knowledge that will enhance public confidence in market-driven quality management systems for grain.

    -A series of quality tests that measure factors affecting storability were conducted on 61 shelled corn samples and correlations among the factors were determined. NIR and FT--NIR could predict ergosterol (±1.3 ppm) and the CO2 test kit can predict storability. Electrolyte leakage and damage index are the best indicators among the rapid tests.

    -Optimization of sorghum waffle production was completed by varying ingredients, cooking time and temperature. Waffle weight, internal texture, and appearance were compared to commercially available frozen wheat waffles.

    -The effects of extruding sorghum grain on ethanol production were studied. Both conventional and supercritical fluid extrusion was found to increase ethanol yields compared to unprocessed grain.

    -Flour was analyzed by the official AACC method and compared to a new dry analysis method.

    -Intrinsic end-use (milling and bread-baking) quality of about 1332 hard winter wheat breeding lines were evaluated at the ARS Regional HWWQL so that breeders could select their lines based on intrinsic quality in addition to agronomical quality.

    -Addition of oxidative enzymes to a dough system was found to have an effect upon mixing behavior and protein properties.

    -Defined the influences of compositional characteristics, especially, amylose content, protein content, beta-glucans content and proanthocyanidin content, on water imbibition of grains, water absorption for making bread and noodles, bread crumb moisture content, color of noodles and texture of cooked noodles.

    -The removal of the outer layer of barley grains, heat treatment, exclusion of oxygen, low storage temperature and the use of ascorbic acid and 4-hexylresorcinol improved color characteristics of barley containing food products.

    Impact Statements:
    1. A team from Iowa State University demonstrated several new applications for NIR, and due to research conducted, determined that the very high-speed diode array technology could make large increases in measurement capabilities.
    2. A team from Iowa State University, in collaboration with a private variety testing service, concluded (after extensive testing) that Asian customers were clearly satisfied with the survey results, as they were able to take the results of the survey and close sales, thereby acknowleding the marketing value of the survey.
    3. A team from Texas A&M University conducted research and testing on food products from white sorghum. Some of this work was conducted and presented in workships in Central America, Mali, South Africa, and the United States. New sorghums, as a result of the research, are especially important as a new grain for use in gluten free and ethnic foods.
    4. In an effort to develop a basic knowledge in science-based standards and technolgoies that promote crop quality, a team from the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station created a system that resulted in an increase in value at the rate of 4-6 cents per bushel per percentage point of extractable starch.
    5. A team from USDA/GMPRC, Manhattan, Kansas conducted applied research in the biochemistry field. Due to the successful research and testing of sorghum, the team proved that sorghum utilization (processing of sorghum grain before fermentation, etc.) will provide individuals with celics disease new food choices, thereby increasing their diet format.
    Last Modified: unknown

    Date of Annual Report: 10/24/2005

    Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 08/23/05 to 08/25/05
  • Period the Report Covers: 08/2005 to 08/2005

    • Participants:
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:
    This meeting was just a workshop, not an annual meeting. The next annual meeting will be February 2006.

    Accomplishments:

    Impact Statements:
    Last Modified: unknown

    Date of Annual Report: 03/14/2006

    Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 02/28/06 to 03/01/06
  • Period the Report Covers: 02/2005 to 02/2006

    • Participants:
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:
    The General Business Meeting began at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, February 28, 2006

    Motion passed to approve minutes of the 2005 general business meeting

    Old Business

    1. Revision to responsibilities of officers (Dirk Maier Committee Chair).

    The previous revisions, which began in 2004, were discussed. Comments that had previously been submitted by Tim Herrman, Charles Hurburgh and Charlene Wolf-Hall were mentioned as well as feedback from the summer meeting. Areas that needed clarification included:

    -Project Advisor versus Project Coordinator responsibilities - how to separate these (Bill Ravlin would come up with wording).

    -Vice Chair - use consistent terminology - would chair nomination committee.

    -Andersons grant proposal review committee - coordinator will determine if there is a conflict of interest as consistently as possible - committee will include two objective chairs, two industry advisors, and two USDA representatives - all will review all proposals - may use adhoc reviewers.

    -Industry advisory committee - attendance at annual meeting expected - executive committee can decide on continuing membership (Dirk Maier would come up with wording)

    -Membership - can members who are not official university representatives vote (the answer was no), but can be officers in which case they would be able to vote (Dirk Maier would come up with wording)

    -Discussion on the heading for the document - use of the legal name versus a consortium name - tentative agreement on using the official title with consortium tag-line (Executive Committee will finalize)

    2. Education proposal development update (Charlene Wolf-Hall, Academic Group).

    The survey information was mentioned for the partner survey and the development of the industry survey. Input was asked for and given by:

    -Dirk Maier - the GEAPS group would be open to the industry survey.

    -Bill Ravlin - good way to leverage history of NC-213 and new ideas.

    -Florence Dunkel - volunteered to help as much as possible and has contact with the HEC program director through 3 other HEC grants.

    -Charles Hurburgh - dont make it too big.

    -Dirk Maier - wouldnt necessarily be one degree granting institution.

    -Stephen Kells - how would subcontracts fit in? How would this affect a tenure track person? Charlene will initiate the formation of a small group of individuals (David Jackson, Dirk Maier, Leland McKinney, and Charlene Wolf-Hall) who had expressed strong interest through the partner survey to continue with the process. This group will consult with the industry advisors for the industry survey and will keep others updated.

    3. Industry Advisory Committee - deferred to Executive Committee meeting.

    New Business

    1. Midterm review was discussed - led by Bill Ravlin.

    There is an apparent disconnect between what is asked for in the review versus the annual reports. Impact statements and connections are important. Handouts including a powerpoint presentation by Mike Harrington describing impact statements was distributed. It was emphasized that these will be very important with the Presidents budget proposal. It was emphasized that it is important to indicate the funding is a good investment and results in impacts and is leveraged by state and private sector funds. Things that can be included were quality of life, dollars, things that can be quantified. Charlie Hurburgh cautioned against getting too far a field as can raise questions, to which Bill Ravlin said there is some acceptable overlap.

    2. Financial status of NC-213 was discussed - led by Bill Ravlin.

    The Andersons endowment is in fine fiscal shape.

    3. Discussion of the Andersons award process - led by Bill Ravlin.

    Bill Ravlin emphasized the importance of following the directions in the RFA. Handouts of the review criteria for the regular and team awards program was distributed. The RFA can only be changed at the beginning of the year. There had been some dissatisfaction with the reviewer feedback to applicants, so this revision is an attempt to make the process more transparent and give applicants better feedback. Some of the comments on the criteria for the regular and team award review forms included:

    -Yes/no questions should not need numbers.

    -Some yes/no questions could be answered at administrative level and dont need to be on the review form.

    -Be more specific on what can be included in the ten page minimum.

    -Bill Ravlin will reword methodological questions.

    -The outcomes will move up in order - use outputs instead of outcomes?

    -Timetable question is OK.

    -Impact - should indicate if project is part of long term or short term study.

    -Take out the question about if the problem will be solved by the project.

    -Budget appropriate - yes/no, if no explain why.

    -Additional comments can be sent to Bill Ravlin, reffered to executive committee.

    4. Summer workshop ideas

    Discussion on what summer means ensued. Some workshop possibilities were suggested by:

    -Tim Herrman - Feed Industry HACCP Training May 9-11.

    -Lloyd Bullerman - tentative mycotoxins in grains conference in Omaha.

    -Charlie Hurburgh - do we have to have one?

    -David Jackson - will discuss with executive committee.

    5. New officers.

    The floor opened for nominations for secretary. Linda Mason nominated Stephen Kells, seconded by Florence Dunkel. Kells agreed and was unanimously approved, pending Minnesota Station Rep approval. David Jackson will move up from chair to past-chair, Mike Montrose will move up from vice chair to chair, Charlene Wolf-Hall will move up from secretary to vice chair.

    6. 2007 Annual Technical Meeting.

    Was suggested to overlap with the Wheat Quality meeting in Kansas City. There was consensus that it was good to hold it every other year or so with GEAPS. Dirk Maier proposed NC-213 sponsorship if the 2008 International Grain Quality Conference. Charlie suggested it be the NC-213 annual meeting place for 2008. Bill Ravlin will check if meeting can occur in another country. Dirk indicated that a decision would need to made soon.

    Meeting was adjourned at 5:15 PM.

    Accomplishments:
    A. Develop practices and technologies to support quality management systems for production, distribution, processing, utilization of quality grains and oilseeds.

    -Near infrared calibration models for determination of subunit (amino acid, fatty acid, etc)factors of corn and soybeans were extended.

    -Survey of corn and soybean quality on an annual basis, targeted at end-use related factors for corn/soybean quality and yield information will be reorganized and expanded.

    -Measurement of ethanol production from corn hybrids are optimal for use in dry grind ethanol plants.

    -Examine milling properties, dough characteristics, protein functionality, and baking properties of soft white wheat varieties. Biochemical studies on flour proteins were conducted and the use of transglutaminase (TG) to improve dough strength of weak gluten protein flour samples was investigated.

    -Evaluate postharvest insect resistance of most popular varieties of wheat for organic producers in Montana organic producers most popular varieties of wheat. Determine location within the kernel causing insect resistence in Montana-grown hard spring and hard winter wheat varieties.

    -Development of methods that allow for the characterization of grain and its end-use processing properties. Efforts were focused on tests associated with predicting the alkaline cooking (nixtamalization) processing performance of sorghum and maize.

    -Effect of preharvest production practices on end-use quality of wheat, specifically changes in vitreousness kernel content.

    -Characterization of maize and sorghum samples representative of genetic and environmental diversity for establishing a sample set for the end-use quality on the basis of physical quality-associated properties. This enables development of classification rules to predict the suitability of samples for the particular end-use processing performance.

    -Define the attributes of wheat flours with excellent quality for flour tortillas. Evaluate the baking quality of Texas wheat breeders samples.

    -Evaluate physical, chemical and processing properties of sorghum and corn and develop improved food quality cultivars. Improve aflatoxin tolerance and improve nutritional and processing quality of corn through breeding.

    -Development of a system simulation model to evaluate and quantify the practically achievable purity levels for the segregated handling and delivery of differentiated (GM vs. non-GM; identity preserved vs. commodity) grains and oilseeds from producer to end user.

    2. Develop basic knowledge, science-based standards, and technologies that promote crop quality, food security and food safety in grain markets.

    -Measurement of fermentation process used for dry-grind ethanol production.

    -High value (pharmaceutical, industrial) grains will require extremely stringent isolation from staple commodities if they are to be grown in commodity-producing areas. Operations from planting to end-use will be quantitatively assessed for their potential to contribute either accidental or malicious mixing. Estimates will be pooled in 3 case study traceability models, which will then be used to create a standard evaluation template. These models will also be used to collaborate with scientists in the EU, for the purpose of developing international standards/data exchange protocols.

    -Iowa State has assisted a large country elevator in the creation of a certified quality management and product tracking system, based on the American Institute of Baking Quality Systems Evaluation System (QSE). The QSE system was converted to the more management-based ISO 9000 format and applied to other grain and feed locations. At one location historic performance data sufficient to document the economic efficiency benefit of the quality management system will be compiled. A procedure and template for converting alternative or industry specific quality management system formats to ISO 9000-2000 certifiable formats will be created.

    -A computer model was used to evaluate low-temperature management strategies to control Indianmeal moth.

    -Assess the reduction of the toxicity of FB1 during extrusion cooking of contaminated corn grits using in vivo bioassay methods.

    -Survey of the microbiological quality of the wheat crop from the northern plains and evaluation of ozone for reducing microbial loads and mycotoxin content in wheat.

    -Development and modeling of a continuous-flow dryeration process.

    -Utilization of carbon dioxide detectors to monitor for the spoilage of stored corn prior to the time that spoilage would be detected by traditional methods. In-lab and pilot bin experiments as well as tests in large commercial storage structures have been conducted and indicate the effectiveness of CO2 detection.

    -Develop markers and tools to identify and trace lots of grain

    -Development of a mycotoxin surveillance network involving major grain states and Texas is being developed including a database consisting of mycotoxin incidence, field of origin (GIS coordinates), cropping data including rotation, hybrid, planting date, fertility, weather data.

    -Develop trapping and contour analysis of trap catch as a method for monitoring stored product insect pests in warehouses, processing plants, and retail stores, and for locating foci of infestation or points of entry.

    Objective C

    -Identify methods of measuring shelled corn storability using CO2 Test Kit (Woods End Research, Mt. Vernon, Maine), for measuring CO2 production (storability) of shelled corn; evaluated several rapid (< 15 min) tests that can be used together to provide a less precise but more rapid storability indication; and (3) to examine the correlations among the various tests used as storability indicators.

    -Developed high speed detection and sorting technology to remove toxins from grain, and to sort breeder samples for significant attributes. Systems can process kernels from 1 to 1000 kernels/s. We developed methods to detect insect damaged wheat using an acoustic method and using computed tomography. Both of these methods have promise to inspect large samples very accurately. We also developed an NIR system capable of capturing NIR spectra from 900 to 1700nm on single grain kernels at rates up to 10 kernels/second.

    -Conduct basic and applied research in the biochemistry and technology of grain sorghum to identify and evaluate the biochemical components that govern processing, functionality, and susceptibility to mold. The information is used to improve sorghum quality and utilization for increasing domestic and export markets.

    -Investigated the effect of enzymes on whole wheat tortilla quality. Evaluated the shelf-life extension of 100% whole wheat (WW) tortillas by adding enzymes. Various enzymes have been incorporated into the tortilla formulation. These included bacterial ±-amylase, glucose oxidase (GOX), transglutaminase, phytase, pentasonase, and a blend of cellulose and amylase

    -Evaluate kernel characteristics, milling properties, and dough and bread-, tortilla- and Asian alkaline noodle-making properties of hard winter wheat progenies. Determine protein and lipid contents, and composition and interaction among these components of cereal grains as they relate to storage, handling, and end-use properties.

    -Develop fast reliable methods for the identification of quality traits of wheat starches using digital image analysis and laser diffraction sizing.

    Impact Statements:
    1. NC-213 scientists have developed systems that provide critical information to grain processors that allows then to institute component pricing systems resulting in increase sales of U.S. grains.
    2. NC-213 scientists conducted research that shows that adding transglutaminase (TG) increases flour quality and reduces the need for costly testing.
    3. NC-213 scientists discovered that by reducing humidity and moisture wheat kernel quality is increased and a greater economic return realized.
    4. NC-213 scientists have developed systems that track the origin and shipping history of bulk grains and these systems allow producers and handlers to realize higher prices.
    5. By using techniques developed by NC-213 scientists corn starch levels can rapidly be determined and producers/handlers can realize increased profits of 4-6 cents/bu.
    6. NC-213 scientists developed grain quality management systems that led to the formation of international quality standards affecting global grain markets.
    7. NC-213 scientists developed a CO2 test kit that rapidly identifies the risk of fungal contamination in shelled corn. This allows grain elevator managers to lower storage losses and costs.
    8. NC-213 scientists discovered that ethanol yields are significantly increased by processing sorghum grain prior to fermentation thereby increasing the value of sorghum.
    9. Over 95% of all hard winter wheat cultivars were evaluated by NC-213 scientists for end-use quality. This information allows the U.S. wheat industry to focus on high value cultivars and capture increased value.
    Last Modified: unknown

    Date of Annual Report: 03/08/2007

    Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 02/21/07 to 02/22/07
  • Period the Report Covers: 10/2005 to 09/2006

    • Participants:
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:
    NC-213 Executive Board Meeting Minutes

    February 21, 2007, Kansas City, Missouri

    Administrative Advisor/Coordinator, F. William (Bill) Ravlin called the meeting to order at 11:04AM. The meeting began with a special introduction of Mr. Joe Needham, The Andersons.

    Present: Florence Dunkel, University of Montana-Bozeman Tim Herrman, Texas A&M University David Jackson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Stephen Kells, University of Minnesota Dirk Maier, Purdue University Mike Montross, University of Ketucky Joe Needham, The Andersons, Inc. Bill Ravlin, The Ohio State University Jim Stitzlein, Consolidated Grain and Barge Charlene Wolf-Hall, North Dakota State University

    Order of Business Presented:

    F. Dunkel: How is NC-213 delivered to different units within a college? It was agreed that this topic be deferred to the General Business Meeting.

    D. Maier: 2008 International Grain Quality Conference. The group was encouraged to send action items to Dirk via e-mail. In addition, this topic was going to be discussed at the General Business Meeting.

    Business Items by Agenda:

    Replace of an Objective Co- Chair: A person required to fill Don Wicklows position was discussed. T. Herrman cautioned the workload considering the impending rewrite. D. Jackson has accepted to take on the leadership position (Thanks Dave!).

    Submission of SAES Annual Report: Due in 60 days  These minutes required for this report.

    Rewrite: The previous rewrite was done at the IA (?) GEAPS Chapter.

    -A comprehensive timeline was distributed. Executive Committee members were encouraged to refer to the timeline for important deadlines and specific information needed. Particular attention should be given to the deadline for Statement of Interest and Justifications, when the list of participants are required, and the November 1 2007 draft deadline. -The use of an industry advisory group was emphasized to provide perspectives and priorities. Specifically, where do the science and industry priorities intersect?

    -Possible Scopes of Research: (A quick list was generated and will be supplemented by more involvement from Industry and Research). The scope must reflect 1) Interdisciplinary nature, 2) Industry needs, and funding / project considerations. The list included: Biobased products  Hand lotion, structural materials Ethanol and biodiesel Fermentation International perspectives Risk Management (Subtopic? tools? particularly requires industry input) Economics (numerous schools have these groups) -The implication of adding participants and the need for notification was discussed. -There was a comment from B. Ravlin regarding the state of funding. -There was a comment about the difficulty of communicating achievements due to conflicts(?) in -double reporting with other funding sources. -J. Needham asked about the Andersons Grant being used as a seed grant. -There was a comment about returning to a less specific program emphasis, reflecting the variety of possible topics to consider. -Discussion was held about thinking beyond the expertise at the table and we need to recruit to fill the gaps. Consider a bottom up approach, starting with producers and continuing through the value chain.

    Writing Team: -Includes the chair and to objective chairs. -The Chair help lead the effort but should not be considered the leader for the bulk of the effort. -The leader is important for the writing direction (good feel for the score, can organize, has energy and passion) - wait until the reception to see if there is a volunteer.

    2008 IGCQ: -Summer 2008 -Overall feeling was to keep it in the US -Location? Keep it in the Midwest and give Dirk some suggestions.

    Business Concluded at 12:54PM

    Respectfully submitted by Dr. Stephen A. Kells

    NC-213 General Business Meeting Minutes

    February 22, 2007, Kansas City, Missouri

    Administrative Advisor/Coordinator, F. William (Bill) Ravlin called the meeting to order at 12:15PM.

    Present: Paul Armstrong, USDA ARS Mark Casada, USDA ARS Floyd Dowell, USDA GMPRC Florence Dunkel, University of Montana-Bozeman David B. Funk, USDA GIPSA Haidee B. Gonzales, Kansas State University Tim Hermann, Texas A&M Charles R. Hurburgh, Jr., Iowa State Klein Ileleji, Purdue University David Jackson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Stephen Kells, University of Minnesota Bill Koshar, The Ohio State University Elizabeth Maghirang, USDA GMPRC Bob Marlow, The Andersons, Inc. Dirk Maier, Purdue University Mike Montross, University of Kentucky Joe Needham, The Andersons, Inc. Bill Ravlin, The Ohio State University Jim Stitzlein, Consolidated Grain and Barge Richard Stroshine, Purdue University Charlene Wolf-Hall, North Dakota State University

    Order of Business Presented:

    Two handouts were distributed for use during the meeting: 1) Agenda Items for Meeting and 2) New and Renewal Approval Process for NCRA Projects.

    Business Items by Agenda:

    Replace of an Objective Co-Chair: David Jackson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln will replace Don Wicklows vacancy due to retirement.

    Submission of SAES Annual Report: Discussion was held regarding deadlines and procedures for submission. There was a request for all to get their reports in on-time as it puts additional pressures on those preparing the report.

    Impact Statements: Discussion was held regarding Impact Statements and their importance (i.e., Impact Statements are the currency of the day). B. Ravlin encouraged all to increase their attention toward these statements.

    The 2008 Annual Meeting/Winter Technical Session:

    Timing of Topic Deadline: Currently the deadline for topics to the NC-213 annual meetings is October 31. There were questions about setting this deadline later to accommodate speakers. However, this date was accepted (with a certain degree of informality) to help with marketing to GEAPS and other marketing/program development opportunities. The industry needs advanced information about our meeting to plan budgets accordingly.

    Addition of Posters: There was some discussion of including posters in the meeting to increase the information provided to the group and others outside NC-213 (i.e., GEAPS participants).

    Location: Two locations were presented in conjunction with 1) GEAPS (Omaha, Nebraska) or 2) Wheat Quality Council (Kansas City, Missouri). A poll was taken and the GEAPS meeting received approval with the proposed dates of February 26  27, 2008.

    NCRA Approval:

    Discussion was held regarding submission of the annual progress reports from participating stations. One question that was posed was; Can we use the same reports between the NC213 and the Experiment Station? After discussion, it was decided that this would not be a problem as long as the deadlines are accommodated for both reports. Another question that was posed was; Should we produce a book (present form) or a CDRom? After much discussion, it was decided that the present form book would be preferable for public relations purposes. It was the general consensus of the group that CDRoms tend to go unread. Web based reporting may be a future possibility, particularly if we use parts of the report to highlight research in the newsletters. There will likely be a period of transition between paper and electronic format that will occur as a paperless system is adopted by stakeholders and those in Government.

    NCRA Re-Write:

    Thank you to M. Montross, University of Kentucky, for heading the rewrite process. General discussion was held regarding the process. B. Ravlin requested notes from those who recorded ideas from the industry panel presentation, to be sent to his attention at ravlin.1@osu.edu.

    Discussion was held regarding what opportunities should be addressed / retained. The initial list included: fermentation, global markets and value added products, Bio-based products, economics, quality modeling, risk management, tech life cycle analysis, evolution of new business, climate change and logistics, and strategic entity.

    Additional Business:

    A motion to approve the Responsibilities for NC-213 Officers as presented. D. Jackson made the motion with F. Dunkel seconding the motion. There being no discussion the Responsibilities were unanimously passed.

    From a financial perspective, NC-213 is in good shape and sound.

    Secretary Position for February 2007-February 2008: M. Casada, USDA/ARS, was recommended for the position. M. Casada accepted and was unanimously accepted.

    IQGC 2008: D. Maier led the discussion on IQGC 2008. The idea was initially accepted by all in attendance. The tentative date is June 2008. Several locations were put forth to the group and they included: St Louis, Des Moines, and Minneapolis. Dirk encouraged members to send him their thoughts for IQGC 2008.

    Business Concluded. At 2:00PM

    Respectfully submitted by Dr. Stephen A. Kells

    Accomplishments:
    Objective 1. Develop practices and technologies to support quality management systems for production, distribution, processing, utilization of quality grains and oilseeds.

    Expanding the capability and use of near infrared spectroscopy. Outcome: The requirement of only one instrument model in a given trading system may be eliminated, which will reduce testing costs, and provide incentives for new technology development. True calibrations (beyond correlations) will have a major impact on genetic screening programs for secondary factors, by identifying unique samples that would have otherwise been missed. Calibration monitoring systems can be simplified, and the cost of calibration maintenance can be reduced by more effective targeting of truly unique or independent samples.

    Evaluation of high fermentable corn hybrids in Kentucky. Outcome: Ethanol production is influenced by numerous variables. Comparing the effects of agronomic, hybrid, drying and storage practices on ethanol yield will result in better decision making tools for producers and processors.

    Examination of milling properties, dough characteristics, protein functionality, and baking properties of soft white wheat varieties. Outcome: This project will result in a better understanding of wheat flour quality in relation to end-use products. In addition, the use of TG will potentially allow (1) bakers to use weaker flour to produce satisfactory baked products, and (2) millers to provide more consistent flour quality to bakers in spite of environmental growing factors.

    Environmental and genetic impacts on wheat and cowpea quality. Outcome: Wheat varieties released and published literature indicates no consideration has been given to post harvest issues other than end-use qualities. Conventional systems have a quick fix to insect infestation with fumigation, but organic operators do not have that option due to a lack of registered organic fumigants. This wheat research provides a methodology to analyze all lines of wheat in order to detect novel gene expression related to post harvest resistance, which could lead to new strategies for post harvest protection. Both the cowpea research results and the results with Lactobacillus fermentum are issues of food security for material resource poor communities in Mali and throughout the world. We have determined that for subsistence farmers and their children who survive on cereal-based diets, low in certain essential amino acids necessary for protein production, cowpeas and L. fermentum provide useful, year-round dietary supplements to provide protein. Particularly for growing children, the correct amount of protein is essential for ideal physical and mental development and for better resistance to disease.

    Effect of pre-harvest production practices on end-use quality of durum wheat. Outcome: Data indicate that the association between bleached kernels and low carotenoid pigment content is probably due to enhanced lipid oxidation promoted by rehydration of kernels during damp conditions. Lutein content declined during kernel desiccation. Lutein is important for aesthetic quality and also for healthfulness of durum wheat and durum wheat based products. Lutein has been shown to protect humans against age degenerative diseases such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and certain cancers. Thus, research directed towards the enhancement of carotenoid pigment content will improve the aesthetic and nutritional quality of durum wheat produced in the US. The knowledge gained by this research will eventually contribute to increased economic opportunities for producers and food manufacturers by improving quality and increasing value of durum wheat and its end-use products.

    Corroborative study on physical properties and milling processes in maize. Outcome: Results from the corroborative study would enable us to compare laboratories measurements of maize quality to provide the variance structure of within and between laboratories as well as hybrids. This study may assist in establishing universal standard test procedures and data interpretation to help future research and industry partners.

    Evaluate the baking quality of Texas wheat breaders samples. Outcome: Sorghums developed in the Texas A&M University sorghum improvement program continue to be used commercially to provide identity preserved grain for a wide variety of human and animal foods. There is increasing interest in use of special sorghums in healthy foods. Sorghum is used in processed high value foods for sophisticated markets, i.e., gluten free products, natural, dark-colored, whole-grain products with high dietary fiber and increased antioxidant levels. Sorghum use in processed foods and beverages is increasing. A major US brewer is using sorghum in gluten-free beer; South Africa and other breweries in Africa use white, identity-preserved sorghum in commercial, malt-free, lager beer. Improved understanding of the unique anthocyanins and other phenols in different gentotypes of sorghum should lead to new products containing sorghum grain or sorghum extracts for use in nutraceuticals and natural coloring agents.

    Objective 2. Develop basic knowledge, science-based standards, and technologies that promote crop quality, food security and food safety in grain markets.

    Quality management system applications for agriculture. Outcome: The company involved in the study has reorganized its management structure to facilitate the ISO system. Three facilities are ISO certified, and six have private certification in preparation for ISO implementation. Internal auditor and quality manger jobs have been created. Site security and food security needs have been easily added to the ISO system. Iowa grain firms have utilized the web based bioterror recordkeeping module to begin compliance with the FDA regulations. The grain tracking system has demonstrated significant income potential created by more precise inventory management. The ISO22006 Standard, ISO 9000 Application to Production Agriculture is now in its third committee draft. Advancement to Draft International Standard is expected in Summer 2007.

    Ethanol yield with FT-NIR. Outcome: U.S. ethanol production capacity was 4.4 billion gallons per year in February of 2006 and is expected to reach 7 billion gallons by the end of 2007, creating a huge surplus of DDGS. Value of DDGS can be improved by modified processes that reduce fiber and increase protein, but rapid measurement and monitoring of fermentation processes and variability in DDGS quality is needed. Calibration for measuring fermentables in corn were developed during the initial phases of this research.

    Effect of low temperatures on mortality of Indianmeal Moth (Plodia interpunctella). Outcome: The effect of broken corn on Indianmeal moth (Plodia interpunctella) survivability was determined. A cumulative lethality index (CLI) model to estimate mortality of P. interpunctella larvae under changing temperature conditions was developed. It is expected that this research will lead to recommendations for storage bin equipment and for stored grain management that can be used to limit insect populations without the use of chemical insecticides. Reduced use of chemical insecticides should reduce grain storage costs and reduce potential harmful environmental and human health impacts from chemical insecticides.

    Natural occurring antifungal agents from lactic acid bacteria. Outcome: This work may lead to development of safe, natural, biological antifungal preservatives for use in stored grain as a replacement for chemical fungicides.

    Biological evaluation of reduction of Fumonisin B1 toxicity in corn grits by extrusion processing. Outcome: This research produced evidence of reduction in toxicity of fumonisins in corn after extrusion processing with 10% added glucose. Some less toxic breakdown products were identified and there appeared to be lowered toxicity in rats. This helps to answer the question of whether the extrusion process actually destroys the toxins or simply masks them by causing reactions with the corn matrix and making them non-detectable but still toxic. There appears to be a reduction in toxicity, though further studies are in progress to confirm this. This information is needed by the food industry and regulatory agencies and it is also valuable to consumers of corn based food products. The results of this research can be used to develop extrusion processes that will give better reductions of fumonisins resulting in safer food products. The results of this work were also used to prepare a USDA/CSREES Competitive Grants research proposal that was funded and allows the work to continue on a larger scale to extend and confirm the findings of this Andersons Grant.

    Flaxseed quality assessment: factors affecting seed quality. Outcome: This project demonstrated the feasibility of flaxseed as an antifungal agent. It also provided details about the antifungal activity of different varieties and that the stability was influenced by heat. The data reported suggests that flaxseed could be useful as an antifungal agent in food with minimal heat application.

    Investigation of methods to improve the flowability of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) during processing, handling, storage and transport. Outcome: The results of this research will improve the quality consistency of DDGS especially with respect to better flowable product during processing, handling, transport and storage. In general, we will use the results to develop quality assurance protocols for DDGS co-products that will guide ethanol plant managers on what to monitor and how to improve the quality of their DDGS during production. The outcomes of this research will be transferred to the industry through workshops, extension Publications and Presentations, website, peer-reviewed journal papers and industry trade magazines.

    Monitoring stored grain quality. Outcome: The impact of this research will help solve grain storage problems by applying an available technology that can detect spoilage before it gets out-of-hand. If spoilage is detected early by an increase in CO2 concentration, the problem can be corrected by simple management practices such as applying aeration to cool and dry the grain mass.

    Ozonation of corn, wheat and barley for the control of pests and spoilage agents, and the removal of off-odors in commercial grain storage structures. Outcome: Ozonation serves as a preventative strategy against insect infestation and at the same time reduces/eliminates the microbial load (fungal and bacterial spores), as well as guards against off-odors. We believe there are many producers and handlers of food and feed grains (including conventional and organic food corn, wheat and barley) who will be interested in utilizing this new technology throughout the NC-213 Region.

    Physical and chemical properties of shelled corn related to conditioning and processing. Outcome: Quantification of kernel properties will document the variations in these properties that have developed and should facilitate assessment of whether these differences could have an impact upon certain aspects of processing. It may also identify hybrids with specific traits that are particularly desirable for specific end uses. Finally, it should provide information that could help seed corn companies develop hybrids with desirable traits. The tests with samples dried with air at higher temperatures will help to elucidate the effect of high temperature drying on kernel characteristics.

    Trapping as a means of monitoring stored product insects in buildings. Outcome: The use of contour analysis in mapping red flour beetle trap catch to locate foci of infestation in buildings has proven effective. Contour maps of trap catch have proven to be powerful tools for communicating insect problems to management, maintenance, and sanitation personnel, and its use by pest control companies is increasing.

    Improved handling and storage systems for grain quality maintenance and measurement. Outcome: The potential to reduce energy consumed for grain cooling is estimated at 25-50 percent. The greatest impact is the assurance of timely grain cooling and prevention of grain quality losses from deterioration and insect infestations. Results from this project may lead to the development of new insect pest management and temperature management strategies for stored wheat. The portable propane heat treatment systems provide low-cost, low-risk disinfestations of empty bins, while eliminating the concerns that arise with using chemicals. With development of better equations, the T and RH based sensors can provide increased accuracy for grain moisture content monitoring in bins and help prevent moisture-related grain quality losses during storage.

    Objective 3. Create and disseminate scientific knowledge that will enhance public confidence in market-driven quality management systems for grain.

    Outreach programs for supply-chain agriculture. Outcome: Based on the results of the ethanol study, new Iowa State Extension efforts in grain storage training and in supply chain evaluation were started. Programs will be operational in 2007. Plants could increase ethanol output by about 0.1 gal/bu if inputs were more consistent. For a 100 MM gal/yr plant, this would be 4,000,000 more gallons of ethanol or about $8 million per year. DGS quality would be more consistent as well.

    Assessing the susceptibility of shelled corn to invasion by storage fungi. Outcome: Managers of facilities where shelled corn is being stored could use rapid tests (<15 min) for initial screening for fungal susceptibility. The 3-day CO2 test kit results could then be used to more accurately determine the risk of spoilage during continued storage or shipment to tropical climates where conditions are more conducive to fungal growth.

    Sorghum utilization research. Outcome: The production of wheat-free foods from sorghum provides persons with celiac disease new food choices. Developing high quality wheat-free food products from sorghum provides new markets for the U.S. sorghum crop and may improve the food choices available to persons with celiac disease. The quality of wheat-free sorghum bread was improved through the use of sourdough fermentation and addition of enzymes and additional gums. Relationships between protein, fiber, and starch chemistry on fermentation of cereal grains were determined. Improved methods for the extraction and analysis of ergosterol in sorghum were developed.

    Objective grading and end-use property assessment of single kernels and bulk grain samples. Outcome: This project is in position to make a major contribution to breeding programs by speeding up the development of grain varieties by increased sorting. In addition to using commercial high speed sorting machines that operate on the basis of one r two wavelength of light, this group has developed automated sorter that utilize full NIR spectra and images to select grain traits. Some of these devices are commercially available and operate at approximately 30 kernels/minute. We also have prototypes of image and spectral based sorters that have throughputs over 600 kernels/minute.

    Hard winter wheat progenies research. Outcome: Securing and improving the quality of grains produced in the U.S. so that they meet the needs of both domestic and overseas customers is a very important but difficult task. Grain quality improvement begins with a sound breeding program and ends with growers. In 2006, the Hare Winter Wheat Quality Lab evaluated intrinsic quality parameters of hard winter breeding lines (2005 crop), and our data is of prime importance for the release of breeding lines, some of which become released cultivars grown by farmers. During the three-year period from 2000-2002, the average U.S. wheat production was 66.5 million metric tons (about 2.24 billion bushels): nearly one-half of U.S. wheat production and 41% of U.S. wheat export comes from hard red winter wheat. Over 95% of all hard winter wheats have been evaluated for end-use quality before they were released as cultivars. Therefore, our efforts greatly impact the overall U.S. wheat industry.

    Gluten protein effects on tortilla quality. Outcome: One of the major challenges in tortilla quality is the deterioration of texture with time (staling). In instances where tortillas are freshly prepared and consumed, shelf-life is not an issue, however, in the U.S. retention of fresh properties is important since tortillas are packaged sealed in plastic bags and consumed over the course of several weeks. Tortilla quality is measured using both objective and subjective methods and is dependent upon flour properties as well as ingredient formulation. Defining the functional roles that individual glutenins and gliadins proteins play in the formation of the glutenin network and macromolecular interactions will define the structural interactions and predictive analytical test for the selection of wheat cultivars ideally suited for the manufacture of premium quality tortillas. This method could be beneficial in developing analysis tools in early selection of lines for quality traits in wheat breeding programs.

    How variations in endosperm relate to environmental changes. Outcome: The results may help elucidate some unique characteristics of spelt flour and starch for future uses in the food industry, as well as provide additional information on environmental effects on starch granule size distribution and molecular structure.

    Impact Statements:
    1. NC-213 scientists have evaluated and developed practices and technologies that provide critical information to grain producers and processors that allows them to improve the overall quality, safety and security of grain and institute component pricing systems resulting in increased sales of U.S. grains.
    2. NC-213 scientists used funding from USDA/CSREES to evaluate fermentable corn hybrids in the State of Kentucky; evaluate processing parameters of soft white wheat varieties at the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station in East Lansing, Michigan; develop an educational program at Montana State University-Bozeman; develop improved grain handling, storage, maintenance and measurement techniques; and evaluate ozone for grain storage and processing.
    3. NC-213 scientists successfully leveraged funding from other sources such as The Andersons, Michigan State Millers‘ Association, other Cereal Industry, US Agency for International Development, NIH Initiative for Minority Scientific Development, the North Dakota Wheat Commission, North Dakota Agricultural Utilization Commission, the Energy Center - Discovery Park - Purdue U., USDA-SBIR, and USDA-FGIS. These funds led to implementation of several programs focused on enhancing quality, safety and security for the U.S. grain supply. These programs directly and indirectly impact the U.S. and international grain industry from production agriculture through the consumer level. Impacts include increased sales as well as increased wholesomeness and dissemination of knowledge which benefits other countries as well.
    Last Modified: 02-May-2007

    Date of Annual Report: 02/29/2008

    Report Information:
  • Annual Meeting Dates: 02/26/08 to 02/27/08
  • Period the Report Covers: 10/2006 to 09/2007

    • Participants:
    Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:
    NC-213 Executive Committee Meeting The Hilton Omaha Hotel, Omaha, Nebraska. February 26, 2008

    The Chair, Charlene Wolf-Hall, distributed copies of the agenda and called the meeting to order at 12:18 p.m.

    Andersons Grant Program  Eligibility

    Bill Koshar distributed the current criteria as listed for regular grants and team competition, and the Appendix E list of members from NIMSS. It was noted that this eligibility rule can be determined by this group. He said that the definition of "having a report" has been that the person's name appears anywhere on the list of contributors to the most recent NC-213 annual report (this is significant because some universities submit one report with multiple names, while others submit multiple reports). Herrman stated that previous discussions about the eligibility requirements had highlighted the benefit of including investigators who were not members of NC-213 as a good way to recruit new members. These issues were discussed and the following three suggestions for the eligibility requirement were proposed:

    Require that only the "lead" or "a principal" investigator need be a current NC-213 member.

    Any member of the grant team can be in NIMSS, and any one member must have a current annual report.

    Require that the "senior" team member be in NIMSS and have a current annual report.

    It was agreed the wording should be "one of the principle investigators" in both sentences; this will be recommended and voted on at the business meeting. The proposed wording is:

    To be eligible for the Andersons Research Grant Program one of the principal investigators must be a current member of Multistate Research Project NC-213, Management of Grain Quality and Security in World Markets. In addition, one of the principal investigators must have a current report included in the Annual Report of Progress.

    Finally it was also noted that to be an official NC-213 member listed in NIMSS, university researchers must obtain approval from their Agricultural Experiment Station.

    Submission of Annual Report/SAES Annual Report

    Bill Koshar stated this report will be required 60 days after the annual meeting. The project coordinators office will contact the executive committee when required (the research to be reported will encompass all 5 years; accomplishments and impacts will be required).

    It was mentioned that this is very similar or identical to some of the information that was in the rewrite, so the rewrite may provide a good starting point for this report.

    Rewrite

    At the behest of the Chair, Mike Montross was recognized by the group for doing the lion's share of the work on the rewrite. The rewrite has been submitted and we're waiting for the response, which should come in late March or early April.

    The Chair stated that we need to select new Objective Co Chairs for the three objectives following the rewrite. The three new objectives are:

    to characterize quality attributes and develop systems to measure quality of cereals, oilseeds, and bioprocess co-products.

    to develop methods to maintain quality, capture value, and preserve food safety at key points in the harvest to end product value chain

    to quantify and disseminate the impact of market-chain technologies on providing high value, food-safe, and bio-secure grains for global markets and bioprocess industries.

    The following individuals were suggested as possible Co-Chairs and will be recommended for consideration at the business meeting:

    David Jackson  for either objective 1 or 2

    Charlie Hurburgh  for objective 3

    K. M. Lee, for objective 1

    Charlene Wolf-Hall  for objective 2

    Mike Montross  for objective 2

    Richard Stroshine  for objective 1

    Leland McKinney  for objective 2

    Linda Mason  for objective 2

    Brian Adam  for objective 3

    Bill Koshar said that Co-Chairs are currently running 5-year terms rather than 2-year terms.

    Finding Individuals for the Industry Panel Discussion

    Koshar stated that previously the Administrator has communicated with the Chair of the Industry Advisory Committee to identify panel members for the discussion time. There were suggestions that we seek panel names earlier and advertise them to create greater interest in the annual meeting and that someone should be designated to coordinate identifying panel members. It was suggested that Jim Stitzlein, and likely anyone else serving as the Industry Advisory Committee Chair, would be ideal for identifying and attracting quality panel members.

    All agreed that this is a good role for the Industry Advisory Committee Chair. The Administrator's office will see that this is implemented. Bill Koshar will update the responsibility list after this meeting and will update his NC-213 timeline so this gets done.

    There was discussion that the Industry Advisory Committee list should be updated (since some on the list are not active). Someone will check to see if Jim Stitzlein wants to rotate off as Chair of the Industry Advisory Committee.

    There was a suggestion that we will need to address the Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) and the Wheat Quality Council (WQC) separately to get a representative from each group when we meet with them. Dirk Maier, Joe Needham, and Jim Stitzlein will work with GEAPS and WQC to designate individuals from each.

    NC213 Report of Progress

    There was discussion about modifying the format of the NC-213 Progress Report to simplify preparation by scientists. It was suggested that we keep the format similar to CRIS reports  at least that we have similar headings to facilitate cut-and-paste preparation. A question was raised about whether this book is necessary since it is just a duplicate of CRIS reports. It was mentioned that the book format provides the opportunity to include additional information that is not in the CRIS reports.

    Koshar indicated the current headings were put in place to achieve consistency between reports from the different stations. It was agreed that the format would be changed to match CRIS reports as much as possible.

    There was another suggestion that the Administrators office get the report information directly from station representative CRIS reports, after they have been entered in the system. It was decided that this is not feasible because many CRIS reports would be posted too late for inclusion in the Progress Report due to experiment station in-house processes. And it was decided this should also be discussed at the business meeting.

    Impact Statement review

    It was announced that NC-213 will most likely be asked by the NCRA Directors office to provide an Impact Statement Form for the past year. Koshar distributed (1) an example at the request of Bill Ravlin that showed good evidence of impact (from Purdue University) and (2) the form that will be needed for submitting impact statements.

    Summer Conference in Chicago

    Maier will provide an update at the business meeting tomorrow. Maier requested more participation from NC-213 participants (few NC-213 participants have submitted anything currently). He requested people submit abstracts or posters and nominate industry participants. He noted there are still a couple of open keynote slots that could have speakers to address grain quality, food safety, supply-chain management, etc.

    NC-213 Annual Meeting  2009

    Following the current rotation, the 2009 Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with WQC in Kansas City in the usual hotel, in the usual room. The WQC date is tentatively set for February 17-19, 2009. Maier requested that we try to arrange our schedule to encourage interaction with WQC; thus, we should allow for us attending some of their sessions. The same need to schedule carefully and encourage interaction is true for GEAPS. It was mentioned that this requires early planning. We will vote on this date and location at the business meeting.

    Officer Elections

    Kells will have names of candidates before the business meeting tomorrow. Meeting Adjourned.

    NC-213Business Meeting Annual Meeting February 27, 2008 The Hilton Omaha hotel. Omaha, Nebraska.

    The Chair, Charlene Wolf-Hall, called the meeting to order at 11:48 a.m. and requested that the meeting attendees introduce themselves. Everyone graciously complied.

    Andersons Grant Program  Eligibility The Chair announced that the executive committee was proposing a change in the eligibility requirements for the Andersons Grant Program. The secretary read the proposed new eligibility statement,

    To be eligible for the Andersons Research Grant Program one of the principal investigators must be a current member of Multistate Research Project NC-213, Management of Grain Quality and Security in World Markets. In addition, one of the principal investigators must have a current report included in the Annual Report of Progress.

    which changes the wording to say "one of the principal investigators" in both sentences in place of the previous wording that all principal investigators needed to meet the two requirements. There was a brief discussion where it was clarified that a member is defined as someone who contributes to the project as listed in the Appendix E information list of NIMSS. This motion from the executive committee was unanimously approved.

    Submission of Annual Report/SAES Annual Report The Chair announced that this required annual report will include accomplishments and impacts of research from the just-completed five-year period, some of which may be available from the recently completed rewrite. Koshar stated that he will contact the executive committee for the needed information when it is required.

    Rewrite

    The Chair thanked Mike Montross for doing the lion's share of the work on the rewrite. A plaque recognizing this major contribution was received by Sam McNeill on behalf of Mike Montross. The Chair stated the rewrite has been submitted and we are waiting for the response, which is expected in late March or early April.

    The Chair informed the group that we need to select new Objective Co-Chairs for the three objectives defined in the rewrite:

    to characterize quality attributes and develop systems to measure quality of cereals, oilseeds, and bioprocess co-products.

    to develop methods to maintain quality, capture value, and preserve food safety at key points in the harvest to end product value chain

    to quantify and disseminate the impact of market-chain technologies on providing high value, food-safe, and bio-secure grains for global markets and bioprocess industries.

    The following names were put forward by the executive committee as potential co-chairs: David Jackson  for either objective 1 or 2 Charlie Hurburgh  for objective 3 K. M. Lee, for objective 1 Charlene Wolf-Hall  for objective 2 Mike Montross  for objective 2 Richard Stroshine  for objective 1 Leland McKinney  for objective 2 Linda Mason  for objective 2 Brian Adam  for objective 3

    The Chair read the responsibilities of the co-chairs from the NC-213 responsibilities list. Each objective is chaired by two co-chairs. Each co-chair is elected for a two-year term. Co-chairs can be reelected for consecutive terms.

    Organize and moderate oral reporting sessions for their objectives at the Annual meeting.

    Facilitate revisions to their objectives in NC-213 five year work plan.

    Serve on Executive Committee.

    Coordinate communications between administrators and members of that objective team.

    Participate in Executive Committee meetings, contributing to decisions involving organizational, policy, and meeting topics (Annual meeting and Summer workshop).

    Forward news items to the Project Coordinator as researchers in respective stations identify them.

    Each Objective Chair will provide at least one item per year for the newsletter, either his or her own work or a report from someone else within the objective.

    Serve on the Andersons Grant Review Committee unless a conflict of interest exists.

    The following four individuals agreed to be nominated for objective co-chairs and were unanimously approved:

    Objective 1  David Jackson

    Objective 2  Leland McKinney, Charlene Wolf-Hall

    Objective 3  Brian Adam

    Charlene Wolf-Hall will follow up to confirm two other people to complete the slate of objective co-chairs. Leading candidates are Dr. K. M. Lee from Texas A&M for Objective 1, and Dr. Charlie Hurburgh from Iowa State University for Objective 3.

    Industry Panel Discussion Group and Industry Advisory Committee

    The Chair shared a suggestion from the executive committee that we select someone to coordinate the panel selection each year and that it should be the Industry Advisory Committee Chair, currently Jim Stitzlein. Everyone agreed that Jim is the ideal coordinator for this discussion group. Koshar said the Coordinators Office will see that this gets done. He will update the responsibility list and update his NC-213 timeline.

    The Chair also indicated that Dirk Maier, Joe Needham, and Jim Stitzlein have been designated to work on updating the Industry Advisory Committee members.

    Meeting Sessions Format

    Stephen Kells suggested we try a new format that might better attract GEAPS, WQC, or other industry group to our sessions. In this format, the speakers give a condensed version of their presentation first; an audience-oriented 3 to 5-slide presentation that primarily tells why their work is important. It may be possible to record this talk and put it on the website, where it would be comparable to a written summary. This is easy for the speakers because we already have the slides. Kells stated that he has done this successfully with research summaries for the pest control Industry.

    Stroshine commented that we also need to provide press release type information for advertising. Hellevang stated that a key to this format is to explain why it's important and how the listener can apply it. Maier recommended that as incoming Chair, Kells should run with this new format next year as a pilot project. There were no objections.

    NC213 Report of Progress

    The Chair announced that the executive committee has agreed that the Annual Report format would be changed to match CRIS reports as much as possible. In particular, all the CRIS headings should be included. It was mentioned that many CRIS reports get posted too late by the experiment stations for the project coordinators office to be able retrieve them on time. Thus, the annual reports will still have a submission deadline to the coordinators office.

    Impact Statement review

    Koshar stated this is a heads-up for this upcoming report for the NCRA Directors office. He distributed (1) an example provided by Bill Ravlin that showed good evidence of impact (from Purdue University) and (2) the form that will be needed for submitting impact statements.

    Summer Conference in Chicago

    Maier reminded the group of the 2008 International Grain Quality and Technology Congress scheduled for July 15  18 in Chicago, Illinois and requested participation of NC-213 members. He suggested members submit abstracts, posters, and nominations for industry participation. He indicated that NC-213 submissions are lacking so far. He explained that it is a combination of two previous conferences, the 2004 International quality Grains Conference (sponsored by NC-213) and the 2005 New Frontiers in Grain Quality Technology and Informatics national round table, and is also designed to attract participants from another conference  the International Wheat Quality Conference, held three times previously in Kansas.

    The format of the meeting will have scientific presentations in the morning and industry presentations in the afternoon. He mentioned that our previous conference (IQGC) was very successful with over 200 participants and stated that "we" can make this one successful also.

    NC-213 Annual Meeting  2009

    The 2009 Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with the Wheat Quality Council (WQC) in Kansas City, tentatively scheduled for February 17-19, 2009. Our schedule will be arranged to interact better with WQC. Their schedule normally has one-half day (usually Wednesday afternoon) covering research and that would be of interest to us. The incoming Chair, Steve Kells, will work with Koshar to get the schedule arranged properly.

    This meeting date, location, and format were agreed to in a unanimous vote.

    Officer Elections

    Leland McKinney was nominated for the secretary position, accepted, and unanimously elected.

    . Meeting Adjourned.

    Minutes submitted by Mark Casada, NC-213 Secretary.

    Accomplishments:
    Objective 1: Develop practices and technologies to support quality management systems for production, distribution, processing, utilization of quality grains and oilseeds.

    All Grains

    Creation of an object oriented grain handling system software package will now enable elevator operators to test the flexibility of their current facility or create their ideal grain handling facility with all its equipment in a simple click and drag type format. Additionally, this approach holds the future potential for a grain company (or merging companies) to link multiple individual elevator facility models together and evaluate the optimization of combined system network resources.

    Asian customers are clearly happy to have the survey and bring the results. Sales have been made because of this customer focus. Processors are gradually instituting component pricing systems.

    Producers, grain elevators, and processors have more definitive testing procedures for selecting corn and/or sorghum hybrids best suited for nixtamalization (alkaline cooking) for tortillas and snack chips. These selections are best made knowing the geographic location of the source grain. All players in the marketing chain can use this information to maximize income; processors can select gain that minimizes process waste and maximizes end product quality.

    Source verification has been successfully applied to identity preserved products  those that are physically isolated throughout the market system. However, it also increasingly applies to documentation in bulk commodity markets. Grain markets have traditionally handled interchangeable average quality commodities. Biotechnology, food safety and bio-security concerns, and new consumer perceptions are converging to create a grain market need for source verification and the associated quality management and product purity certification systems. Source verification and assurance certification is already changing the mindset of the food supply chain. Food safety and bio-security concerns have resulted in more scrutiny of all food products and have greatly increased the willingness of food processors, manufacturers and retailers to implement ingredient tracking systems.

    The requirement of only one instrument model in a given trading system may be eliminated, which will reduce testing costs, and provide incentives for new technology development. True calibrations (beyond correlations) will have a major impact on genetic screening programs for secondary factors, by identifying unique samples that would have otherwise been missed. Calibration monitoring systems can be simplified, and the cost of calibration maintenance can be reduced by more effective targeting of truly unique or independent samples.

    Corn and Corn Products, including Ethanol

    Corn growers can better identify corn hybrids best suited for dry milling and extrusion processing and have improved their profitability. Expansion of this research to include the eastern Corn Belt and sorghum, and examining wet milling and alkaline processing in collaboration with colleagues from ARS and UNL will result in similar benefits.

    Ethanol production is influenced by numerous variables. Comparing the effects of agronomic, hybrid, drying and storage practices on ethanol yield will result in better decision making tools for producers and processors.

    Wheat and Wheat Products

    Durum cultivars seem to differ in their susceptibility to kernel bleaching and to loss of vitreousness due to absorption of moisture after maturity.

    Research has identified strong resistance factors in the bran layer (possibly also the germ and aleurone layers) of different varieties. For varieties that will meet current market requirements for certified organic wheat and seed growers, these factors will be important in guiding breeders who service this market and in guiding growers who must maximize non-synthetic chemical protection of their commodity during storage.

    Durum wheat exposed to 90% relative humidity or incubated as wet spikes lost kernel vitreousness. Vitreousness is a very important quality factor. These results indicate that exposure to high humidity or damp conditions including high humidity can cause vitreous kernel content to decline below 80%. The inability to sell or to sell at severe discounts is of economic concern to the durum producer.

    NC-213 Researchers found a better understanding of wheat flour quality in relation to end-use products. In addition, the use of TG will potentially allow (1) bakers to use weaker flour to produce satisfactory baked products, and (2) millers to provide more consistent flour quality to bakers in spite of environmental growing factors.

    There are small differences among current U.S. varieties of wheat, but research has led to the increased investigation of these traits by breeders. For many decades, wheat breeding programs have focused on field characteristics. Varieties released and published literature indicates no consideration has been given to postharvest issues other than end-use qualities. These strategies become more important as Rhyzopertha dominica seems more frequently encountered farther and farther north, due to its increasing its range through commerce and possibly through hypothesized wind-borne dispersion.

    Data indicate that the association between bleached kernels and low carotenoid pigment content is probably due to enhanced lipid oxidation promoted by rehydration of kernels during damp conditions. Lutein content declined during kernel desiccation. Lutein is important for aesthetic quality and also for healthfulness of durum wheat and durum wheat based products. Lutein has been shown to protect humans against age degenerative diseases such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and certain cancers. Thus, research directed towards the enhancement of carotenoid pigment content will improve the aesthetic and nutritional quality of durum wheat produced in the US. The knowledge gained by this research will eventually contribute to increased economic opportunities for producers and food manufacturers by improving quality and increasing value of durum wheat and its end-use products.

    Results from a corroborative study will enable for laboratory measurements of maize quality to provide the variance structure of within and between laboratories as well as hybrids. This study may assist in establishing universal standard test procedures and data interpretation to help future research and industry partners.

    Soybeans

    Through demonstrations of several new applications for NIR, and the determination that the very high-speed diode array technology could make large increases in measurement capabilities. The fatty acid application will be necessary to support marketing of modified soybeans that produce oil which will remove the need for trans-fat producing hydrogenation.

    Producing soy protein fractions rich in either of the two major proteins (glycinin and beta-conglycinin) is key to delivering healthier and better performing soy protein products. Work has been complete with commercial companies to adopt this simple process. GSSP has the potential to be a very effective means of identity preserving soybeans during their processing, Unlike alternative processes, little protein denaturation occurs during oil recovery and the meal can be used to produce organic or certifiable non-GMO soy protein ingredients for which customers in Europe and Asia are willing to pay premium prices. U.S. processors could again become a preferred source of food-grade soybean meal. GFP containing corn enables rapid evaluation of new corn fractionation procedures. Some of the new fractionation procedures being developed may be suitable for on-farm use reducing the risk of contaminating commodity corn with unapproved transgenics. The collaborative study on wet-milling identifies laboratories and protocols that are effective in discriminating corn lines with superior wet-milling characteristics. This will enable corn breeders to develop value-enhanced corn for the wet milling industry.

    Other Grains

    The new sorghums are especially important as a new grain for use in gluten free and ethnic foods. The high levels of tannins in special sorghums have led to effective use of special sorghum bran fractions as preservatives products with high levels of antioxidants.

    Objective 2: Develop basic knowledge, science-based performance standards, and technologies that promote crop quality, food security and food safety in grain markets.

    Corn and Corn Products, including Ethanol

    Extractable starch is a highly important indicator of corn value. By selecting corn varieties with high extractable starch combined with low to moderate heat drying methods, higher extractable starch corn can be obtained with an estimated increase in value of 4-6 cents per bushel per percentage point of extractable starch. Rapid measurement of the products of ethanol fermentation potentially could improve process conversion efficiencies.

    Corn growers can better identify corn hybrids best suited for dry milling and extrusion processing and have improved their profitability. Expansion of this research to include examining wet milling and alkaline processing in collaboration with colleagues from ARS and UNL will result in similar benefits.

    U.S. ethanol production capacity was 4.4 billion gallons per year in February of 2006 and reached 7 billion gallons by the end of 2007, creating a huge surplus of DDGS. Value of DDGS can be improved by modified processes that reduce fiber and increase protein, but rapid measurement and monitoring of fermentation processes and variability in DDGS quality is needed. Ability to rapidly measure and monitor liquefaction and fermentation processes and variability in DDGS quality is needed.

    Research resulted in the improved quality consistency of DDGS especially with respect to better flowable product during processing, handling, transport and storage. In general, the results will be used to develop quality assurance protocols for DDGS co-products that will guide ethanol plant managers on what to monitor and how to improve the quality of their DDGS during production.

    Because of DDGS particle heterogeneity and particle segregation during bulk handling, it is recommended that a standard bulk sampling protocol be used industry wide in order to obtain representative samples from bulk DDGS and thus reduce variability due to poor sampling. Appropriate sampling of DDGS bulk is a first step to reducing the variability in DDGS currently seen in the industry. The effect of process variables (CDS and WDG co-products blending ratios and drying) on the bulk physical and chemical composition of DDGS that was shown will be used in developing quantitative predictive models that would serve as rapid analyses tools for either product quality control or evaluating potential handling risks when shipping product. The standard loss on drying methods (gravimetric methods) investigated showed the variability of various standard moisture losses on drying methods compared to the standard Karl Fischer method for moisture determination. A less rigorous moisture loss on drying method that used the Thermo-balance (drying 1 g sample at 105oC for about 5 min), an instrument commonly available in fuel ethanol plants gave the least variability among all the methods evaluated and was recommended as the most appropriate for DDGS.

    Quantification of kernel properties will document the variations in the properties that have developed and should facilitate assessment of whether these differences could have an impact upon certain aspects of processing. It may also identify hybrids with specific traits that are particularly desirable for specific end uses. Finally, it should provide information that could help seed corn companies develop hybrids with desirable traits. The tests with samples dried with air at higher temperatures will help to elucidate the effect of high temperature drying on kernel characteristics.

    Soybeans

    The information gained from the producers of low linolenic soybeans is being used to create benchmarking metrics against which benefits of quality management systems with their associated traceability can be measured.

    Other Grain Uses

    Process modifications and/or use of modified grain substrates have potential to increase the production efficiency and economic viability of grain-based ethanol production systems. Food processors can use waxy wheat varieties, blends of waxy and non-waxy wheat varieties, or partially waxy wheats to obtain starches with the specific viscosity profile they desire, potentially allowing for the production of improved food and industrial products. Results have shown that FB1 products formed during extrusion are very probably less toxic than the parent FB1, resulting in lower toxicity of the extruded product and improving food safety.

    Large variation in hardness and other grain characteristics among barley classes and genotypes indicate the potential for the identification of genes or quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and of genetic markers for development of barley varieties possessing appropriate grain characteristics for food uses. Identification of grain hardness as a food use trait of barley and establishment of proper screening methods will also be beneficial for development of barley varieties suitable for processing and food uses.

    Storage Issues

    Reduced use of chemical insecticides should reduce grain storage costs and reduce potential harmful environmental and human health impacts from chemical insecticides.

    Although consumers and food processors express desires for reduced pesticide use in the food chain, agribusiness managers will not adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices voluntarily unless their cost and effectiveness compare favorably with conventional chemical-based practices. An economic analysis comparing costs, benefits, and risks of IPM vs. conventional pest management practices is needed to determine if IPM is cost-effective for stored grain and grain processing functions, as well as to identify potential cost-savings for implementing IPM.

    Methodology developed should reduce the use of protectant insecticides on wheat stored in Montana, and has applicability to other regions of the northern Great Plains. This should create a more favorable climate for annual negotiation of international grain contracts, particularly when residual pesticides are an issue.

    The problem can be corrected by simple management practices such as applying aeration to cool and dry the grain mass. Results will help solve grain storage problems by applying an available technology that can detect spoilage before it gets out-of-hand. If spoilage is detected early by an increase in CO2 concentration

    Findings emphasize the fact that a fundamental understanding of an insects orientation to various factors is basic to modeling its dispersal and understanding the spatial distribution of its populations. The use of contour analysis in mapping trap catch to locate foci of infestation in buildings has proven effective, although anomalous results occasionally occur. It is expected that this research will lead to recommendations for storage bin equipment and for stored grain management that can be used to limit insect populations without the use of chemical insecticides. Reduced use of chemical insecticides should reduce grain storage costs and reduce potential harmful environmental and human health impacts from chemical insecticides. Contour maps of trap catch have proven to be powerful tools for communicating insect problems to management, maintenance, and sanitation personnel, and its use by pest control companies is increasing.

    The potential to reduce energy consumed for grain cooling is estimated at 25-50 percent. The greatest impact is the assurance of timely grain cooling and prevention of grain quality losses from deterioration and insect infestations. Results from NC-213 research may lead to the development of new insect pest management and temperature management strategies for stored wheat. The portable propane heat treatment systems provide low-cost, low-risk disinfestations of empty bins, while eliminating the concerns that arise with using chemicals. New sensors and related technological developments can provide increased accuracy for stored grain condition monitoring and help prevent grain quality losses. The decision support system (DSS) will assist grain elevator operators with resolving grain commingling problems. The computer simulation model will provide input to the DSS and will be a valuable tool to enable researchers and designers to gain a deeper understanding of the particle physics involved in grain commingling in elevator equipment that may lead to modifications and new designs that can be applied to mitigating unwanted commingling.

    Ozonation serves as a preventative strategy against insect infestation and at the same time reduces/eliminates the microbial load (fungal and bacterial spores), as well as guards against off-odors. NC-213 research shows there are many producers and handlers of food and feed grains (including conventional and organic food corn, wheat and barley) who will be interested in utilizing this new technology. There is a substantial interest in the application of ozone by the U.S. grain industry. Ozone is a powerful oxidant that has regulatory acceptance by the FDA (FDA 2001). EPAs MSDS defines it as pure air. Numerous beneficial applications have been developed, such as water treatment to disinfect and eliminate odors, taste, and color, as well as to remove pesticides, inorganic and organic compounds. Ozone (O3) is an allotrope of oxygen, which can be generated by electrical discharges in air. Ozone has a half-life of 20-50 min, and rapidly decomposes to diatomic oxygen, a natural component in the atmosphere. Because ozone can be easily generated at the treatment site using only electricity and air, it offers several safety advantages over other post-harvest treatments such as conventional pesticides. First, there are no stores of toxic chemicals, chemical mixing hazards, or disposal of left over insecticides or containers. Second, with a short half-life, it reverts back to naturally occurring oxygen. Third, if needed it would be possible to neutralize ozone through techniques such as thermal activated charcoal, as well as catalytic and chemical abatement. Research on the efficacy of ozone on insect mortality indicated 92-100% mortality of larvae of adult maize weevils (MW), Indianmeal moth (IMM) and adult red flour beetles (RFB) in infested corn when fumigated with 50 ppm ozone for three days. The same treatment also significantly reduced the viability of Aspergillus parasiticus Speare and other fungi on the kernel surface as well as removed off-odors from sour/musty grain. Data also indicated that repeated ozone treatments did not decrease the end use quality of grains. A number of grain producers and handlers have expressed interest in ozonation technology and generators are becoming commercially available for use. Preliminary tests have been performed by several commercial grain companies. Thus, the time is right to conduct replicated trials at commercial grain facilities that test the efficacy of ozonation for the control of pests and spoilage agents, and the removal of off-odors. Ozonation serves as a preventative strategy against insect infestation and at the same time reduces/eliminates the microbial load (fungal and bacterial spores), as well as guards against off-odors. Researchers believe there are many producers and handlers of food and feed grains (including conventional and organic food corn, wheat and barley) who will be interested in utilizing this new technology throughout the NC-213 Region.

    NC-213 researchers addressed a major concern of growers, handlers and processors regarding the contamination of high-value identity-preserved food and specialty grains (as well as conventional commodity grains and oilseeds) due to residual insect populations below the perforated floor (plenum) of corrugated steel farm bins (as well as tanks, silos and flat storage buildings at grain elevators). Heat treatment of processing facilities and other structures to kill stored product pests is a widely used pest control technique.

    Grain Microbiology

    Research focused to generate evidence of reduction in toxicity of fumonisin in corn by extrusion processing using a sensitive rat bioassay, produced evidence of reduction in toxicity of fumonisins in corn after extrusion processing with 10% added glucose. Some less toxic breakdown products were identified and there appeared to be lowered toxicity in rats. This helps to answer the question of whether the extrusion process actually destroys the toxins or simply masks them by causing reactions with the corn matrix and making them non-detectable but still toxic. There appears to be a reduction in toxicity, though further studies are in progress to confirm this. This will help to improve the safety of extruded corn-based foods for human food and for animal pet foods.

    A survey was developed to provide information for those interested in wheat quality and safety. This contributed to the process of determining appropriate microbial specifications for wheat and an understanding of how these microflora may relate to wheat quality and end use.

    The evaluation of ozone and hydrogen peroxide as a means to lower microbial loads and mycotoxin content may lead to a method that will add value and safety to portions of the wheat and barley crop.

    Made progress on development of safe, natural, biological antifungal preservatives for use in stored grain as a replacement for chemical fungicides.

    Through research, labs were able to demonstrate the feasibility of flaxseed as an antifungal agent. This also provided details about the antifungal activity of different varieties and that the stability was influenced by heat. The end result: Flaxseed could be useful as an antifungal agent in food with minimal heat application.

    Traceability and Systems Management

    The US grain industry is adapting to food safety, biosecurity, consumer right to know and other market pressures by instituting systems that will not only meet the needs but improve efficiency as well. Consumers and food retailers are demanding steps to verify that security and health risks are protected and that the food can be tracked to its source in the event of problems. Affluent consumers are willing to pay for such assurances, and the United States has an opportunity to convert what was thought to be a problem (differentiation) into a competitive advantage.

    NC-213 research proves that accurate traceability of bulk materials will increase compliance with bioterrorism regulations and improve brand protection. One incident, such as the Diamond Pet Food issue, can easily create tens of million of dollars or more in legal and sales loss costs. The work with the elevator demonstrated that ISO-compliant traceability systems generated net revenue (2-5 cents per bushel) from efficiencies and conformance to specifications, greatly in excess of costs. This means the traceability issue can be a business benefit rather than a cost.

    A company has reorganized its management structure to facilitate the ISO system. Three facilities are ISO certified, and six have private certification in preparation for ISO implementation. Internal auditor and quality manger jobs have been created. Site security and food security needs have been easily added to the ISO system.

    Results indicate a need for collaboration among researchers, hybrid seed companies, and milling industries to develop and improve the test procedures and carefully interpret the results during breeding programs to maximize the economic gains in the grain industry. Improving grain elevator testing and compliance with the TX Commercial Feed Control Act will enhance food safety and animal performance. An outcome of this traceability works will be the development of an affordable and verifiable system of tracking grain to its origin from any point in the grain handling system. Automated microscopy will enable the feed industry to rapidly identify contaminant through the use of new spectral technology.

    Objective: 3 Create and disseminate scientific knowledge that will enhance public confidence in market-driven quality management systems for grain.

    All Grains

    Through combined research efforts, the development of high speed detection and sorting technology to remove toxins from grain, and to sort breeder samples for significant attributes. Systems can process kernels from 1 to 1000 kernels/s. The developed methods to detect insect damaged wheat using an acoustic method and using computed tomography. Both of these methods have promise to inspect large samples very accurately. Also, the development of an NIR system capable of capturing NIR spectra from 900 to 1700nm on single grain kernels at rates up to 10 kernels/second was achieved.

    Corn and Corn Products

    Identified methods of measuring shelled corn storability using CO2 Test Kit (Woods End Research, Mt. Vernon, Maine), for measuring CO2 production (storability) of shelled corn; evaluated several rapid (< 15 min) tests that can be used together to provide a less precise but more rapid storability indication; and examined the correlations among the various tests used as storability indicators.

    Wheat and Wheat Products

    Evaluated Intrinsic end-use (milling and bread-baking) quality of about 1332 hard winter wheat breeding lines at the ARS Regional HWWQL so that breeders could select their lines based on intrinsic quality in addition to agronomical quality.

    Defined the influences of compositional characteristics, especially, amylose content, protein content, beta-glucans content and proanthocyanidin content, on water imbibition of grains, water absorption for making bread and noodles, bread crumb moisture content, color of noodles and texture of cooked noodles.

    Studied variations in endosperm relating to environmental changes. The results may help elucidate some unique characteristics of spelt flour and starch for future uses in the food industry, as well as provide additional information on environmental effects on starch granule size distribution and molecular structure.

    Investigated the effect of enzymes on whole wheat tortilla quality. Evaluated the shelf-life extension of 100% whole wheat (WW) tortillas by adding enzymes. Various enzymes have been incorporated into the tortilla formulation. These included bacterial ±-amylase, glucose oxidase (GOX), transglutaminase, phytase, pentasonase, and a blend of cellulose and amylase.

    Evaluated kernel characteristics, milling properties, and dough, bread, tortilla and Asian alkaline noodle-making properties of hard winter wheat progenies. Determined protein and lipid contents and composition and interaction among these components of cereal grains as they relate to storage, handling, and end-use properties.

    Other Grains

    Improved color characteristics of barley containing food products through the removal of the outer layer of barley grains, heat treatment, exclusion of oxygen, low storage temperature and the use of ascorbic acid and 4-hexylresorcinol.

    Researched the utilization of sorghum for the production of wheat-free food products. Developing high quality wheat-free food products from sorghum provides new markets for the U.S. sorghum crop and may improve the food choices available to persons with celiac disease. The quality of wheat-free sorghum bread was improved through the use of sourdough fermentation and addition of enzymes and additional gums. Relationships between protein, fiber, and starch chemistry on fermentation of cereal grains were determined. Improved methods for the extraction and analysis of ergosterol in sorghum were developed.

    Studied the effects of extruding sorghum grain on ethanol production. Both conventional and supercritical fluid extrusion was found to increase ethanol yields compared to unprocessed grain.

    Impact Statements:
    1. NC-213 scientists have evaluated and developed practices and technologies that provide critical information to grain producers and processors that allows them to improve the overall quality, safety and security of grain and institute component pricing systems resulting in increased sales of U.S. grains.
    2. NC-213 scientists used funding from USDA/CSREES to evaluate fermentable corn hybrids in the State of Kentucky; evaluate processing parameters of soft white wheat varieties at the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station in East Lansing, Michigan; develop an educational program at Montana State University-Bozeman; develop improved grain handling, storage, maintenance and measurement techniques; and evaluate ozone for grain storage and processing.
    3. NC-213 scientists successfully leveraged funding from other sources such as The Andersons, Michigan State Millers Association, other Cereal Industry, US Agency for International Development, NIH Initiative for Minority Scientific Development, the North Dakota Wheat Commission, North Dakota Agricultural Utilization Commission, the Energy Center - Discovery Park - Purdue U., USDA-SBIR, and USDA-FGIS. These funds led to implementation of several programs focused on enhancing quality, safety and security for the U.S. grain supply. These programs directly and indirectly impact the U.S. and international grain industry from production agriculture through the consumer level. Impacts include increased sales as well as increased wholesomeness and dissemination of knowledge which benefits other countries as well.
    4. NC-213 scientists have developed systems that provide critical information to grain processors that allows them to institute component pricing systems resulting in increase sales of U.S. grain.
    5. NC-213 scientists conducted research that shows that adding transglutaminase (TG) increases flour quality and reduces the need for costly testing.
    6. NC-213 scientists discovered that by reducing humidity and moisture wheat kernel quality is increased and a greater economic return realized.
    7. NC-213 scientists have developed systems that track the origin and shipping history of bulk grains and these systems allow producers and handlers to realize higher prices.
    8. By using techniques developed by NC-213 scientists corn starch levels can rapidly be determined and producers/handlers can realize increased profits of 4-6 cents/bu.
    9. NC-213 scientists developed grain quality management systems that led to the formation of international quality standards affecting global grain markets.
    10. NC-213 scientists developed a CO2 test kit that rapidly identifies the risk of fungal contamination in shelled corn. This allows grain elevator managers to lower storage losses and costs.
    11. NC-213 scientists discovered that ethanol yields are significantly increased by processing sorghum grain prior to fermentation thereby increasing the value of sorghum.
    12. Over 95% of all hard winter wheat cultivars were evaluated by NC-213 scientists for end-use quality. This information allows the U.S. wheat industry to focus on high value cultivars and capture increased value.
    13. A system simulation and economic analysis tool will allow grain elevators to define the operating conditions at their elevator (e.g. truck size distribution, type of grain, delivery rate), estimate average delay time and queue length, and quantify the least cost segregation strategy.
    14. Very high-speed diode array technology (for NIR) could make large increases in measurement capabilities of grains. Asian sales of soybeans have been made because of the availability of soybean quality data.
    15. Corn growers in KS, MO, NE, and IA can better identify corn hybrids best suited for dry milling and extrusion processing and have improved their profitability.
    16. Use of Transglutaminase will potentially allow (1) bakers to use weaker flour to produce satisfactory baked products, and (2) millers to provide more consistent flour quality to bakers in spite of environmental growing factors.
    17. A source of good quality sorghum is available for use in food and feed products which has allowed production on new products.
    18. The high levels of tannins in special sorghums have led to effective use of special sorghum bran fractions as preservatives for ground beef patties.
    19. The understanding of what happens during tortilla staling has led to improved flavor and texture of tortillas which could significantly increase their consumption since they are low in fat and contain significant levels of calcium and fiber.
    20. By selecting corn varieties with high extractable starch combined with low to moderate heat drying methods, higher extractable starch corn can be obtained with an estimated increase in value of 4-6 cents per bushel per percentage point of extractable starch.
    21. Recommendations are being formulated for storage bin equipment and for stored grain management that can be used to limit insect populations without the use of chemical insecticides. Reduced use of chemical insecticides should reduce grain storage costs and reduce potential harmful environmental and human health impacts from chemical insecticides.
    22. The results suggest that ozone and hydrogen peroxide may be applicable for treating mildly FHB infected barley. This research could ultimately lead to processing practices that allow increased utilization of US barley for malting.
    23. Grain storage problems, in certain cases, can be solved by applying an available technology that can detect spoilage before it gets out-of-hand. If spoilage is detected early by an increase in CO2 concentration, the problem can be corrected by simple management practices such as applying aeration to cool and dry the grain mass.
    24. The potential to reduce energy consumed for grain cooling is estimated at 25-50 percent. The greatest impact is the assurance of timely grain cooling and prevention of grain quality losses from deterioration and insect infestations. Results from this project may lead to the development of new insect pest management and temperature management strategies for stored wheat.
    25. Elevator managers could use the 3-day CO2 test kit results to determine whether shelled corn can remain in storage with minimal risk. They could also use it to determine whether shelled corn is suitable for shipment to tropical climates where risk of fungal induced spoilage is greater. Rapid tests (<15 min) could be used for initial screening of samples.
    26. The production of wheat-free foods from sorghum provides persons with celiac disease new food choices. Developing high quality wheat-free food products from sorghum provides new markets for the U.S. sorghum crop and may improve the food choices available to persons with celiac disease.
    27. Ethanol production is a growing area for sorghum utilization. Processing of sorghum grain before fermentation is one way to improve ethanol yields and thereby the value of sorghum to the ethanol industry.
    28. Over 95% of all hard winter wheats have been evaluated for end-use quality before they were released as cultivars. Therefore, our efforts greatly impact the overall U.S. wheat industry and the quality of wheat produced.
    29. Barley breeders will be provided with guidelines for the development of varieties with superior food product quality allowing for increased food markets.
    30. Kansas hard white (HDWH) wheat harvested acres increased to 490,000 in 2003, compared to approximately 100,000 harvested acres in 2001. About 27 million mt of feed produced in China using SPC exhibited lower absolute protein variance, worth approximately $30 million savings each year. The K-State Food-Grade Corn Program evaluates dry milling quality of approximately 100 hybrids each year. In 2003, the adoption of one new hybrid (from zero acres in 2002 to 10,000 acres in 2003) boosted producer revenue by $0.5 million.
    31. Identification of cereal cultivars is very important. The end-use quality of wheat, for example, is determined by nearly equal proportions of its genetic and environmental factors. Therefore, the only way to quickly predict end-use properties is to quickly identify the cultivar. NC-213 researchers developed high performance liquid chromatography and high performance capillary electrophoresis methods to quickly (less than 5 min) and accurately identify cereal grain cultivars from 2 grains to bulk flours. In addition, researchers developed methods to identify barley, maize and sorghum cultivars. The utilization of these methods allows breeders to quickly and accurately identify their breeding stocks and allow maltsters to identify barley cultivars of known malting quality.
    32. For corn used for wet milling and dry grind ethanol production, extractable starch is a highly important indicator of value. By selecting corn varieties with high extractable starch combined with low to moderate heat drying methods, higher extractable starch corn can be obtained with an estimated increase in value of 4-6 cents per bushel per percentage point of extractable starch.
    33. High temperature processing of cereal grains in the manufacture of human foods and pet foods may improve the safety of these products by lowering the concentrations of Fusarium mycotoxins. This information is of value to regulators, such as FDA, and the food industry to help arrive at and set reasonable advisory/action levels for these mycotoxins in grains and grain based foods. The determination of the thermal stability of Fusarium mycotoxins in grain based foods is likewise of value in establishing the degree of hazard associated with mycotoxins in these processed foods.
    34. The USDA-CCC is incorporating these guidelines into a less labor-intensive procedure for inspecting grain warehouses of companies that are willing to adopt quality management systems. FC is planning to use the ISO system for specialty production and marketing of 1% linolenic soybeans, estimated to be 10 million bushels in 2005.
    Last Modified: 16-Oct-2008
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