The influence of abiotic stress conditions on dough mixing characteristics of two hard red spring wheat cultivars

• Two wheat cultivars were exposed to high and low temperatures and drought.
• Heat had the largest effect on Mixsmart characteristics.
• Heat and drought stress significantly increased flour protein content.
• Cold stress increased protein content somewhat but reduced dough strength.
• There was a strong genotype influence in Mixsmart characteristics.

Two commercial hard red spring wheat cultivars were exposed to high and low temperatures, as well as drought stress when the main tiller kernels were at the soft dough stage. The trial was done in the greenhouse for two consecutive seasons to determine the effects of these stress conditions on protein content, SDS sedimentation and selected Mixsmart characteristics. Heat stress had the largest effect on mixing characteristics. Heat and drought stress caused a significant increase in flour protein content of both cultivars and had similar effects on mixing characteristics. The Mixsmart characteristics associated with dough strength were increased by heat and drought stress. Cold stress caused a slight increase in protein content of the cultivars, but in general caused a reduction in dough strength as measured with Mixsmart characteristics. The reaction of Mixsmart characteristics to heat and drought stress was much larger in Duzi than in Kariega, confirming that there is a large genotype effect in rheological characteristics.