Field estimation of technological bread-making quality in wheat

The determination of the technological quality of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) requires a strong investment of time and money on behalf of the flour industry. For this reason, a field experiment was carried out over a 2-year period on a Vertisol under rainfed Mediterranean conditions with the objective of predicting, during the growing season, the technological quality of wheat at harvest with the use of a chlorophyll meter (Minolta SPAD 502). The SPAD meter readings were taken at the start of stem elongation and at anthesis determining the grain yield, alveogram parameters and gluten content at harvest. The chlorophyll meter readings at both growing stages were related to the grain protein content, alveogram index (W), dough extensibility (L), tenacity–extensibility ratio (P/L) and gluten content values. Dough tenacity (P) was not related to the readings. The models were validated by the full cross-validation method, showing better reliability at anthesis than stem elongation. The grain yield was correlated separately for each year, due to the influence of rain variability on the grain yield. Under rainfed Mediterranean conditions, the SPAD meter is a very useful tool in predicting the technological quality of bread wheat in advance, eliminating the need for expensive instruments and, above all, reducing the analysis time dedicated to determining the technological quality.