EFFECTS OF HIGH RATES OF NITROGEN ON NEEPAWA WHEAT GROWN UNDER IRRIGATION II. MILLING AND BAKING QUALITY

Abstract

Forty-one composites of a hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Neepawa), grown under irrigation in five fertilizer trials at four locations in Southern Alberta over a period of 3 yr, were subjected to milling, baking and allied tests. Very high protein content (e.g. over 17% on a 13.5% moisture basis) was associated in several instances with a marked weakening of physical dough characteristics and a deterioration in baking quality. Quality data from commercial railway carlots of Canadian red spring wheat were used to put the fertilizer study results into perspective and to show that although certain combinations of high nitrogen fertilizer application with location, cultivar and growing conditions may cause undesirable deterioration in baking quality, this is unlikely to cause problems in cargo quantities of wheat.