Protein and wet gluten contents in winter wheat grain samples
The milling and baking quality of wheat is mainly determined by the genetic basis, but may also be influenced by management techniques. Series of winter wheat varieties were examined under identical agronomic conditions in the experimental years of 1996-2001. Weed control, the rate and application time of nitrogen top dressing, the use of insecticide and fungicide and the climate of the production year were evaluated as main factors. In the present study two major characteristics: the protein and gluten content of grain samples, were examined. The effect of nitrogen fertilization proved to have the strongest impact on both quality indexes. no significant quality differences were induced by the various means of weed control. Plant protection treatments had a rather diverse effect on the contents of the protein and gluten in certain years. The protein and gluten values were correlated in all the experimental treatments, but the level of the correlation showed considerable variation. The effect of crop year proved to be the strongest, followed by fertilization, from among the quality-determining factors. The protein versus gluten correlation was also found to be the closest in the case of nitrogen top dressing applications.