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Managing Nitrogen and Sulfur Fertilization for Improved Bread Wheat Quality in Humid Environments

¹Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg VA 24061. ²Corresponding author. Phone: 540-231-2988. Fax: 540-231-3075. E-mail address: wthomaso@vt.edu ³Virginia Crop Improvement Association, Mechanicsville, VA. ⁴USDA-ARS Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, Manhattan, KS.

A large proportion of the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) milled and utilized by bakeries in the eastern United States is hard red winter wheat (HRWW). Potential for producing this higher value commodity in the eastern United States is dependent on availability of adapted HRWW cultivars that are competitive with soft red winter wheat (SRWW) cultivars and implementation of management systems to enhance end-use quality. The effects of late-season nitrogen (N) (0–45 kg of N/ha) applied at two growth stages (GS 45 and 54) and sulfur (S) (0–34 kg of S/ha) applied at GS 30 on grain, flour, and milling and breadbaking quality were evaluated. Three diverse wheat cultivars (Soissons, Heyne, and Renwood 3260) were studied in two to five environments. Application of S and late-season N had little effect on grain yield. But N consistently increased grain and flour protein as well as bread loaf volume. The magnitude and significance of response to N and S varied by location and cultivar. While S alone did not have a significant effect on grain protein, S availability was critical in obtaining increased grain protein. Breadbaking quality of HRWW cultivars produced in the eastern United States can be improved through implementation of nutrient management approaches that include late-season application of 34–45 kg of N/ha and addition of S, particularly on sandy soils where S availability in the subsoil is low.