Split Nitrogen Application Improves Wheat Baking Quality by Influencing Protein Composition Rather Than Concentration.

Cheng Xue,Ramona Schuster,Karl-Hermann Mühling,Peter Koehler,Anne Rossmann,Gunda Schulte Auf’M Erley

doi:10.3389/fpls.2016.00738

Abstract

The use of late nitrogen (N) fertilization (N application at late growth stages of wheat, e.g., booting, heading or anthesis) to improve baking quality of wheat has been questioned. Although it increases protein concentration, the beneficial effect on baking quality (bread loaf volume) needs to be clearly understood. Two pot experiments were conducted aiming to evaluate whether late N is effective under controlled conditions and if these effects result from increased N rate or N splitting. Late N fertilizers were applied either as additional N or split from the basal N at late boot stage or heading in the form of nitrate-N or urea. Results showed that late N fertilization improved loaf volume of wheat flour by increasing grain protein concentration and altering its composition. Increasing N rate mainly enhanced grain protein quantitatively. However, N splitting changed grain protein composition by enhancing the percentages of gliadins and glutenins as well as certain high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS), which led to an improved baking quality of wheat flour. The late N effects were greater when applied as nitrate-N than urea. The proportions of glutenin and x-type HMW-GS were more important than the overall protein concentration in determining baking quality. N splitting is more effective in improving wheat quality than the increase in the N rate by late N, which offers the potential to cut down N fertilization rates in wheat production systems.

Highlights

Wheat, one of the main food crops, is unique for the viscoelastic properties of its dough which could be processed mainly into bread for hard wheat
The main objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the effect of late N fertilization on the quantity and composition of gluten proteins and baking quality, (ii) to distinguish whether this effect resulted from higher N rate or split N application, (iii) to determine how different N forms affect the protein and baking quality when applied as late N, (iv) to determine how cultivars belonging to different quality groups respond to late N fertilization, (v) to check if protein concentration is a reliable parameter in evaluating baking quality under such conditions
N harvest index was mainly enhanced by late nitrate fertilization, except that there was no effect on Tobak in the second experiment, and was increased with higher N rate on JB Asano in the second experiment (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

One of the main food crops, is unique for the viscoelastic properties of its dough which could be processed mainly into bread for hard wheat. Gluten proteins, consisting of gliadins and glutenins, play an important role in the bread-making quality of wheat flour as gliadins mainly contribute to dough viscosity and extensibility, while glutenins to dough strength and elasticity (Wieser, 2007). Wheat bread-making quality is highly affected by both genetic and environmental factors. Numerous studies demonstrated that wheat bread-making quality was improved with higher N fertilization rate mainly through the increase in grain protein concentration, as well as gliadin to glutenin and high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) to low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS) ratios (Jia et al, 1996; Wieser and Seilmeier, 1998; Garrido-Lestache et al, 2004; Fuertes-Mendizábal et al, 2010; Zörb et al, 2010)

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Conclusion