Effects of Different Water Table Depth and Salinity Levels on Quality Traits of Bread Wheat

Abstract

Abiotic stress factors encountered in production lands influence both the yield and the quality traits of bread wheat. This study investigated the effects of three different water table depths (30, 55, and 80 cm) and four different groundwater salinity levels (0.38, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 dSm−1) on some quality traits of bread wheat under irrigated and unirrigated conditions. The experiments were conducted in the 2018 and 2019 growing seasons in randomized blocks—factorial (three factors) experimental design with three replications under controlled conditions. The hectoliter weight, fat ratio, starch ratio, protein content, Zeleny sedimentation, wet gluten content, ash ratio, acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) values were investigated. The hectoliter weights varied between 66.1% and 77.8 kg, fat ratios between 1.49% and 1.70%, starch ratios between 61.9% and 67.8%, protein contents between 11.9% and 13.8%, Zeleny sedimentation values between 23.5 and 28.0 mL, wet gluten contents between 25.0% and 28.8%, ash ratios between 1.43% and 1.75%, and ADF values between 2.85% and 4.12%. The quality traits were positively influenced by increasing the water table depths. With increasing the groundwater salinity levels, the hectoliter weight, fat ratio, starch ratio, and NDF values decreased, while the protein ratio, sedimentation value, wet gluten content, ash ratio, and ADF values increased.