Protein quality is a major factor determining the type of products that can be made from wheat flour.  Proper dough formation is generally attributed to the quantity and quality of the gluten protein present and it is the component that is most directly related to the breadmaking properties of wheat.  Recent gluten research has focused on the significance of long-chain protein structures called "polymeric proteins."  Two types - those that are soluble in water and those that are not - exist in wheat flour and a number of studies have confirmed that the insoluble polymeric proteins are directly related to dough strength.  One hundred hard winter wheat flours from wheat harvested at two federal regional performance nurseries were analyzed for quality using standard baking and milling tests.  Selected flours were also analyzed for the soluble and insoluble polymeric protein content.  Using near-infrared reflectance spectral data, the levels of insoluble polymeric proteins could be predicted with an accuracy sufficiently high (r^2 = 0.83) that the NIR can now be used as an alternative tool for providing rapid protein quality measurements on wheat flour.  Results may be especially beneficial to wheat breeders in the development of new varieties.  (Bradford Seabourn, telephone:  785-776-2751; email:  bradford.seabourn@gmprc.ksu.edu)

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