Influence of Environment and Genotype on Spring Wheat Yield and Bread-Making Quality under Finnish Conditions

Abstract

Agronomic and quality data from spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars grown at two locations from 1989–90 were analysed to determine the effect of genotype and environment on the yield and quality. The genotype × year interaction was more important than genotype × location in affecting the quantity to quality ratio. Genetic variatia were observed in harvest index, 1000-grain weight, grain and flour protein content as well as in gluten content. A large direct environmental effect was detected for the protein content of grain and flour, gluten content and dough quality measured with farinograph data. The environment also appeared to regulate strongly the duration of the reproductive period, which seemed to be the main factor affecting the quantity to quality ratio. The genotypic and environmental variatia in grain-filling period and the variatia in relative amount of protein groups were low, thus reducing the potential to improve these characters by breeding. However, the longer the grain-filling period of the genotype, the poorer was the bread-making quality. It is suggested that attention should not be paid only to high molecular weight subunit composition of glutenins but also to the relative amount of S-rich prolamins (low molecular weight glutenin subunits, α-, β-, and γ-gliadins) to reduce the negative relationships between yielding ability and grain protein content.

Key Words:

• Spring wheat
• genetic variation
• environmental variation
• grain yield
• bread-making quality
• G × E interaction
• Triticum aestivum