Analyzing a Saturation Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Baking Volume and Grain Protein Concentration in Wheat

Markus Dier (), Alexandra Hüsken, Sabine Mikolajewski, Georg Langenkämper and Christian Zörb
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Markus Dier: Institute of Crop Science, Quality of Plant Products, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 25, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
Alexandra Hüsken: Department of Safety and Quality of Cereals, Max Rubner-Institut, Schützenberg 12, 32756 Detmold, Germany
Sabine Mikolajewski: Department of Laboratory Analytics, Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, Lange Point 4, 85354 Freising, Germany
Georg Langenkämper: Department of Safety and Quality of Cereals, Max Rubner-Institut, Schützenberg 12, 32756 Detmold, Germany
Christian Zörb: Institute of Crop Science, Quality of Plant Products, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 25, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Some wheat cultivars show a linear relationship between grain protein concentration (GPC) and baking volume, but others display a saturation curve. Such a saturation curve could be general, but in some cultivars it might only appear at GPC > 17%. However, such GPC is mostly not achieved in the field. Pot experiments with high nitrogen application reliably result in GPC > 17%. In a pot experiment with a high (N1) and an excessive N level (N2) and four cultivars (Akteur, Arnold, Discus and Hystar), the change in grain protein composition and the relationship between different protein fractions and baking volume at GPC > 17% was investigated. GPC ranged from 17 to 24% and mean nitrogen content per grain from 1.2 to 1.8 mg. The N2 treatment increased GPC and mean nitrogen content per grain in the Akteur and Discus cultivar, but not in Arnold and Hystar. N2 increased concentration of gliadin by 10 to 34% and glutenin macropolymer (GMP) in all cultivars by 12 to 73%. Glutenin concentration was increased by N2 in Akteur and Discus (19 to 36%), but was decreased by N2 in the Arnold and Hystar cultivar. Baking volume was moderately increased by N2 in all cultivars by 6 to 9% and correlated significantly with most glutenin fractions in the Akteur and Discus cultivar, with GMP in Arnold and with HMW-GS to LMW-GS ratio in Hystar. Thus, specific effects on grain protein by N2 were responsible for the increased baking volume in each cultivar. However, as gliadin and its sub-fractions hardly correlated with baking volume, a positive effect of increasing gliadin proteins on baking quality was not obvious.

Keywords: baking volume; nitrogen fertilization; protein composition; protein concentration; Triticum aestivum; wheat grain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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