The main objective of the project is to develop knowledge needed to produce wheat with good and stable bread-making quality under challenging climatic conditions, thereby securing high self-sufficiency of bread wheat. In the last decade, Norwegian wheat has had lower-than-optimal protein content and unpredictable variations in gluten quality; two factors that represent important bottlenecks for the use of Norwegian wheat in flour blends. To reach the project goal, the following critical R&D questions will be
addressed: Do infections by microorganisms and/or precipitation during grain maturation affect assembly or degradation of gluten proteins? Can we develop a screening method for gluten degradation suitable for breeders samples? How do fungal proteases in flour affect the baking process? Can optical spectral sensing be used to improve late-season fertilization to achieve optimal protein content while maintaining high yield? Can high-protein genes be identified in Norwegian wheat to increase utilization of available nitrogen content while maintaining high yield? Is there a genetic basis for biotic and abiotic factors affect gluten protein assembly and degradation? The MATHVETE project will generate new knowledge that will strengthen the competitiveness and cooperation throughout the entire bread wheat value chain from farmers to bakers. Expanded knowledge of environmental factors and genes that cause variation in gluten quality and protein content will 1) provide new strategies for wheat breeding to simultaneously improve protein content and gluten stability, 2) enable targeted measures for farmers to improve grain quality through selection of favorable wheat varieties and improved agronomic practices through efficient use of nitrogen, 3) provide predictable quality for grain deliveries and milling companies and thereby
limit the need for import, and 4) supply bakers with stable quality flours based on a high proportion of domestic wheat.
