GrainGenes

PROBSTDORFER SAATZUCHT GES. M.b.H.

Saatzuchtrasse 11, P.O. Box 57, Probstdorfer, A-2301, Austria.

Breeding for breadmaking quality in wheat at Probstdorfer Saatzucht.

Sabine Groeger, F. Loeschenberger, and H. Hetzendorfer.

A new project. The cereal breeding station Probstdorfer Saatzucht is situated in the eastern part of Austria in the Pannonian climate region. Breeding of winter wheat cultivars with high bread-making quality has been a traditional breeding aim since the 1950s. In order to secure and strengthen our position on the cereal and seeds market, a project was started in 1997 concerning further improvement of bread-making quality. Different quality parameters will be determined to evaluate our breeding material compared to foreign material. Relationships between quality parameters will be calculated in order to evaluate the selection criteria used now and to find new selection criteria. Foreign materials, which have proved to be a valuable source of high quality, will be used in our future breeding programs.

Anther culture to produce double haploid wheat plants has been used at the breeding station since 1992. In order to improve our profit of green plants, two new protocols will be tested. 'Wheat x maize' crosses also will be used to prove the advantages and disadvantages of this method. An electrophoresis laboratory was established to investigate our material for gluten proteins and for homogeneity.

First results. For preliminary analyses, 48 breeding lines and cultivars grown at four locations in 1996 were investigated for indirect, farinogram, extensogram, and alveogram parameters. Correlation analyses between all quality parameters were made. Correlations were significant between Zeleny sedimentation volume and protein content (r = 0.73), extensogram dough strength (r = 0.59), extensibility (r = 0.6), and all farinogram parameters. Significant correlations also were found between the Zeleny sedimentation volume and all alveogram parameters, except P/L ratio. SDS sedimentation volume showed significant correlations to the extensogram parameters dough strength (r = 0.41) and dough resistance (r = 0.35). Correlations were not significant between SDS sedimentation volume and protein content, farinogram, and alveogram parameters (except W and P value). Correlation analyses of data from field trials in 1997 between the Zeleny sedimentation volume and quality parameters showed similar results. Although the Zeleny and SDS sedimentation tests are both semiquantitative methods to predict the amount of polymeric proteins, which are of great importance for the technological value of the wheat gluten (Weegels et al. 1996), they supply different information for wheat breeders. The results confirm that the Zeleny sedimentation volume selects for gluten quality and also for protein content, whereas the SDS-sedimentation volume selects for gluten quality to a much larger extent than for gluten quantity. Oberforster et al. (1994) found a high positive correlation between the Zeleny sedimentation volume and loaf volume in Austrian wheat cultivars. Therefore, the Zeleny sedimentation test that has been used at Probstdorf since the 1960s is still a very useful tool to select for quality in accordance to the Austrian cereal industry.

Investigating our breeding material for HMW-glutenin subunits, we found our recently released cultivar Achat to contain the subunit combination 1/6 + 8/2 + 12. Contrary to most papers emphasizing the negative effects of 6 + 8 and 2 + 12 (for review see Shewry et al.1992), Achat has a high bread-making quality. Investigations were started to analyze the gluten protein structure of this cultivar in detail.

References.

Oberforster M, Schmidt L, and Werteker M. 1994. Bewertungsschema '94 der technologischen Qualitt von Weizensorten (Weichweizen). Jahrbuch 1993, 257-280. Bundesanstalt fr Pflanzenbau, Wien.

Shewry PR, Halford NG, and Tatham AS. 1992. High molecular weight subunits of wheat glutenin. J Cereal Sci 15:105-120.

Weegels PL, Hamer RJ, and Schofield JD. 1996. Functional properties of wheat gluten. J Cereal Sci 23:1-18.

Two newly released winter wheat varieties with high bread-making quality: Ludwig and Achat.

F. Loeschenberger, H. Hetzendorfer, S. Groeger, Probstdorfer Saaatzucht G.m.b.H., Austria.

Ludwig. The cultivar Ludwig is a selection from the cross 'Ares / Farmer'. Ludwig has a high yielding capacity and generally has sedimentation volumes above 60 ml. Selection was made using shuttle breeding in eastern and western Austria resulting in a wide climatic adaptability. Ludwig is of medium maturity and possesses quantitative resistance to the powdery mildew, leaf rust, and FHB fungi. Ludwig was registered in Austria in December, 1997, as a winter wheat cultivar with high breadmaking quality and also is in official trials in Germany, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Ludwig seems to posses high nitrogen efficiency, which is indicated by higher protein yield than all other registered cultivars in Austria.

Achat. The cultivar Achat was selected from the cross 'Carolus // Kronjuwel / Titus' and registered in Austria in December, 1997. Achat is a high yielding wheat with a very high Zeleny sedimentation volume, protein content, and excellent test weight. Achat has high breadmaking quality and gives very favorable alveogram values. Achat belongs to the medium to late maturity group.