Development of hard white winter wheats for a hard red winter wheat region

Summary

Hard white winter wheat (HWWW) occupies a very limited area of the USA, but its purported advantages suggest that its production in the major hard red winter wheat (HRWW) region may be feasible. Objectives of our investigations were to develop experimental HWWW lines that combined desirable attributes-grain yield, functional grain quality, and resistance to preharvest sprouting-in single genotypes for comparison with popular cultivars in the major US RHWW region. Forty-four lines from seven parental combinations were tested in randomized complete block designs at three Kansas locations during the 1981–82 and 1982–83 seasons. Agronomic traits, grain yield, grain quality, and preharvest sprouting were measured. Plant characteristics and grain yield were similar in the HWWW experimental lines and the HRWW check cultivar, Newton. Mean grain SDS-sedimentation value and grain protein content of most experimental lines equaled or exceeded that of the check. Dough mixing times frequently were shorter for the experimental lines than for the check cultivar, whereas loaf volumes were greater. Falling number usually was similar in all geneotypes, but α-amylase was higher in field-harvested grain of white lines than the check; both measures were more favorable than grain trade standards. We concluded that production of high yielding, high quality hard white winter wheat genotypes is feasible in the US ‘breakbasket’.