Improving cereal protein yields for high latitude conditions

Abstract

Europe is highly dependent on imported crop-based feed protein. This is also the case for Finland, the northernmost European agricultural region, where recent strategies are directed towards increased national protein production capacity. The main aim of this study was to characterise the genotypic and environmentally induced associations between grain yield and grain protein concentration and to identify the existence of genotypic differences in protein yields and thereby establish a means to enhance protein yields per hectare in the short term by using advanced breeding material. This study was based on large datasets for spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), oat (Avena sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): MTT Official Variety Trials for 1970–2009 and Boreal Plant Breeding Ltd. trials for 1991–2009. In general, grain yield was associated negatively with grain protein concentration in all spring cereals. Nevertheless, some superior lines combined high grain protein concentration with relatively high grain yield. Spring cereals consequently have potential for markedly increasing protein yield production capacity per hectare. Advanced breeding lines exhibited larger variation than commercial cultivars for yield and protein yield. The protein yield of the most advanced cereal lines well exceeded that of rapeseed and gained on that of modern pea cultivars, which indicates that the role of cereals in national crop based protein production capacity should not be underestimated.