Project Number: 5430-44000-018-02
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Oct 01, 2005
End Date: Sep 30, 2010

Objective:
The objective of this research is to develop rapid reference methods to predict milling, dough rheological properties and baking quality for functional performance characteristics of hard winter wheat. Development of rapid, accurate, robust, and objective end-use quality predictors for the grain industry was identified in the 1990 Food Security Act as essential to maintenance of the competitive position of U.S. grain in world markets.

Approach:
Wheat quality characteristics will be determined. Wheat and flour quality parameters include: physical characteristics of wheats (test weight, density, kernel weight and size, hardness scores, etc.) determined by conventional methods and instrumentally (FTIR, Raman, near-infrared reflectance, NIR or Single Kernel Characterization System, SKCS); chemical characteristics (proximate analyses); dough mixing properties (rheology) by a rheometer, mixograph and/or farinograph; milling and baking characteristics; and biochemical quality determinants. FTIR, Raman, and NIR spectral scans, and rheological and biochemical data are correlated to quality data to derive quality prediction equations to be used by breeders, industry, and FGIS in marketing channels.