Important bread-making wheat continues to show strong quality performance
Nabim (National Association of British and Irish Millers) Group 1 winter wheat variety Gallant was announced as a breakthrough when launched last May, says breeder Syngenta Seeds, because it combined high yields with consistent quality yet being practical to grow.
Since launch, it has gone on to achieve a 20% share of Group 1 winter wheat seed certified in its first season, says Samantha Smith, the companys cereal expert.
At the equivalent of 10.6 t/ha, it has also retained the highest UK treated yield figure among Group 1 winter wheat varieties in what is now its second year on the HGCA Recommended List, she adds, and has yielded over 11.6 t/ha across four years of Syngenta trials.
Perhaps even more importantly for a hard endosperm texture milling wheat, testing from our trials since launch has continued to show high quality performance over four seasons, Ms Smith explains.
Previously, for example, analysis of Hagberg falling number, which is important for baking and needs to be above a 250 threshold, had shown values of 340, 289 and 307 respectively for the harvest years of 2006, 2007 and 2008. Since launch, latest analysis of Gallant from the 2009 harvest showed a massive Hagberg of 389. That takes its long-term Hagberg to 331, well over threshold. Its Hagberg on the HGCA Recommended List mirrors this at 294.
Its also a similar story with grain protein. Across four years of our testing across six trial sites it has averaged above 13%. High grain specific weights have also been recorded, with a figure of 77.7 kg/hl on the HGCA Recommended List compared with a typical milling threshold of 76 kg/hl, she adds.
Based on its performance, Ms Smith estimates Gallant has the potential to increase to around half of all Group 1 winter wheat seed certified next season, equivalent to around 8% of the total winter wheat area. Gallant will be in demand from harvest 2010. All major millers have expressed interest and are actively looking at it.
From an agronomic viewpoint, it still continues to offer growers stiff straw and good standing power and, importantly for a milling variety, is very early maturing with a ripening score of -2 on the HGCA Recommended List. Earliness can mean the crop is safely harvested to protect quality in seasons where the later summer turns out to be wet.
Independent wheat expert, Dr Simon Penson of Campden BRI, one of the UKs leading food science centres which conducts quality testing for the industry, remains impartial on varieties but agrees that consistency is important for modern milling and baking demands.
Over the last 10 years, 81% of milling wheat used in the UK has been sourced domestically, he says, with 58% of this used in making white bread. The vast majority is used in the standard 800 g sliced white loaf, explains Dr Penson. That 800 g loaf needs to be the same dimensions very consistently so it fits the packaging and can be packed on supermarket shelves. What is important is baking consistency. Thats why millers have tight specifications, he adds.
Moreover, Dr Penson says while the core milling and baking characteristics of Hagbergs, grain protein, specific weight and endosperm texture can be influenced to varying degree by growing environment or crop nutrition, he says they are largely controlled by variety genetics.
Field characteristics do translate fairly well into what comes out of the mill. The reason specific weight is important is because well-filled dense grains will mill better, he adds.
For Hagbergs, Dr Penson says too low a Hagberg results in excess starch breakdown and so poor gas retention as the dough rises leading to pockets in the bread and, in turn, having an impact when trying to produce the uniform-sized loaf.
When you break down too much starch the loaf cant hold the gas and you end up with holes. You also get a very sticky crumb, which then leads to difficulty with slicing. Youre looking for small, even bubble size and a drier crumb. Some varieties in bad harvests will show a problem with Hagberg when tested over a few years.
Meanwhile, a hard endosperm texture of grain is important because it largely allows millers to increase water absorption of dough, he explains, while grain protein content is particularly important because protein is so important in trapping and retaining gas in the dough so when it rises, higher grain protein produces a higher volume of loaf.
Around 60% of baking quality can be explained by certain types of protein. Grain protein is laid down fairly early, so nutrition through the season is key. Baking is largely determined by genetics but environmental factors have an impact, he adds.
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