Project Number: 3607-43440-005-11
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: May 15, 2007
End Date: Jun 30, 2008

Objective:
Specific Objectives of the Research Are: 1) Identify new soft wheat germplasm in China for the improvement of disease resistance (Stripe rust and Fusarium head blight) and soft wheat quality for China and the eastern U.S. 2) Measure the effect of excess or late-season nitrogen application on soft wheat milling quality. 3) Cross-train Chinese and U.S. cereal chemists in evaluation methods for traditional Chinese and U.S. soft wheat products (steam breads and cookies, respectively).

Approach:
The Chinese scientist will produce in replicated field studies grain samples of current high yielding soft wheats from the main Chinese wheat production zones. A second set of trials will involve several cultivars using current best nitrogen fertilizer practices for China (high nitrogen treatments with late season application of nitrogen at flowering). Samples will be milled in China on experimental mills. Flour samples will be shipped to Wooster Ohio. Similar studies involving soft red germplasm adapted to Ohio will be produced at Wooster and another location in the eastern U.S. Grain of the U.S. trials will be milled on an experimental mill. Both Chinese and U.S. flour samples will be evaluated for cookie quality using southern Chinese style steam bread tests, AACC flour rheology tests, and approved wire-cut cookie method. Chinese and U.S. scientists will identify the best quality wheats for each application and nominate germplasm for inclusion in future planned USDA-ARS germplasm exchanges with China.