Nitrogen-sulfur fertilisation effects on gluten composition and industrial quality in Argentinean bread wheat cultivars differing in apparent sulfur recovery

ARATA, AGUSTÍN F.; ROGERS, WILLIAM J.; TRANQUILLI, GABRIELA E.; ARRIGONI, ADRIANA C.; RONDANINI, DEBORAH P.

Crop and Pasture Science

CSIRO Publishing

Lugar: Clayton South; Año: 2021 vol. 72 p. 183 - 196

1836-0947

Increasing wheat yield and grain quality is crucial for achieving profitable production systems. Genotypehas an important role in determining potential grain end-use quality, because it defines the protein subunits stored in theendosperm. Nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) availability modulate the expression of the genotype by determining variationsin quantitative gluten composition. The aim of this work was to analyse the responses of grain quality to N and Sfertilisation and relate them to the relative quantitative composition of different subunits of gliadins and glutenins in24 Argentinean bread wheat cultivars differing in apparent S recovery (ASR), cycle length and protein pattern. Twofield experiments were conducted in the Humid Pampas of Argentina. Gluten composition was analysed byelectrophoresis and densitometry, and grain quality by N/S ratio, protein content, sedimentation test, andalveograms. Most genotypes presented high quality potential according to their pattern of high molecular weightglutenin subunits, although they differed in grain quality performance. Under an environment of low soil fertility (i.e.where the soil has a low capacity to supply N and S), N fertilisation reduced the sedimentation test values at low S level(67 vs 54 mm, on average) and increased this parameter at high S level (62 vs 81 mm, on average), with differentresponses among genotypes. Also, S fertilisation at high N level increased dough strength by 52% for long cyclegenotypes and decreased it by 9% for those of short cycle. Genotypes with contrasting ASR, cycle length and proteinpattern modified the responses of baking strength to S fertilisation in different ways (positive, neutral or negative),whereas genotype N interaction modified the responses only in their magnitude. Outstanding genotypes (e.g. KleinProteo) were identified according to baking quality stability. We conclude that S fertilisation had a notable effect onbaking quality, especially in long cycle genotypes and a low soil-fertility environment, correcting S deficiency at high Navailability. ASR was not a useful classificatory trait for predicting grain quality. Instead, the study of variants for theprotein subunits coded by particular genes (e.g. Glu-A3, Glu-B3, Glu-D1x and Glu-D1y)