title: Environmental conditions affect semolina quality in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum L.) cultivars with different gluten strength and gluten protein composition.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sowing time may impact semolina and pasta cooking quality by changing the environmental conditions during grain filling. The effect of an optimum and a delayed sowing time on semolina quality was studied by comparing six cultivars under irrigation, in order to isolate temperature from drought effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Protein content was higher in the old cultivars and in the late sowings, according to the number of days with temperature between 30 and 40 °C during ripening. Gluten index increased as temperature rose to a threshold of about 30 °C, then decreased under higher temperatures. Mixograph parameters were less sensitive to high temperatures. Gliadin:glutenin correlated with gluten strength. Spaghetti firmness and protein content were positively correlated independently of sowing date. Cultivars Trinakria and Cappelli had the highest spaghetti firmness (900 and 828 g).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Late sowings may represent a way of increasing pasta cooking quality whenever they place grain filling under thermal conditions able to increase protein percentage, although the accompanying decrease in yield may represent a drawback in environments prone to drought stress during ripening. The lower protein percentages of modern durum wheat cultivars under conventional sowing times results in a lower pasta cooking quality despite higher gluten strength.
authors.affiliation: Università di Sassari, Dipartimento di Scienze Agronomiche e Genetica Vegetale Agraria, 07100 Sassari, Sardinia, Italy.
authors.forename: Simonetta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fois
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schlichting
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marchylo
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dexter
authors.forename: Rosella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Motzo
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giunta
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D003296:Cooking; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004777:Environment; D005433:Flour / Q000032:analysis*; D005504:Food Analysis; D005903:Gliadin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D005983:Glutens / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D007558:Italy; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D011786:Quality Control; D012621:Seasons; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013696:Temperature; D014908:Triticum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D014887:Weather
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D005983:Glutens; D005903:Gliadin