Is a Change of Protein Composition after Late Application of Nitrogen Sufficient to Improve the Baking Quality of Winter Wheat?

Azin Rekowski, Monika A. Wimmer, Günter Henkelmann and Christian Zörb
Additional contact information
Azin Rekowski: Institute of Crop Science, Quality of Plant Products (340e), University of Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
Monika A. Wimmer: Institute of Crop Science, Quality of Plant Products (340e), University of Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
Günter Henkelmann: Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft (LfL), 85354 Freising, Germany
Christian Zörb: Institute of Crop Science, Quality of Plant Products (340e), University of Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany

Agriculture, 2019, vol. 9, issue 5, 1-16

Abstract: Concentration and composition of storage proteins affect the baking quality of wheat. Although both are influenced by late nitrogen fertilization, it is not clear whether compositional changes are sufficient to improve the baking quality, and whether such effects are cultivar specific. In a pot experiment, two winter wheat cultivars belonging to different quality classes were supplied with two levels of late N fertilizer. Protein subunits were analysed by SDS-PAGE (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis). Late N supply increased grain yield and protein content in both cultivars, but improved baking quality only in Discus, correlated with stronger changes in glutenin and gliadin fractions. Where baking quality was improved, this occurred at the lower late N level. Overall, the composition rather than the amount of gluten proteins was decisive for flour quality. Measures for enhancing grain protein concentration and composition are less necessary for cultivars such as Rumor in order to achieve optimum baking quality. These results open up an opportunity to reduce N fertilization in wheat production systems.

Keywords: baking quality; gluten; grain protein concentration and composition; late nitrogen fertilization (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: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/9/5/101/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/9/5/101/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:9:y:2019:i:5:p:101-:d:228640

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().