Assessing the Potential of Old and Modern Serbian Wheat Genotypes: Yield Components and Nutritional Profiles in a Comprehensive Study

Abstract

Creating wheat genotypes characterized by high grain yield, high protein content, and favorable amino acid composition is the main goal of breeders, especially in developing countries where wheat is a staple food. An experiment with 20 wheat genotypes, released through breeding activities in the Serbian region at different periods and adapted to its pedoclimatic conditions, was conducted with the aim of determining the genetic potential of the analyzed genotypes for grain yield and quality. Due to the divergence of the examined wheat germplasm, the factor of genotype had the largest share in the variation of all yield parameters (>66%). The genotypes Zadruga and Agrounija exhibited superior abilities for overall grain yield. Also, genotype Zadruga stood out in a distinct cluster group due to high values of both thousand grain weight and grain yield per plant. A continuous improvement in protein content was found, with newer genotypes having 17.13% higher protein content compared with older genotypes. Genotype Sloga stood out with the highest protein content (13.93%). On the other hand, the old genotype Balkan was distinguished by the highest content of nonessential amino acids (61.5 g 100 g−1 protein), which makes it a good genetic resource. Genotypes Agrounija (32.62 g 100 g−1 protein) and Tanjugovka (32.47 g 100 g−1 protein) had the highest content of essential amino acids. The highest AAS value was established for tryptophan (1.81) and the lowest for lysine (0.61). Genotypes Tanjugovka and Zadruga had the highest AAS, i.e., protein completeness. The genotypes Zadruga, Tanjugovka, Agrounija, and Sloga have demonstrated high-yield capacity and possess a favorable amino acid profile, making them promising candidates for enhancing the nutritional quality of wheat and potentially benefiting human health.