Effects of Waterlogging, High Temperature and Their Interaction after Anthesis on Grain Protein Components and Flour Color in Wheat

Abstract

Waterlogging and high temperature after anthesis are main meteorological disasters to winter wheat growing in the middle and lower Yangtze Valley. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of waterlogging, high temperature, and their interaction on grain yield, protein component content, and flour color of wheat. In a two-year pot experiment from October 2011 to October 2013, wheat cultivars Zhengmai 366 and Zhengmai 004 differing in gluten strength were treated with waterlogging(WL) and/or high temperature(HT) stress from the 5th to 14th day after anthesis. In the 2011–2012 growing season, 1000-grain weights of both cultivars were reduced significantly under WL, HT, and WL+HT stresses, and the reduction percentages were 10%, 23%, and 16% in Zhengmai 366 and 7%, 27%, and 32% in Zhengmai 004, respectively. Similar influence was repeated in the 2012–2013 growing season, but the reduction percentages were smaller. In both cultivars, the contents of grain protein and protein components were decreased under WL stress and increased under HT stress. However, the effect of WL+HT on grain protein varied with cultivars. The contents of protein and its components in Zhengmai 004 significantly increased under WL+HT in both years, whereas, those in Zhengmai 366 had no significant changes in 2011–2012 growing season and had significant reductions in 2012–2013 growing season. The flour color was obviously affected by stresses in both cultivars. Under WL, HT, and WL+HT, the flour L-value decreased by 0.9%, 1.2%, and 1.9% in Zhengmai 366 and by 0.2%, 2.1%, and 1.7% in Zhengmai 004; the a-values increased by 14%, 33%, and 43% in Zhengmai 366 and by 0.3%, 77.0%, and 42.0% in Zhengmai 004; the b-values increased by 4%, 2%, and 11% in Zhengmai 366 and by 4%, 7%, and 8% in Zhengmai 004, respectively. Protein and glutenin contents had a close relationship with the flour whiteness, having the negative effect on flour L-value significantly, and the positive effect on flour a-value and b-value significantly.