Quality potential of synthetic-derived commercial wheat cultivars in south-western China

Abstract

Multi-environment trials were conducted to investigate the quality potential of synthetic-derived cultivars (SDCs) and non-synthetic-derived cultivars (NSCs) in south-western China. The environmental effect was greater than genotypic for most protein quantity and quality parameters. The genotype effect was greater for falling number and the parameters from the rapid visco analyser (RVA). In terms of group means, grain protein content, wet gluten content, falling number, and RVA parameters were all significantly lower in SDCs than NSCs. No differences in the parameters reflecting dough strength (Zeleny sedimentation volume and farinograph parameters) were found between the two groups. Significant differences existed within each group, and the degree of variation was especially great in SDCs, among which Chuanmai 104 performed well in various quality parameters. Germination index at physiological maturity varied greatly among cultivars, with the lowest being Chuanmai 104, and the SDCs significantly lower than the NSCs. Although delayed harvest resulted in a significant reduction in falling number, partial SDCs such as Chuanmai 104 and Chuanmai 42 expressed relatively small reductions. In summary, SDCs exhibit a higher degree of variation in quality parameters; these findings indicate their large potential for breeding high-quality cultivars in south-western China.