SASKATOON – A recently discovered gene, when bred into Canada western red spring wheat lines, can increase protein content with no negative effect on baking characteristics, said Odean Lukow, head of the Cereal Quality Protection section at the Agriculture Canada Cereal Research Centre in Winnipeg.
With increasing markets for value-added products such as frozen dough and other specialized bread products, today’s markets demand high protein wheat.
Findings to date show the research could lead to greater returns for crop producers and the bread-making industry. The three-year study received $90,000 from the Western Grains Research Foundation Endowment Fund.
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The new gene, originally in a North Dakota wheat line, has been incorporated into the registered Canada prairie spring wheat HY 639 line. In this new study, researchers determined whether the high protein gene could successfully be incorporated into CWRS lines.
The researchers also wanted to investigate the potential of high protein wheat lines for value-added products such as gluten, and evaluate the suitability of high protein lines for specialty bread products such as bagels, pretzels and multi-grain breads.
Wheat containing the high-protein gene had protein levels that were one percent higher than wheat without the substitution. Biochemical studies showed the gene did not affect wheat quality. The ratio of different proteins remained the same when total protein concentration increased, which is good news for the bread-making industry.
“With this substitution, we may be able to increase the protein concentration of cultivars, which is a major selling feature for the Canadian Wheat Board,” Lukow said.
