Location: Corn, Soybean and Wheat Quality Research
Project Number: 5082-30600-001-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Jun 1, 2025
End Date: May 31, 2030
Objective:
Objective 1: Identify and catalog the physical and biochemical characteristics of eastern U.S. soft wheat (ESW) for improved end-use quality.
Sub-objective 1.A: Determine the associations of ESW grain and flour characteristics with batter rheological properties and batter-coated and fried product quality.
Subobjective 1.B: Determine the influence of starch amylose content of wheat flour on batter properties and batter-coated and fried product quality.
Subobjective 1.C: Determine the influence of kernel hardness on batter coating characteristics and sponge cake baking quality using extra soft ESW wheat genotypes.
Objective 2: Increase understanding of the genetics of pre-harvest sprouting and cookie baking quality traits in soft winter wheat.
Sub-objective 2.A: Identify PHS-related genes through expression and QTL analyses.
Sub-objective 2.B: Discovering new PHS resistance locations with increased marker depth for GWAS and comparison to machine learning models.
Sub-objective 2.C: Select the most promising genes for PHS resistance to develop markers.
Objective 3: Evaluate and report the milling parameters (processing and intrinsic end-use quality) of eastern U.S. soft winter wheat commercially viable cultivars as part of a Congressionally-designated direct mission of service (non-hypothesis driven).
Approach:
The Soft Wheat Quality Laboratory (SWQL) aims to improve the end-use quality, uses, and marketability of soft winter wheat in the eastern U.S. by contributing to the development of wheat varieties with improved end-use quality potential and developing new food uses. To achieve this goal, the SWQL conducts fundamental research on grain characteristics and genetics associated with milling and baking quality and preharvest sprouting (PHS) resistance. It develops genetic resources with novel functional characteristics, exploring their potential for product quality improvements and new uses. The SWQL comprehensively evaluates breeding lines for end-use quality, contributing to the development of eastern U.S. soft winter (ESW) wheat varieties of improved milling and baking quality. Wheat varieties developed with the support of the SWQL produce about $2.5 billion in grain per year. The project plan aims to identify and catalog the ESW wheat characteristics influencing the batter properties desirable for coating vegetables and meats for frying, elucidate the influence of kernel hardness on sponge cake baking quality, increase understanding of the genetics of pre-harvest sprouting and cookie baking quality traits in ESW wheat, and evaluate the milling and baking quality of ESW wheat. The proposed research will improve the end-use quality and expand the uses of ESW wheat varieties, help regional milling and baking industries identify quality grain, and increase the marketability and value of ESW wheat in domestic and overseas markets.