Pastamaking and breadmaking quality of soft-textured durum wheat lines

The effects of grain texture on pastamaking and breadmaking quality were studied in three F8 soft-textured durum wheat lines (SDLs) containing wild-type alleles Pina-D1a and Pinb-D1a as compared with their hard durum sister lines (HDLs). SDLs homozygous for a small 5DS segment, less than 14.4 cM in size, accumulated puroindolines A (Pin-A) and B (Pin-B) and showed SKCS values (19.9–23.6) significantly lower than those (72.6–76.8) of their hard-textured counterparts lacking Pin-A and Pin-B. In addition, SDLs exhibited approximately 24% higher flour extraction rates compared with HDLs. Reducing the kernel hardness decreased farinograph water absorption, dough tenacity (P) and, accordingly, alveograph P/L ratio, but increased farinograph stability, mixing tolerance and dough extensibility (L). Spaghetti cooking quality, as determined by the sensory judgment of firmness, stickiness and bulkiness, was unaffected by the kernel hardness, whereas the loaf volume exhibited a 10% increase associated with kernel softening. Flour and semolina, but not spaghetti, from SDLs showed a substantial reduction in yellowness (b*) and brownness (100 − L*) likely due to their finer particle size compared with HDLs. Alleles Pina-D1a and Pinb-D1a may offer new perspectives for breeding dual purpose (pasta and bread) durum wheat varieties.

► Three soft-textured durum wheat lines containing puroindoline encoding genes were developed.
► The soft-textured durum wheat lines contained a small 5DS chromosome fragment.
► Reducing the kernel hardness altered several milling traits and rheological properties.
► Soft durum wheat lines showed good pastamaking properties.
► Soft durum wheat lines revealed improved baking performance.