title: Stability, across environments, of grain and alcohol yield, in soft wheat varieties grown for grain distilling or bioethanol production.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Soft-milling wheat has potential use for both grain whisky distilling and bioethanol production. Varietal comparisons over wide-ranging environments would permit assessment of both grain and alcohol yield potential and also permit the stability across environments, for these parameters, to be compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For 12 varieties, analysis of variance showed highly significant effects of variety, site, season and fertiliser application on grain and alcohol yield. There were also significant interactions between these factors and, consequently, varieties varied in stability across environments as well as in mean values for the parameters assessed. Alcohol production per hectare was affected more strongly by variation in grain yield than alcohol yield, but increasing grain protein content reduced alcohol yield and, therefore, utility for grain distilling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To maximise energy production, the best varieties for bioethanol would combine high and stable grain yield with slower reduction of alcohol yield as grain protein increases. For grain distilling, where the energy balance is less important, high alcohol yield will remain the key factor. Data derived using near infrared spectroscopy can be valuable in assessing stability of quality traits across environments.
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK.
authors.forename: John Stuart
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Swanston
authors.forename: Pauline L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: William Tb
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sylvester-Bradley
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kindred
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brosnan
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Bringhurst
authors.forename: Reginald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Agu
mesh_terms: D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D056804:Biofuels; D057168:Distillation; D004355:Drug Stability; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D004777:Environment; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005308:Fertilizers; D012621:Seasons; D014908:Triticum / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D005308:Fertilizers; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: alcohol yield; environmental variation; variety trials; wheat; yield stability