White Wheat Cultivars Research Articles

Factorial cross analysis of pre-harvest sprouting resistance in white wheat

The lack of understanding of the genetics of sprouting resistance as well as the lack of white wheat germplasm with sprouting resistance is impeding the development and production of white wheat cultivars. Two sets of factorial crosses were made with 15 white wheat genotypes possessing different origins and different levels of sprouting resistance. These crosses were statistically analyzed to characterize the inheritance of sprouting resistance by assessing sprouting percentage in ears. In experiment I (5 × 10), it was shown that the general combining ability (GCA) effects of resistant (male) and susceptible (female) parents, and specific combining ability (SCA) effects were highly significant based on both single-year analysis and 2-year combined analysis. There was a significant genotype-year interaction, and the performance of F 1 hybrids was more vulnerable to environments than that of the parents. Hybrids have a greater risk of suffering from the sprouting damage than the pure lines. In experiment II (4 × 4), both GCA and SCA effects were significant for F 2s. Cultivars FLXXM, WXBMZ, SNTTM, ZTNEM and Fengchan 3 had higher sprouting resistance and are thus good donors in white wheat breeding programs for sprouting resistance.

Characterization of the end-use Quality of Soft Wheat Cultivars from the Eastern and Western US Germplasm ‘Pools’

AbstractSoft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) improvement could be enhanced by the identification of germplasm with superior end-use quality traits. Due to the geographic and historical separation of eastern and western US soft wheat germplasm ‘pools’, genetic differences in end-use quality may exist among cultivars arising from these two pools. To identify such differences, 30 US soft wheat cultivars were evaluated in ‘head-to-head’ trials over 3 years in Washington state. Cultivars were classified as: eastern soft red winter (SRW), eastern soft white winter (ESWW), western soft white (WSWW) and western Club. These four soft wheat cultivar classifications clearly differed systematically for some of the quality traits examined. The Club wheat cultivar group had the highest flour yield and flour ash. The Club group also had the lowest mixograph dough water absorption. Milling score (which incorporates break flour yield) was highest for Club and ESWW. Eastern soft red and white wheat cultivar groups had lower flour ash and alkaline water retention capacity (AWRC) compared to the western Club and soft white wheats; ESWW had the lowest AWRC of any classification. Cookie diameter was greatest for the ESWW group, followed by the SRW and Club groups (which were not significantly different), and then by the WSWW group. Individual cultivars with exceptional quality traits were also identified. These results indicate that the four US soft wheat germplasm pools differ, and they may be valuable genetic resources for ‘inter-pool’ wheat improvement.

Natural Fluorescence of Red and White Wheat Kernels

ABSTRACTRed and white wheats must be segregated for marketing purposes because they have different end uses. Identification of wheat color is not straightforward, and currently there is interest in characterizing red and white wheats using spectroscopic methods and chemical tests. The kernels of both red and white wheats exhibit natural fluorescence that can be readily viewed under UV light, although it is not possible to differentiate the fluorescence spectra of red and white wheats by visual inspection only. Fluorescence emission spectra in the wavelength range of 370–670 nm for 91 wheat samples consisting of 48 red (from 30 cultivars) and 43 white (from 18 cultivars) were analyzed by partial least squares (PLS) and neural networks analyses (NNA). Samples included cultivars that were difficult to classify visually as well as wheat harvested after rainfall. Classification accuracies were ≈85% for calibration and ≈72% for the validation samples by both analyses. A plot of β‐coefficient vs. wavelength in PLS analysis indicated that fluorescence of red wheat cultivars was greater than that for white wheat cultivars at 425 (±20) nm wavelength. Fluorescence of white wheat cultivars was greater than that for red cultivars at 587 (±35) nm. Fluorescence emission at ≈450 nm from wheat samples increased in intensity after treatment with NaOH. The increase was greater for red than for white wheat. Wheat harvested after rainfall also exhibited a slight increase in fluorescence.

High‐Speed NIR Segregation of High‐ and Low‐Protein Single Wheat Seeds

ABSTRACTWheat breeders need a nondestructive method to rapidly sort high‐ or low‐protein single kernels from samples for their breeding programs. For this reason, a commercial color sorter equipped with near‐infrared filters was evaluated for its potential to sort high‐ and low‐protein single wheat kernels. Hard red winter and hard white wheat cultivars with protein content >12.5% (classed as high‐protein, 12% moisture basis) or < 11.5% (classed as low‐protein) were blended in proportions of 50:50 and 95:5 (or 5:95) mass. These wheat blends were sorted using five passes that removed 10% of the mass for each pass. The bulk protein content of accepted kernels (accepts) and rejected kernels (rejects) were measured for each pass. For 50:50 blends, the protein in the first‐pass rejects changed as much as 1%. For the accepts, each pass changed the protein content of accepts by ≈0.1%, depending on wheat blends. At most, two re‐sorts of accepts would be required to move 95:5 blends in the direction of the dominant protein content. The 95:5 and 50:50 blends approximate the low‐ and high‐protein mixture range of early generation wheat populations, and thus the sorter has potential to aid breeders in purifying samples for developing high‐ or low‐protein wheat. Results indicate that sorting was partly driven by color and vitreousness differences between high‐ and low‐protein fractions. Development of a new background specific for high‐ or low‐protein and fabrication of better optical filters for protein might help improve the sorter performance.

Physicochemical Properties of Bread Baked from Flour Blended with Immature Wheat Meal Rich in Fructooligosaccharides

ABSTRACT: Grain of the soft white wheat cultivar Harus was harvested weekly from anthesis to maturity and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) contents were determined by reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography. Tests were carried out to determine the effect of adding immature wheat meal to a base flour of cultivar Russ (hard red spring) on the quality characteristics of bread. FOS content was also analyzed in baked bread, and the effect of transglutaminase in improving bread quality was examined. Marked decreases in FOS contents, such as 1‐kestose and nystose, were observed with grain maturation. The overall quality of bread appeared to be acceptable, and the added FOS were retained after baking.

Phytase activity in extracts of flour and bran from wheat cultivars: enhanced extractability with β-glucanase and endo-xylanase

Phytase (EC 3.1.3.8) hydrolyzes phytic acid to myo-inositol and inorganic phosphate through intermediate myo-inositol phosphates. Microbial phytase has been employed to minimize the negative effects of phytic acid in cereal-based feeds, however, other sources such as wheat, would be natural alternatives. Investigations were therefore carried out to determine the levels of phytase activity in various cultivars and how the extraction of the enzyme may be enhanced using buffers fortified with glycanases. We screened 23 cultivars and the results showed that bran from hard white wheat cultivars had relatively lower levels of activity, ranging from about 1.5 to about 2.5 FTU/g bran, whereas hard red wheat cultivars had much higher levels, ranging from approximately 2 to 5.5 FTU/g bran. These levels were greatly enhanced, up to 5-fold, when extraction buffer contained a commercial preparation consisting of β-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.6) and endo-xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8) (Natugrain) (opt 1%) from BASF. The effect of glycanases was concentration and cultivar dependent, but not significantly influenced by temperature exposure of mixtures of samples with extraction buffers prior to extraction. Relative increases were more substantial in hard white than in hard red wheat cultivars. The additional value of supplementing grain-based diets with glycanases for monogastric animals is discussed.

W98616, a white-seeded spring wheat with increased preharvest sprouting

White-seeded spring wheat germplasm line W98616 was selected for improved levels of preharvest sprouting resistance. W98616 has levels of seed dormancy comparable to Columbus, a red-seeded sprouting-resistant cultivar. W98616 has similar test weight, kernel weight, maturity, plant height, grain protein, and kernel hardness, but is lower yielding and 2 d later heading relative to BW264, a hard white wheat cultivar. Key words: Triticum aestivum L., germplasm, white spring wheat, preharvest sprouting resistance

High-molecular-weight glutenin subunit composition of Pakistani hard white spring wheats grown at three locations for 2 years and its relationship with end-use quality characteristics

Eleven Pakistani hard white spring wheat cultivars, along with one durum wheat and two hard white American-grown wheat cultivars, were evaluated for their high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunit composition via sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The relationships among different quality characteristics and between these characteristics and HMW glutenin subunits were computed. Three to six HMW glutenin subunits were observed in Pakistani bread wheat cultivars. The presence of HMW glutenin subunits was not affected by growth locations or crop years. However, variations in intensities were observed. Correlations were noticed between certain HMW glutenin subunits and some quality attributes, such as protein, farinograph dough development time, farinograph water absorption, loaf volume and mixograph peak height. The presence of HMW glutenin subunit 20 in the older wheat cultivars C591 and C273, known for excellent chapati quality, indicated a possible relationship between this band and chapati quality. This observation will need to be confirmed by testing a larger number of wheat samples known to have characteristics for both good and poor chapati quality. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry

Relationship between Baking and Noodle Quality in Hard White Spring Wheat

There is growing interest in the use of hard white wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for both the production of oriental noodles and making bread. It would be desirable if new hard white wheat cultivars produced flour suitable for both purposes. Our objective was to address the feasibility of developing such dual purpose white wheats. We tested several hard white spring wheat lines grown in three locations in Montana for quality characteristics associated with both end‐use products. The hard white spring wheat lines had bread‐making quality similar to that observed for high quality hard red spring wheat check cultivars. The hard white spring wheat flours differed from Australian Standard White by producing significantly harder noodles that were not as bright, particularly after 24 h of noodle storage. Significant variation existed among the hard white lines for noodle color, suggesting selection during breeding might improve color characteristics. However, superior noodle color was correlated with low protein in two environments and with poor loaf volume in one environment. The challenge facing breeders in the development of dual purpose hard white spring wheats will be to improve noodle characteristics while maintaining good bread‐making qualities.

Allelic variation at the storage protein loci of 55 US‐grown white wheats

AbstractFifty soft white and hard white wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.), and five club wheat cultivars (T. compactum L.) were partially characterized in terms of their storage protein compositions, i.e. gliadins, and high molecular weight and low molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW‐GS and LMW‐GS, respectively). At the Glu‐1 loci, HMW‐GS composition 1,7 + 9,2+ 12 was found to be predominant, being expressed in 11 cultivars out of 55. The most common alleles at the loci coding for gliadins and LMW‐GS were found to be Gli‐A1/Glu‐A3a (43.6%), Gli‐B1/Glu‐B3b (36.4%), Gli‐D1a/Glu‐D3a (38.1%) and Gli‐Dli/Glu‐D3a (21.8%). Two‐dimensional fractionation (acid‐poly‐acrylamide gel electrophoresis (A‐PAGE) × sodium dodecyl sulphate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE)) of reduced and alkylated glutenins revealed that the number and the relative mobility of LMW‐GS polypeptides were different from those reported for the corresponding Glu‐3 alleles of hard‐bread wheat cultivars. This result could account for the different technological properties of soft white wheats compared with hard‐bread wheat cultivars, owing to the major impact of LMW‐GS on dough quality.

Influence of protein segregation on the quality characteristics of Biggar and Genesis Canada Prairie Spring Wheat

The influence of protein segregation on the quality characteristics of Biggar, a Canada Prairie Spring Red wheat cultivar, and Genesis, a Canada Prairie Spring White wheat cultivar has been evaluated using 1989, 1990 and 1991 harvest survey samples. Protein segregation had a strong influence on most physical parameters and processing characteristics all three years. However, the slopes of the regression equations of protein content to values for each quality test exhibited heterogeneity between years. For both wheat cultivars, test weight and kernel weight gave consistently high negative correlations to protein content, indicative of less kernel plumpness at high protein content. The resulting lower endosperm content of the higher protein segregates was reflected by higher wheat ash content, and lower flour yield in 2 of the 3 yr. The milling performance of the higher protein segregates was further diminished by consistently high positive correlations of flour grade color to protein content, indicative of diminishing flour brightness. Flour ash content was not related to protein content for either cultivar, indicating that endosperm ash content was not related to protein content. Flour starch damage, which is directly related to kernel hardness, decreased in response to protein content for both cultivars, with the effect being more pronounced for Genesis. Farinograph dough development time, stability and water absorption increased with increasing protein content. Baking water absorption and loaf volume snowed highly significant positive correlations with protein content. However, baking strength index, a measure of loaf volume on a constant protein basis, decreased with increasing protein content for both cultivars in 2 of the 3 yr. These data demonstrate that marketing Canada Prairie Spring wheat at specified protein levels would facilitate specific customer requirements by optimizing particular quality attributes and improving uniformity between commercial shipments. Key words: Wheat, milling, baking, protein, wheat quality

Vernalization of Wheat Cultivars and a Triticale

Adaptation of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars to southeastern U.S. environments could be improved if their vernalization responses were better defined. Vernalization responses of several cultivars of wheat and a triticale were assessed in 1985 and 1986 in Gainesville, FL (29 ° 38′N lat.) using varying durations of natural winter (NW) cold exposure of potted plants and refrigerator (RF) exposure of germinating seeds. Five soft red winter wheat cultivars, Florida 301, Florida 302, Hunter, Coker 983, and Caldwell; a soft white spring wheat cultivar, Owens; a hard white wheat cultivar, Phoenix; and triticale (✕ Triticosecale Whittmack) cultivar Beagle 82 were investigated. Following cold exposures, all potted plants or vernalized, potted seeds were placed in a warm greenhouse at 18‐h day length. Three types of vernalization responses were observed: (i) cold obligate (qualitative) requiring 6 to 8 wk of cold for heading and including Caldwell and Coker 983, winter‐hardy types; (ii) cold stimulated (quantitative) heading earlier than the control with 2 to 4 wk of cold exposure and included Florida 302, Hunter, and Phoenix, mild‐winter types; and (iii) cold neutral, not stimulated by cold exposure and included Owens, Beagle 82, and Florida 301, spring types. Heading of the cold‐neutral cultivars was in the order Owens, Beagle 82, and Florida 301 and was delayed by increasing exposure to cold. Both NW and RF treatments were effective vernalization methods. While RF (constant 6 °C) required about four times the cold units, the duration of cold exposure required was similar for both methods. We conclude that fall‐sown cultivars grown in the lower USA vary in vernalization response (ranging from cold obligate to cold neutral). Knowledge of this variation enhances opportunity for selection of cultivars to fit the narrow window of wheat adaptation in the southern USA.

ANNETTE WHEAT

Annette is a soft, white winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar highly to very resistant to 11 tester isolates of Erysiphe graminis f. sp. tritici with seven virulence genes. In its area of adaptation, southwestern Ontario with more than 2700 CHU, it has yield similar to that of the highest yielding recommended cultivars.Key words: Cultivar description, powdery mildew, wheat (winter), Triticum aestivum L.

Assessing the Sulfur Status of Field‐Grown Wheat by Plant Analysis1

AbstractDiagnostic methods developed under laboratory or greenhouse conditions require field confirmation. This paper reports the relative field performance of four indexes for the diagnosis of S deficiency in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) which were previously assessed in the greenhouse. Sulfate S (as percent total S), sulfate S concentration (as ppm dry matter), total S concentration (as ppm dry matter), and total N: total S ratio in the aboveground parts of a soft white wheat cultivar, ‘Olympic’, were compared as diagnostic indexes in a factorial experiment with five rates of gypsum (0 to 50 kg S/ha) and three rates of ammonium nitrate (0 to 100 kg N/ha). A strong relationship was found between final grain yield and each index at the following stages of growth; fourth leaf (61 days from sowing), fully‐tillered (92 days), and jointing (134 days). However, as the critical value for sulfate S (as percent total S) was least affected by the age of the plant or N supply, it is considered to be the most convenient index. The overall relationship between yield and sulfate S (as percent total S) was strong (r = 0.88) and the critical value at 90% of maximum yield was 13%. This compares with r values of 0.87, 0.96, and 0.91 and critical values of 14, 12, and 11% for the plant tissue at the individual growth stages examined. Where the adequacy of the S supply to a wheat crop is in question, the proportion of total S as sulfate S in the plants is indicated as a useful guide to the need for S fertilizer in securing optimal grain yield.