The cultivar and environmental variations of β-glucan content and β-glucanase activity in grains and malt were investigated in 8 barley cultivars grown at 7 locations. On average, for all cultivars and locations, approximately 80% of β-glucan present in grains was degraded after malting, but there was great variation among both cultivars and locations. β-glucanase activity was much lower but detectable in grains, and it dramatically increased after malting. The cultivar and environmental variations of β-glucan content were much higher in malt than in grains, and malt β-glucan content was more dependent on malt β-glucanase activity than the original level of β-glucan in grains. The correlation analysis of β-glucan content, β-glucanase activity and four malt quality parameters (Kolbach index, diastatic power, viscosity and malt extract) showed that malt-glucan content was highly significantly correlated with all quality parameters, while the association between grain β-glucan content and these quality parameters was relatively weak. Malt β-glucan content was negatively and highly significantly correlated with malt β-glucanase activity, and positively and significantly correlated with grain β-glucan content. It was also found that there was a positive and significant correlation between grain and malt β-glucanase activity.

β-Amylase activities of barley cultivars collected from various areas of China, and as well as from Canada and Australia, were assayed. Meanwhile a multi-location trial was conducted to determine variation of β-amylase activity in eight barley cultivars and the relationship between β-amylase activity and protein content. For 56 cultivars in study, β-amylase activity ranged from 458 to 1024U/g, with a mean of 738U/g. There was significant variation in both β-amylase activity and protein content for eight barley cultivars grown in four locations. No significant correlation was found betweenβ-amylase activity and protein content surveyed in 56 cultivars.

β-glucan content of barley cultivars collected from various areas of China, as well as from Canada and Australia, were assayed by an enzymatic method. Meanwhile a multi-location trial was conducted to determine β-glucan content of eight barley cultivars in each location. For 164 cultivars, originating from China, β-glucan content ranged from 2.98% for Sumei 21 to 8.62% for QB25, with a mean of 4.58%. Tibet barleys, all of the hull-less type, had the highest β-glucan content. Winter barley cultivars from various areas of China had basically the same β-glucan content as those from Canada and Australia. The seeds produced in Hangzhou had lower b-glucan contents than those produced locally. The effects of cultivars, environments (locations) and their interactions on bglucan content variation was all highly significant, with the cultivars having the largest effect. The highly significant interaction between cultivars and environment suggests that it is important to plant the appropriate cultivar in a particular area in order to obtain barley seeds with reasonable β-glucan contents.

A solution culture experiment was conducted on five wheat cultivars and nine nutrient levels of cadmium (Cd) to determine the genotypic differences on biomass production, yield and yield components of wheat. Addition of 1mg1-1 of Cd significantly reduced root and stem dry weight as well as tillers weight. The reduction rates were different among wheat genotypes. Number of grains per ear and single grain weight, was not reduced consistently in five genotypes because of he compensation among yield components. The accumulation of Cd in roots was 20 times higher than shoots and about 200 times higher than grains. A significant difference among genotypes existed in response of Cd concentration in various plant parts to Cd addition. The effect of Cd addition on nutrient concentrations in plants varied among elements, plant parts and genotypes. Cd treatment caused more P, K and Mn accumulation in roots, probably due to the inhibition of their translocation to plant shoots.

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of cultivar and grain position on rice quality under different water management treatments. Water treatments significantly affected all quality traits in the study, except alkali digestibility (AD). There were significant interactions of water treatment by grain position and genotype for brown rice rate (BRR), chalky grain rate (CGR) and amylose content (AC), and interactions of grain position by water treatment and cultivar for head milled ricerate (HMRR). The interaction of water treatment by genotype for protein content (PC) was also significant. Of all variance components, water treatment ranked the highest for PC. Similarly grain position was ranked the highest for AC, BRR, CGR and HMRR. In comparison with wet cultivation, plastic-film mulched cultivation had significantly lower BRR, HMRR, CGR and higher PC. There were marked differences in milled quality, appearance and AD among differently positioned grains within a spike. For appearance and PC, the difference between plastic-film mulched cultivation and wet cultivation was greater for upland rice than paddy rice. For milled and cooking-eating quality, the difference between plastic-film mulched cultivation and wet cultivation was greater for the good quality paddy rice than the upland rice and the poor quality paddy rice. In plastic-film mulched cultivation, top grains showed lower milled quality and PC. While in wet cultivation, the opposite result was seen. With the decrease in soil water content, BRR and appearance showed increased and decreased differences among grains within a spike, respectively. The results indicate the possibility of improving rice quality by use of better water management and suitable cultivars. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.