red spring wheat include high protein and strong gluten (Souza et al., 2002). Soft white wheat is grown in regions Bread baking is the primary end-use criterion used to select hard with higher rainfall expectations or in arid areas with spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes for the northwestern supplemental irrigation. Cookies and cakes are the tar-USA, yet the use of hard wheats has expanded beyond traditional pan breads to include Asian noodles. We assessed the relative influence of get end-use products for most of the soft white crop. genotype, N management, and location on quality characteristics of Desirable characteristics for this wheat class include low a set of spring wheat cultivars that provided a range in gluten strength protein and limited damage to starch granules during and acceptability for bread and Asian noodle quality, and determined milling that results in low-water-absorption flours (Gutwhether grain characteristics could predict bread and/or noodle martieri et al., 2001a). ket suitability. Seven spring cultivars were grown at four locations Recent cropping diversification has prompted develacross 3 yr with two levels of N fertilizer in irrigated and moistureopment and deployment of hard white spring wheat in limited conditions. Bread quality, alkaline noodle color, and Chinese the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Asian customers noodle color and texture were assessed on grain samples. Cultivar desire hard white wheat for manufacturing noodles was the most important determinant of bread and noodle quality traits largely because of its brighter flour and product color in both the irrigated and moisture-limited environments. Nitrogen level influenced only Chinese noodle color in irrigated environments,

Although some quality characteristics for the two categories of wheat products are similar, the relative effects End-uses of hard wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are increasingly of genotype and crop management variables on the two diverse. However, limited understanding of crop management system interactions with genotype exists to tailor production systems for both product categories need better definition. bread and Asian noodle production. Therefore, we evaluated the bread Both protein quantity and quality are required for opquality and alkaline noodle color of four hard spring wheat genotypes timum bread performance. Nitrogen fertilization strongly differing in end-use quality at four nitrogen fertilizer levels and three influences the quantity of protein in wheat flour (Dubetz irrigation levels. The trials were grown for 2 yr at Aberdeen, ID, using Gauer et al., 1992). Studies have demonthe hard red cultivar 'Westbred 936', the hard white cultivars 'Idaho strated the importance of N application timing for opti-377s' and 'Lolo', and the hard white breeding line 'IDO523'. The main mal wheat yield, increased grain protein concentration, effects of genotype, nitrogen fertilizer, and irrigation affected grain proand reductions in N loss from the soil-plant system (Fowtein concentration, which led to significant differences among treat- ler et al., 1989;Hucklesby et al., 1971;Altman et al., 1983; ments for mixograph characteristics and loaf volume. Genotypes dif- Miezan et al., 1977). Nitrogen applications later in the fered significantly in their optimum nitrogen levels for grain yield, yet grain protein concentration of all four genotypes increased linearly season, near anthesis, when coupled with irrigation, inwith increasing nitrogen fertilizer application. Reducing the amount creased grain protein concentration more than earlier of irrigation elevated grain protein concentration; however, it also reapplications (Wuest and Cassman, 1992;Strong, 1982). duced milling yield. By contrast, increasing nitrogen fertility did not Bread loaf volume is positively and directly correlated affect milling yield. Reducing the amount of irrigation also increased with flour protein concentration (Bushuk, 1985; Finney grain polyphenyl oxidase (PPO) activity, generally undesirable forand Barmore, 1948). Therefore, protein quantity and Asian noodles. In this study, it was preferable to increase grain protein quality have received considerable attention in wheat concentration by increasing fertilization rather than by reducing irriimprovement programs. However, simultaneously ingation. Nitrogen fertilizer did not affect alkaline noodle brightness, excreasing both grain yield and grain protein content has cept at the lowest irrigation level where increasing nitrogen fertilizer been difficult because of the widely documented negadecreased initial brightness. Increased nitrogen fertilizer increased both peak flour pasting viscosity and final flour pasting viscosity. The

The solvent retention capacity test (SRC) (AACC Approved Method 56‐11) of flour is used to evaluate multiple aspects of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) quality including pentosan content, starch damage, gluten strength, and general water retention based on the ability of flour to retain a range of solvents. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of grain production environment in general and crop irrigation and fertility management in particular on SRC of soft wheat flour, and to evaluate the ability of SRC to predict end‐use quality across diverse environments. Two soft white spring wheat cultivars ‘Pomerelle’ and ‘Centennial’ were produced in a range of irrigated and rain‐fed production environments. SRC profiles and milling and baking quality parameters were measured. In a two‐year study at Aberdeen, ID, with two late‐season irrigation management regimes and two crop nitrogen fertility treatments, only wheat genotype significantly affected flour SRC. In two‐year studies at Tetonia, ID, one conducted under rain‐fed conditions and the other under irrigation, additional fertilizer applied at anthesis did not affect SRC. Correlations among quality parameters were determined using the Aberdeen and Tetonia flour samples, as well as samples of the same genotypes grown in fertility trials under rain‐fed conditions at Havre and Bozeman, MT, and under irrigation at Bozeman. Patterns of correlations among SRC values were similar for both genotypes. Grain test weight was negatively correlated with sodium carbonate and sucrose SRC of both genotypes. Flour protein was strongly positively correlated with sucrose and lactic acid SRC of both genotypes. The optimal regression models for predicting sugar snap cookie diameter (AACC Approved Method 10‐52) as a function of protein, SRC, flour extraction, and kernel hardness were different for the two cultivars. SRC evaluations of flours from these trials were consistent with large genotype and environment effects, yet minimal genotype × environment interaction. This suggests that selection among genotypes within an environment will produce a gain‐from‐selection observable in multiple and diverse environments.

Bread baking is the primary end‐use criterion used to select hard spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes for the northwestern USA, yet the use of hard wheats has expanded beyond traditional pan breads to include Asian noodles. We assessed the relative influence of genotype, N management, and location on quality characteristics of a set of spring wheat cultivars that provided a range in gluten strength and acceptability for bread and Asian noodle quality, and determined whether grain characteristics could predict bread and/or noodle market suitability. Seven spring cultivars were grown at four locations across 3 yr with two levels of N fertilizer in irrigated and moisture‐limited conditions. Bread quality, alkaline noodle color, and Chinese noodle color and texture were assessed on grain samples. Cultivar was the most important determinant of bread and noodle quality traits in both the irrigated and moisture‐limited environments. Nitrogen level influenced only Chinese noodle color in irrigated environments, but impacted test weight, flour ash, loaf volume, and bake absorption in moisture‐limited environments. Responses to N management and location were usually not cultivar specific, as interactions were not important relative to main effects of cultivar and location. Grain protein had more value than test weight or grain hardness in predicting bread and noodle quality, and was most useful in predicting loaf volume and Chinese noodle color characteristics. Cultivar selection is critical for achieving a desired end use, with location effects being of secondary importance. Nitrogen management for a particular end use will be difficult, with N level being much less important than cultivar selection and location. Grain protein may be the best predictor of the suitability of a particular cultivar produced in a specific year for alternative end‐use possibilities, with high‐protein grain most suitable for bread production and low‐protein, high‐quality grain more suitable for noodle production.

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