Variation in quality traits of newly developed Serbian wheat cultivars under different environmental conditions of Pannonian plain

Abstract

Introduction of new high-yielding wheat cultivars and intensification of high year-to-year variability require an additional update of information about environmental effects on main wheat quality parameters that is lacking for newly released cultivars in Serbia. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of growing seasons on the technological properties of new Serbian wheat cultivars, and to examine the relationships among the quality traits in different growing seasons. The experiment was set up in three growing seasons (2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19). A total of 13 recently developed wheat cultivars in Serbia and five most widespread local cultivars were evaluated to compare differences in end-use quality. Also, the influence of climatic conditions on the technological quality was examined as well as relations among them. Modern Serbian cultivars have improved grain yield but lower technological quality than the widespread Serbian cultivars. Changes in farinograph resistance and degree of softening were related to the differences growing seasons, cultivars and their interaction, while growing seasons had the highest effect on bread volume and extensograph parameters energy and ratio resistance and extensibility variation. Moreover, a strong positive correlation was found between protein content, sedimentation value, wet gluten content and water absorption with extensograph extensibility, and negative correlation with the second parameter of extensograph, ratio of resistance and extensibility.