Selection of cultivars for soft wheat quality. 2. Small scale tests of soft wheat quality

Abstract

Ten small scale tests of soft wheat quality have been investigated for their ability to discriminate between cultivars, and to arrange a series of samples in order of acceptability according to soft wheat criteria. The tests were grain size, fibre, protein, and ash content, pearling resistance, wheatmeal granularity, wheatmeal fermentation time, milling yield (Brabender Quadrumat Mill), sedimentation value and alkaline water retention capacity of the flour. Grain fibre and pearling resistance ranked cultivars in the same order irrespective of location or season, but the ranking according to other tests depended on environmental features. No small scale test nor combination of small scale tests was satisfactory at all sites for predictive purposes. Within most single-cultivar groups grains became harder as they became larger, while the protein level simultaneously declined.