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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #145772
Title: GENOTYPIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATION OF ASIAN NOODLE QUALITY OF HARD WINTER WHEATS

Author
item Graybosch, Robert
item AMES, NANCY - AG & AGRIFOODS CANADA
item BAENZIGER, P - UNI OF NE
item PETERSON, C - OREGON STATE UNI

Submitted to: Cereal Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2003
Publication Date: 1/2/2004
Citation: Graybosch, R.A., Ames, N., Baenziger, P.S., Peterson, C.J. 2004. Genotypic and environmental modification of asian noodle quality of hard winter wheats. Cereal Chemistry. 81:19-25

Interpretive Summary: Wheat breeders in the Great Plains of North America long have focused on the development of new cultivars for use in leavened bakery products, such as pan breads and bagels. An increasingly diverse U.S. culture, both in terms of ethnic diversity and consumer food preferences, has led to increased demand for wheats to be used in a variety of new food products, predominant of which being Asian noodles. Unlike pasta, typically produced from durum wheats, Asian noodles are made from common or bread wheats. Quality requirement for noodle production differ from those necessary for bread. Before breeders can design strategies to develop improved noodle wheats, they must possess an understanding of the extent to which quality attributes are conditioned by environmental or genetic factors. Factors under genetic control can be improved by selection in breeding programs. This study investigated the extent to which noodle color and textural properties are governed by genetics and cultural environments. Noodle color was found to be conditioned by both factors, and their interactions. Wheat breeders attempting to develop wheats with optimal noodle color must, therefore, test promising breeding lines in samples from multiple environments before a true assessment of noodle color traits can be developed. Noodle textural properties, related to mouth-feel and other consumer preferences, were found to be more under genetic control. Thus, wheat breeders can employ strategies whereby expensive and time consuming noodle testing procedures can be performed on later generation materials, once other important traits are optimized.

Technical Abstract: : The relative effects of environment, genotype, and their interactions on the modification of Asian noodle quality attributes were assessed using 38 winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars and breeding lines grown in replicated trials at three Nebraska locations in harvest year 2000. Noodle color was determined in both white salted and yellow alkaline procedures, and noodle textural features were investigated by producing white salted noodles. Significant environmental, genotypic and genotype by environment variation was observed for nearly all initial and 24 hour noodle color traits in both types of noodles. Significant genotypic effects were observed for several textural traits, while significant environmental effects were observed only for noodle hardness and water uptake. Amongst the noodle textural traits, the genotype X environment interaction, however, was significant only for noodle firmness. Noodle stickiness and springiness were not influenced by the main effects or their interactions. Noodle color traits in the two noodle systems were highly correlated; this suggests breeding wheat cultivars for use in a variety of noodle applications with diverse final product color requirements will be difficult. Textural traits largely were independent of noodle color traits.