Influence of low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit genes at Glu-A3 locus on wheat sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation volume and solvent retention capacity value

Effectiveness of and Perspectives for the Sedimentation Analysis Method in Grain Quality Evaluation in Various Cereal Crops for Breeding Purposes

The existing standardized methods for assessing the quality of marketable grain do not always meet the requirements of the breeding, such as the method’s rapidity, sufficiency of the minimum amount of experimental material, the minimal modifying influence of the external environment on the degree of expression of a criterion, and genetic determination and heritability of the latter. One of the methods that meets these requirements is the sediment volume test. The present study offers an analysis and examples of methodological developments in relation to the assessment of winter bread wheat grain in arid regions of cultivation, as well as of winter triticale. The fluorescent probing method was used as an example for demonstrating the prospects for assessing the swelling of ground grain products of both bread and durum wheat, and for such crops with a less-strong complex of storage polymers as triticale, rye, and millet. A two-stage sedimentation procedure that allows a successful differentiation of samples has been developed for sorghum and maize grain. It is presented here alongside with methodological works on wheat from different countries of the world. Examples of the proven high reproducibility of the sediment volume test in the offspring, and its genetic determination are provided. In general, the data obtained and the material accumulated by various researchers indicate that a modification of the sedimentation method, correctly chosen for specific goals and objectives, solves the problem of assessing grain quality in breeding samples starting from early progenies. All these circumstances make the sedimentation testing the leading or most promising method for assessing grain quality when breeding of a broad range of grain crops is carried out.

Relationships between grain, flour, and dough quality characteristics and solvent retention capacity tests of twelve triticale cultivars and parental species

Relationships amongst solvent retention capacity (SRC) profiles and quality characteristics of triticale cultivars were investigated. Superior triticale grains resulted into flours with preferable quality attributes for baking bread. Standard and supplementary SRC-values exhibited significant correlation with grain, flour, and dough quality. Positive correlations among sucrose-SRC with ash, pentosan, and ferulic acid (FA) contents were significant. The standard SRC-profiles along with metabisulfite-SRC (MBS-SRC) and ethanol-SRC exhibited significant correlation with damaged starch (DS) content. The ethanol-SRC demonstrated strong correlations with water absorption capacity, FA, and Dmax-value alveolab parameter. Triticale flours containing a higher amount of anti-parallel β-sheets and tyrosine exhibited higher lactic acid-SRC (LA-SRC) and gluten-performance-index (GPI). Positive correlations between sodium dodecylsulphate-SRC (SDS-SRC) and anti-parallel β-sheets percentages were noticed. The LA-SRC, GPI, MBS-SRC, SDS-SRC, and SDS+MBS-SRC were positively correlated with SDS-sedimentation, gluten index and negatively to sulfhydryl-groups content. Triticales having higher LA-SRC and MBS-SRC resulted in dough with higher strength and tenacity.

Reduced Height (Rht) Alleles Affect Wheat Grain Quality

The effects of dwarfing alleles (reduced height, Rht) in near isogenic lines on wheat grain quality are characterised in field experiments and related to effects on crop height, grain yield and GA-sensitivity. Alleles included those that conferred GA-insensitivity (Rht-B1b, Rht-B1c, Rht-D1b, Rht-D1c) as well as those that retained GA-sensitivity (rht(tall), Rht8, Rht8 + Ppd-D1a, Rht12). Full characterisation was facilitated by including factors with which the effects of Rht alleles are known to interact for grain yield (i.e. system, [conventional or organic]; tillage intensity [plough-based, minimum or zero]; nitrogen fertilizer level [0-450 kg N/ha]; and genetic backgrounds varying in height [cvs Maris Huntsman, Maris Widgeon, and Mercia]. Allele effects on mean grain weight and grain specific weight were positively associated with final crop height: dwarfing reduced these quality criteria irrespective of crop management or GA-sensitivity. In all but two experiments the effects of dwarfing alleles on grain nitrogen and sulphur concentrations were closely and negatively related to effects on grain yield, e.g. a quadratic relationship between grain yield and crop height manipulated by the GA-insensitive alleles was mirrored by quadratic relationships for nitrogen and sulphur concentrations: the highest yields and most dilute concentrations occurred around 80cm. In one of the two exceptional experiments the GA-insensitive Rht-B1b and Rht-B1c significantly (P<0.05) reduced grain nitrogen concentration in the absence of an effect on yield, and in the remaining experiment the GA-sensitive Rht8 significantly reduced both grain yield and grain nitrogen concentration simultaneously. When Rht alleles diluted grain nitrogen concentration, N:S ratios and SDS-sedimentation volumes were often improved. Hagberg falling number (HFN) was negatively related to crop height but benefits from dwarfing were only seen for GA-insensitive alleles. For HFN, therefore, there was the strongest evidence for a direct pleiotropic effect of GA-insensitivity, rather than an effect consequential to yield and/or height.