Effects of protein and starch characteristics on the baking properties of wheat cultivated by different strategies with organic fertilizers and urea

Abstract

Protein and starch characteristics were analysed in white flour from one spring wheat (Kadett) and one winter wheat (Kosack) experiment grown with different levels of organic fertilizers or urea. Fertilization with meat bone meal and liquid manure, respectively, was used to represent organic farming and urea to represent conventional wheat production. The fertilizers were applied as three single doses of 30, 60 and 90 kg N ha−1 or split doses at two different growing stages, i.e. 30 + 30 kg N ha−1. No major differences between fertilizers were noticed. The main differences were found between experiments. Compared with the winter wheat, the spring wheat samples had a higher content of endosperm storage proteins, a lower content of detergent‐soluble proteins and a smaller diameter of large starch granules, and responded to increased N fertilizer applications by a significant increase in protein content and content of endosperm storage proteins. In the winter wheat samples, the starch content increased significantly and there was a tendency towards an increased volume proportion of large starch granules. In both experiments, bread yield was positively correlated to the content of endosperm storage proteins, total N content and proportion of short amylopectin unit chains, and negatively to acetic acid‐soluble proteins and the diameter of large starch granules.