Pre-harvest sprouting in cereals: Global incidence, impacts and mitigation strategies

作者：Rui Yang, Matthew Tom Harrison, Yinmiao Yang, Chunhu Wang, Sergey Shabala, Mingxia Huang, Chenchen Zhao, Meixue Zhou, Chengming Sun, Ke Liu · 发表于：Field Crops Research · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110111 · 被引用次数：9 · 研究领域：Seed Germination and Physiology、Crop Yield and Soil Fertility、Rice Cultivation and Yield Improvement

Context Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is a pervasive threat to cereal production, adversely affecting yield, grain quality, and economic return. While numerous studies have investigated PHS in specific crops or regions, a comprehensive synthesis of the climatic drivers, crop-specific susceptibilities, and mitigation strategies across cereals remains lacking, especially under the context of intensifying weather extremes due to climate change. Objective This study aimed to: (1) identify key meteorological conditions associated with PHS events in cereal crops; (2) assess the impacts of PHS on grain quality and yield across major cereals; and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of genetic, agronomic, and chemical interventions to mitigate PHS incidence. Methods We conducted a global meta-analysis to quantify effect sizes of PHS incidence, quality degradation, and mitigation outcomes using data from 101 peer-reviewed articles and 65 media reports, covering five major cereals (rice, wheat, barley, sorghum, and maize). Results and conclusions PHS risk was strongly associated with 2–6 consecutive days of moderate rainfall (3–29 mm/day) and crop-specific temperature thresholds. Rice and sorghum were more vulnerable under warm, humid conditions, while wheat and barley exhibited greater susceptibility in cooler environments. PHS significantly degraded grain quality: in rice, polished grain rate declined by 22.5 % and chalkiness increased by 53.8 %; in wheat, falling number dropped by 71.8 % an...