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Wheat breeding for functionality and grading: Differences among requirements and the effect in the marketplace.
K. GARLAND-CAMPBELL (1). (1) USDA ARS Wheat Genetics, Quality, Physiology and Disease Research Unit, Pullman, WA, U.S.A.
Functional quality characteristics have been selection targets for wheat breeders for at least 70 years. Early selection efforts stratified US wheat into classes based on soft vs. hard texture and kernel color. Selection for functional characteristics has frequently been challenging. Hard wheat breeders must overcome the negative correlation between flour protein and grain yield and, until recently, quality assessments required large amounts of grain and were performed late in the selection cycle. Therefore most breeders strove to maintain existing quality rather than improve it. New knowledge about the chemistry of functional grain quality and the genetic control of that chemistry is enabling breeders to use the tools of molecular marker-assisted breeding and mutation breeding to develop cultivars that are targeted to specific wheat food products. Wheat breeders will continue to select for improvements in milling and protein quality. New selection targets for improved health-related functionality include better flour performance in whole-wheat products, manipulation of starch components, and reduced allergenicity. The product development cycle for wheat cultivars is approximately ten years so these efforts require close collaboration between breeders and cereal chemists to identify targets and assessment methods that satisfy future market demands. The current grain grading and handling system also must be modified to accurately identify and transport wheat grain for these new uses.
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