End-use quality of six hard red spring wheat cultivars at different irrigation levels

Moisture stress is an environmental factor that may influence end-use quali ty of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The objective of this study was to eval uate the effects of moisture stress on end-use quality of hard red spring w heat cultivars differing in adaptation to moisture stress. Six hard red spr ing wheat cultivars were grown in 1992 and 1993 near Aberdeen, ID under a l ine-source irrigation system used to apply differential amounts of water du ring the period from tillering through anthesis. Protein content, hour yiel d, dough rheological properties, and breadmaking quality of grain were eval uated across differential levels of moisture stress. Cultivar effects accou nted for more variation in end-use quality than cultivar x irrigation inter actions. Cultivars differed in magnitude of end-use quality response to moi sture stress applied through anthesis, which changed cultivar rankings for flour protein, flour yield, mixograph peak height, mixograph tolerance, mix ing time, and loaf volume. Differences in the relationship of loaf volume t o protein were observed among cultivars. Identification of cultivars with s table end-use quality requires evaluation across a range of protein content s, which are produced by differential soil moisture availability.