Recent years’ growth conditions, with wet and cool weather during grain development and ripening, provide new challenges for the production of quality wheat in Norway. Measures to increase the production of wheat with sufficient quality for food are therefore needed. The competence-building within this project will help to secure an optimal and stable protein content and functionality of gluten, parameters of major importance for the baking quality.
The proportion of Norwegian wheat in the flour has been strongly reduced in later seasons, due to both lower wheat production and poor baking quality. Growth conditions, with wet and cool weather during grain development and ripening, provide new challenges for the production of quality wheat.
The present project focuses on how to secure optimal and stable protein content and functionality of gluten, parameters of major importance for the baking quality.
The primary goal is to provide higher quality and better utilization of Norwegian wheat, to meet the national goals of increased food production.
Within this project we intend to:
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Provide yearly prognoses of the wheat quality for use by the industry in their planning and utilization of the Norwegian wheat (WP1)
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Investigate new technology as site-specific fertilization and targeted harvesting, to achieve more optimal and stable protein content in wheat (WP2)
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Identify Fusarium spp. or other microorganisms associated with poor functionality of gluten (WP3)
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Identify proteases causing degradation of gluten proteins, as well as protease inhibitors in wheat (WP4)
The knowledge developed within this project enables a future development of targeted control measures to secure good gluten functionality. On the farmers level, knowledge on how to achieve optimal and stable protein content with the use of site-specific fertilization and targeted harvesting will improve farmer profits and secure a higher percentage of high quality wheat. Knowledge on proteases associated with poor baking quality in wheat may be utilized in future breeding to identify relevant protease inhibitors in wheat.
The project will build new competence, particularly in the interface between gluten functionality and effects of Fusarium/microorganism infestations, and on new technologies within precision farming to achieve optimal protein content. The project will generate important knowledge valid for Norwegian, as well as international wheat production.
