Sorghum is the fifth cereal most produced in the world after wheat, rice, maize, and barley. In some regions, this crop is replacing maize, due to its high yield, resistance to drought and heat. There are several varieties of sorghum, whose coloration varies from cream, lemon-yellow, red, and even black. Pigmented sorghum grain is a rich source of antioxidants like polyphenols, mainly tannins, which have multiple benefits on human health such as, antiproliferative properties associated with the prevention of certain cancers, antioxidant activities related to the prevention of associated diseases to oxidative stress, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, it also improves glucose metabolism. Despite having these types of compounds, it is not possible to assimilate them, their use in the food industry has been limited, since sorghum is considered a food of low nutritional value, due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors such as strong tannins which form complexes with proteins and iron, thus reducing their digestibility. Based on these restrictions that this product has had as food for humans, the analysis of this review emphasizes the valorization of sorghum as a source of bioactive substances and the importance they confer on human health because of the biological potential it has.

Sorghum contains antioxidants such as tannins. However, these are considered antinutritional factors since they are responsible for the low digestibility of proteins and carbohydrates. Nevertheless, these can be extracted by solid-state fermentation (SSF). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of SSF from Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger Aa210 on the tannin contents, phenolic profiles determined by HPLC-MS, and antioxidant activities (ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP) of two genotypes of sorghum. The results showed that with SSF by A. niger Aa210, a higher tannin content was obtained, with yields of 70–84% in hydrolyzable tannins (HT) and 33–49% in condensed tannins (CT), while with SSF by A. oryzae the content of HT decreased by 2–3% and that of CT decreased by 6–23%. The extracts fermented by A. niger at 72 and 84 h exhibited a higher antioxidant activity. In the extracts, 21 polyphenols were identified, such as procyanidins, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, scutellarein, arbutin, and eriodictyol, among others. Therefore, SSF by A. niger was an efficient process for the release of phenolic compounds that can be used as antioxidants in different food products. It is also possible to improve the bioavailability of nutrients in sorghum through SSF. However, more studies are required.

El cambio climático ha reducido la incidencia de bajas temperaturas durante el invierno en las regiones productoras de trigo, lo que ha provocado alteraciones en la fenología y productividad del cultivo. Con el fin de evaluar este fenómeno, se cuantificó la acumulación de horas frío y se determinó el efecto sobre el rendimiento de la biomasa foliar de siete genotipos de trigos harineros. El estudio se llevó a cabo en el ejido Navidad, municipio de Galeana, Nuevo León, durante el ciclo otoño invierno 2024-2025. Se evaluaron cuatro fechas de siembra bajo un diseño experimental de bloques completos al azar con arreglo en parcelas divididas con tres repeticiones. Los resultados mostraron que la mayor acumulación de horas frío (715.61 HF) se obtuvo con la siembra del 20 de diciembre 2024. Esta fecha favoreció un periodo vegetativo de hasta 116 días desde la emergencia hasta floración y mayor producción de biomasa con 11.17 t ha⁻¹. La correlación entre horas frío y biomasa fue positiva con r = 0.64. Este estudio demostró que la cantidad de horas frío acumuladas tiene un efecto significativo sobre el desarrollo vegetativo y rendimiento de biomasa en trigos harineros.

El trigo es un cereal importante para la alimentación humana, debido a su aporte proteico y calórico; sin embargo, la producción para el 2050 se verá comprometida por los efectos del cambio climático donde serán cada vez más frecuentes los periodos de sequía que afectarán los cultivos tanto de temporal como de riego. Con base a esta problemática, surge la necesidad de desarrollar cultivos tolerantes al estrés hídrico, por lo cual diversos estudios consideran la estimación de índices de sequía como herramientas para seleccionar genotipos tolerantes al déficit hídrico. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar seis índices de sequía en 15 genotipos de trigo cristalino bajo dos láminas de riego en dos localidades de Coahuila y Nuevo León, durante el ciclo agrícola O-I 2023-2024. Los tratamientos que se evaluaron fueron dos láminas de riego para cada localidad, RG1 de 37.27 cm y RG2 de 20.92 cm para Zaragoza, Coahuila y RG1 de 42.24 cm y RG2 de 19.35 cm para Navidad, Nuevo León. El diseño experimental fue de bloques completos al azar con arreglo en parcelas divididas con dos repeticiones. El índice de tolerancia al estrés hídrico (STI) fue el que mejor se relacionó con el rendimiento de grano en condiciones de déficit hídrico para Zaragoza, Coahuila. El índice de tolerancia (TOL) fue el que mejor se asoció con el rendimiento de grano bajo condiciones de estrés hídrico para Navidad, Nuevo León. Los genotipos 715 y 738 fueron los más tolerantes al estrés hídrico en ambas localidades.

Objective: To evaluate genetic progress in grain yield and associated agronomic traits in forage triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack) cultivars developed by the Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro (UAAAN) between 1992 and 2022. Design/Methodology/Approach: Seven winter-habit cultivars, classified as older, intermediate, and modern, were evaluated at 19 locations in northern Mexico (2019-2023) for grain yield (GY) and at three locations (2023-2024) for yield components (YC). A randomized complete block design with three replications was used. Analysis of variance and linear regression were performed to estimate absolute and relative genetic gains. Results: Significant differences were detected between release periods for GY and YC. Modern cultivars obtained the highest average (6.105 t ha-1), with absolute genetic gains of 70 kg ha-1 year-1 and relative gains of 2.1% year-1. A sustained increase in grains m-2 and a reduction in plant height without affecting biomass production were observed. Limitations on study/Implications: The study focused solely on UAAAN winter cultivars under conditions in northern Mexico. Extrapolation to other programs should be done with caution. Findings/Conclusions: The UAAAN breeding program has achieved significant genetic advances in forage triticale, combining increases in GY and YC with height reduction. The results provided key information for strengthening the institutional program, with a focus on GY and productive stability, while maintaining forage potential and adapting to current systems.

Wheat (Triticum spp.) is a staple crop in the human diet and is among the most widely consumed cereals worldwide. Grain quality, particularly its protein content, is a key attribute for both human nutrition and food security. However, the physiological problem known as yellow berry (YB) has a significant limitation, as it has been associated with reduced protein concentration and increased starch content in the grain. This disorder affects both bread wheat and durum wheat and has been primarily linked to nitrogen deficiencies in the soil. Affected grains exhibit a floury, opaque endosperm with a chalky appearance, accompanied by a heterogeneous protein matrix. To mitigate the effects of YB, genetic improvement strategies are necessary, although studies on this subject are scarce. Furthermore, optimizing management practices, such as nitrogen fertilization, is essential to balance crop yield with grain quality, thus ensuring the economic viability and environmental sustainability of wheat production. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the importance of wheat grain quality in the food industry, with an emphasis on YB disease. It also addresses YB causes, genetics, and some breeding approaches to improve grain protein stability, as well as the identification of value-added applications by this disorder.