Identifying
Ideal Combinations of Physicochemical
Traits for Dual-Purpose Hard White Wheat
Principal Investigator |
Dr. Kimberlee K. Kidwell |
Completion Date |
December 31, 2006 |
Mission |
Help PNW farmers compete in the growing hard white wheat market by developing a new breed of wheat that has strong bread and noodle making properties. |
Problem Addressed
The industry regards hard white wheat as the wheat market class of the future in the Pacific Northwest. The development of dual-purpose HWW, which is desirable for both noodles and bread production, is essential to establishing market demand for hard white grain.
Developing dual-purpose varieties suitable for both noodle and bread production is essential to creating a viable hard white wheat market. To develop breeding strategies for selecting dual purpose types among experimental breeding lines, the ideal combination of protein quality, protein content, and starch type for a dual-purpose HWW must be determined. Specific protein quality requirements for bread baking are well established; however, the ideal starch type and protein content to combine with this protein quality to make HWW desirable for noodle production is not clear.
Goal
Results will give breeders, quality specialists, and end-users clear indications of the ideal type of HWW to produce in the PNW. While the U.S. wheat marketing system is unable to segregate wheat based on quality, wheat can be segregated based on grain protein content, creating the possibility of identifying grain lots suitable for specific markets based on protein content level. This study will provide insights into the potential for providing customers with HWW that suits their specific quality needs by creating grain lots with the ideal combination of starch type, protein content, and protein quality for their targeted end product.
Implications
In 2001, hard wheat accounted for 67.2 million dollars in export value, representing 15.2 percent of the export value of Washington wheat. Interest by wheat buyers in replacing HRW with HWW is steadily increasing with a current demand in the marketplace for 14 million metric tons of high quality HWW. These potential markets have the potential to account for 30 percent or more of the $500 million annual wheat market in Washington State.
Procedures
In spring 2003, head rows of Otis, a hard white variety thought to be a mixture of normal and partial waxy starch types were planted in Moses Lake, WA for seed increase. Two hundred head rows were randomly selected for harvest, and flour milled from resulting grain was analyzed for flour swelling volume (FSV) and starch peak viscosity. Resulting FSVs were normally distributed indicating that Otis may not be a mixture of normal and partial waxy starch types.
In cooperation with Dr. Kerry Huber, Otis will be compared with three other hard white spring varieties: Idaho 377s, Macon and Blanca Grande. Grain samples will be analyzed for flour swelling volume, starch peak viscosity, and end-use quality including starch characteristics, protein quality, bread-baking quality, and performance in the production of yellow alkaline and white salted noodles. Analysis will be used to determine if one combination of starch type and protein quality offers superior utility when utilized at different protein levels or if different combinations of physiochemical traits are required to meet the product quality demands for dual-purpose HWW wheat.
Techniques and Technologies Developed
Diagnostic information concerning the relationship between starch composition and quality of hard white wheat products should be available by January 2006.
Publications/Journal Articles From Project
Publications in refereed journal articles, as well as paper presentations at professional meetings of economists will be pursued.