Effects of cultivar and soil fertility on grain protein yield, grain protein content, flour yield and breadmaking quality of wheat

Grain protein content affects the flour yield and breadmaking characteristics of wheat (Triticum aestivum L). In this study, grain protein yield, grain protein content, flour yield and loaf volume were quantified for four wheat cultivars (Inia, Carina, Kariega and SST 86) grown under six different soil fertility regimes in a long-term fertilisation and irrigation experiment at the University of Pretoria. The experimental design was a randomised complete block replicated four times, with fertility as the main plots and cultivars as the subplot treatments. Grain protein yield, flour yield, loaf volume and mixograph dough peak mixing time varied among cultivars and soil fertility situations. Grain protein content differed among cultivars, but mixograph water absorption and dough characteristics did not differ. The highest grain protein yield was 873 kg ha(-1) for Carina and the lowest 527 kg ha(-1) for SST 86. Grain protein content averaged 131g kg(-1) for Carina and 122g kg(-1) for Kariega. Breadmaking performance showed that in a well-balanced soil fertility situation, Kariega produced 1025 cm(3) of loaf volume while Inia averaged 950 cm(3). Grain protein yield increased with increasing soil fertility, but grain protein content, flour yield, loaf volume, water absorption and mixograph peak mixing time varied with soil fertility. The interaction between cultivar and soil fertility was significant for grain protein yield, grain protein content, flour yield, loaf volume and water absorption but not dough peak mixing time. The results indicate cultivar differences in breadmaking quality characteristics and that soil fertility status affects grain protein yield, grain protein content, flour yield, loaf volume potential and water absorption but not mixograph peak mixing time and dough characteristics.