Location: Corn, Soybean and Wheat Quality Research
Project Number: 5082-43440-002-004-T
Project Type: Trust Fund Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2018
End Date: Sep 30, 2023
Objective:
1. Establish classifications of eastern soft winter (ESW) wheat varieties based on protein characteristics
2. Catalog the high molecular weight glutenin subunit (HMW-GS) and rye translocation profiles of current ESW wheat varieties, and identify their associations with gluten strength
Approach:
Establish the classifications of eastern soft wheat (ESW) varieties according to protein quantity and protein strength to serve as a resource for breeders, growers and millers. Varieties will be classified as optimal for specific end-products; this classification will provide a marketable reference for breeders and growers to select wheats suitable for cookies and cakes or for crackers. Millers could use our defined parameters to achieve blended flours ideal for their specific products. We also intend to determine the HMW-GS profiles, as well as the presence/absence of the 1B/1R translocation, of the currently grown ESW wheat varieties and identify their associations with gluten strength.
Process:
1. ESW wheat varieties (more than 500) grown in the State Variety Performance Testing Nurseries in 2017 will be collected, cleaned and analyzed for test weight, kernel hardness, size, weight, and grain protein content.
2. Grain will be milled using a modified mill for the determination of flour yield and softness equivalence.
3. Wheat flour will be measured for protein, lactic acid, water and sodium carbonate solvent retention capacities (SRCs). Gluten protein strength will be further estimated using the SDS sedimentation volume test (Objective 1). The selected varieties (~50), those carrying various HMW-GS and rye translocation profiles, will be also tested for dough mixing properties using a mixograph.
4. ESW wheat varieties (149) grown in ARS nursery in Wooster, Ohio, in 2017 will be analyzed to determine their HMW-GS profiles and the presence/absence of the 1B/1R translocation. Both genotyping employing the established markers and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) will be used to identify HMW-GSs; genotyping will also be used to determine the presence of the 1B/1R rye translocation in each variety (Objective 2).
5. Protein strength classifications of ESW wheat varieties will be established using the protein content, lactic acid SRC value and SDS sedimentation volume of wheat grain produced by the State Variety Performance Testing Nurseries.
6. SRW wheat varieties will be grouped based on their HMW-GS profiles and the presence/absence of the 1B/IR translocation. Each group will be examined for associations with lactic acid SRC, SDS sedimentation volume and dough mixing properties, as well as other flour quality characteristics.
