PRODUCTION PRACTICES IN WESTERN-AUSTRALIA FOR WHEATS SUITABLE FOR WHITE, SALTED NOODLES

Wheat cultivars acceptable for the Noodle wheat segregation in Western Australia were compared with cultivars suitable for the Australian St andard White (ASW) grade over the period 1989-93. Yield and grain qual ity responses to sowing time,nitrogen fertiliser, soil type, and cropp ing history were examined to determine management practices most likel y to result in wheat grain suitable for the production of white, salte d noodles. Thirty experiments were conducted in the 300-450 mm average annual rainfall zone between Three Springs in the north (approx. 29 d egrees 30'S) and Newdegate in the south (approx. 33 degrees 10'S). The ASW cultivars, Spear, Kulin, and Reeves, outyielded the Noodle cultiv ars, Gamenya and Eradu, by 8-10% on average, but the yield difference was less at later sowings. The optimum sowing time was early May for m ost cultivars. The new cultivars, Cadoux (Noodle) and Tammin (potentia l Noodle, but classified General Purpose), tested in 1992 and 1993 in 12 experiments showed an optimum sowing time of late May, as did other midseason cultivars. Grain yields of May-sown crops were increased by 13 kg for every 1 kg of nitrogen applied, compared with 3:1 for June- sown crops. Previous legume history of the site and grass weed control in the crop also influenced the grain protein percentage. It was conc luded that adoption of production guidelines that include sowing at, o r near, the break of the season with about 40 kg/ha of nitrogen fertil iser, a rotation that includes 2-3 years of legume crop or pasture in the previous 5 years, and adequate grass weed control will result in a n excellent chance (>80%) of producing grain proteins within the recei val standards for the Noodle grade. Flour swelling volume (FSV), an in dicator of noodle eating quality, was negatively correlated (not alway s significantly at P=0.05) with grain protein percentage in 7 out of 8 experiments. FSV values were larger from sites located in the south o f the study area and this appeared to be independent of protein and ti me-of-sowing effects. Small grain sievings (<2 mm) were increased by s owing after the end of May, especially in the longer season cultivars.