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Key message Over the last 32   years, a large gain in grain yield (24 %) was achieved in official German variety trials, and despite considerable loss in protein concentration (−7.9 %), winter wheat baking quality was partially improved over the last 32   years. On-farm gain in grain yield (32 %) exceeded gain in trials, but at yield level about 25   dt   ha −1 lower. Breeding progress was very successfully transferred into both progress in grain yield and on-farm baking quality. Long-term gains in grain yield and baking quality of 316 winter wheat varieties from German official trials were evaluated. We dissected progress into a genetic and a non-genetic part to quantify the contribution of genetic improvement. We further investigated the influence of genotype and environment on total variation by estimating variance components. We also estimated genetic and phenotypic correlation between quality traits. For trial data, we found a large gain in grain yield (24%), but a strong decline in protein concentration (−8.0%) and loaf volume (−8.5%) relative to 1983. Improvement of baking quality could be achieved for falling number (5.8%), sedimentation value (7.9%), hardness (13.4%), water absorption (1.2%) and milling yield (2.4%). Grain yield, falling number and protein concentration were highly influenced by environment, whereas for sedimentation value, hardness, water absorption and loaf volume genotypes accounted for more than 60% of total variation. Strong to very strong relations exist among protein concentration, sedimentation value, and loaf volume. On-farm yields were obtained from national statistics, and grain quality data from samples collected by national harvest survey. These on-farm data were compared with trial results. On-farm gain in grain yield was 31.6%, but at a mean level about 25 dt ha −1  lower. Improvement of on-farm quality exceeded trial results considerably. A shift to varieties with improved baking quality can be considered as the main reason for this remarkable improvement of on-farm baking quality.

Core Ideas Genomic selection applied for wheat quality in CIMMYT spring bread wheat breeding program. All wheat quality traits predicted and validated using forward genomic selection. Dough and loaf traits have moderately high predictive ability in CIMMYT breeding program. Genomic selection genetic gain 1.4 to 2.7 times higher than phenotypic selection. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars must possess suitable end‐use quality for release and consumer acceptability. However, breeding for quality traits is often considered a secondary target relative to yield largely because of amount of seed needed and expense. Without testing and selection, many undesirable materials are advanced, expending additional resources. Here, we develop and validate whole‐genome prediction models for end‐use quality phenotypes in the CIMMYT bread wheat breeding program. Model accuracy was tested using forward prediction on breeding lines (n = 5520) tested in unbalanced yield trials from 2009 to 2015 at Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. Quality parameters included test weight, 1000‐kernel weight, hardness, grain and flour protein, flour yield, sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation, Mixograph and Alveograph performance, and loaf volume. In general, prediction accuracy substantially increased over time as more data was available to train the model. Reflecting practical implementation of genomic selection (GS) in the breeding program, forward prediction accuracies (r) for quality parameters were assessed in 2015 and ranged from 0.32 (grain hardness) to 0.62 (mixing time). Increased selection intensity was possible with GS since more entries can be genotyped than phenotyped and expected genetic gain was 1.4 to 2.7 times higher across all traits than phenotypic selection. Given the limitations in measuring many lines for quality, we conclude that GS is a powerful tool to facilitate early generation selection for end‐use quality in wheat, leaving larger populations for selection on yield during advanced testing and leading to better gain for both quality and yield in bread wheat breeding programs.

Improvement of grain protein content (GPC), loaf volume, and resistance to rusts was achieved in 11 Indian wheat cultivars that are widely grown in four different agro-climatic zones of India. This involved use of marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB) for introgression and pyramiding of the following genes: (i) the high GPC gene Gpc-B1 ; (ii) HMW glutenin subunits 5 + 10 at Glu-D1 loci, and (iii) rust resistance genes, Yr36 , Yr15 , Lr24 , and Sr24 . GPC increased by 0.8 to 3.3%, although high GPC was generally associated with yield penalty. Further selection among high GPC lines allowed identification of progenies with higher GPC associated with improvement in 1000-grain weight and grain yield in the backgrounds of the following four cultivars: NI5439, UP2338, UP2382, and HUW468. The high GPC progenies (derived from NI5439) were also improved for grain quality using HMW glutenin subunits 5 + 10 at Glu-D1 loci. Similarly, progenies combining high GPC and rust resistance were obtained in the backgrounds of following five cultivars: Lok1, HD2967, PBW550, PBW621, and DBW1. The improved pre-bred lines developed following multi-institutional effort should prove a valuable source for the development of cultivars with improved nutritional quality and rust resistance in the ongoing wheat breeding programmes.

Grain, flour and bread quality parameters were investigated in one Polish and three Ukrainian triticale cultivars, selected as the most suitable for production of bread. The studies revealed large differences in some bread-making parameters. The farinographic parameters of the Ukrainian triticale cultivars were not worse than those of wheat, but the bread loaf volume was lower. The best triticale bread was obtained from the Polish cultivar Panteon, loaf volume and crumb porosity were the highest, in spite of weak results of the farinographic test. Reliability of parameters used for prediction of wheat bread quality in application to triticale is discussed. The laboratory baking is recommended for bakers, breeders and for cultivar testing as the safest method of the evaluation.

Manufacture of gluten-free products requires the use of preselected raw materials. The number of such ingredients is limited; therefore, the portfolio of gluten-free bread is less variable and attractive in terms of their appearance, taste and nutritional value in comparison with traditional bread. The aim of the study was to apply debittered acorn flour as a natural nutritional enrichment of gluten-free bakery products and to check its effects on rheological properties of the dough and quality and staling of the bread. The analysis of rheological properties of gluten-free dough supplemented with acorn flour exhibited significant increase in the moduli G′ and G″ and a decrease in phase shift tangent, which denotes firming of dough structure. Introduction of limited amounts of acorn flour caused an increase in bread volume and improved crumb characteristics. In consequence of a diminished starch retrogradation, the respective loaves exhibited slower staling. Bread supplemented with acorn flour exhibited improved sensory acceptance. The obtained results signify that the application of debittered acorn flour in gluten-free baking could be useful for nutritional reasons, as it enriches bread with protein, minerals and dietary fiber, but also because of its technological effects, including structure strengthening, and sensory improvement.

The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that may afflict even 12% of the European population. One of the ways to counteract IBS-related ailments is to implement a diet with reduced contents of fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs). The prevailing components from the FODMAPs group that may be found in rye bread include fructans. The study was conducted with endosperm and wholemeal rye flours. Dough was prepared from both flours with the use of two methods: I-stage method—with the addition of dry leavening—and II-stage method with the use of a sourdough produced with Lactobacillus plantarum, and all with fermentation times of 90, 120, 150, and 180 min. After baking, bread loaves were subjected to quality and consumer analysis and fructan content determination. The endosperm rye flour used for bread-making revealed better baking properties. Bread made of this flour had a higher loaf volume and received higher scores in the consumer assessment than bread made with wholemeal. Study results conclude that the content of fructans in bread was significantly affected by the dough-making method, and that it was decreased by the use of the sourdough. In contrast, the extended fermentation time of dough failed to reduce the fructan content of the bread.

Seaweeds are considered a promising ingredient to use in developing novel food products, due to their nutritional composition and richness in bioactive compounds. The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of four seaweeds (Chlorella vulgaris CH, Laminaria ochroleuca KO, Ulva spp. SL, Arthrospira platensis SP) enrichment (1%, 2.5%, 4%, flour basis) on technological performance and nutraceutical prospective of soft wheat bread. To do this, dough rheological properties measured by means of farinograph and consistograph parameters, baking response (loaf volume, colour, and porosity), and nutraceutical potential of bread (total soluble phenolic compounds, pigments, and antioxidant activity) were evaluated. Algae addition significantly decreased water absorption and development time, except to SL, and increased stability up to 2.5%, and tenacity for KO. In terms of bread properties, the specific volume was positively affected by SP addition, while negatively by KO enrichment; the porosity enhanced especially for SP and CH. Then, bread crumbs and crusts showed a darker and greener colour, especially for green algae. All seaweeds enriched breads showed significant higher phenolic compounds, chlorophylls a and b, and yellow pigment. At last, SP, SL, and CH at 4% level pointed out the highest antioxidant capacity. Our results suggested that the four algal biomasses could be a suitable ingredient in bread making, also in a perspective of a healthier and sustainable diet.

Key messageA novel approach based on the loaf volume–grain protein content relation is suggested to consider the static protein use efficiency and stability as efficient quality-related descriptors for wheat varieties.The most important trait for baking quality of winter wheat is loaf volume (V). It is mostly determined by grain protein content (GPC) and quality. New varieties with a high potential of grain protein use efficiency (ProtUE) are very important for reducing the surplus use of nitrogen fertilizer in areas where nitrogen leaching is large. This is also an important goal of agricultural policies in the European Union. Additionally, ProtUE needs to be very stable across environments in the face of progressing climate change with more volatile growing conditions. We evaluated a new approach to assess ProtUE and stability based on the V–GPC relationship instead of using only single traits. The study comprised 11,775 baking tests from 355 varieties grown 1988–2019 in 668 different environments in Germany. V was predicted by quadratic and linear regression functions for quality groups, indicating a reduction of ProtUE from 1988 to 2019. We introduced a dynamic and a static approach to assess ProtUE and stability as potential criteria in variety registration. We found a considerably lower heritability of the dynamic ProtUE (h2 = 43%) compared to the static ProtUE (h2 = 92%) and a lower dynamic stability (h2 = 32%) than for the static stability (h2 = 51%). None of these measures is in conflict with the selection for high V. In particular, V and static ProtUE are strongly genetically associated (r = 0.81), indicating an advantage of the static over the dynamic approach.

The use of bacterial or fungal α-amylases is common in wheat bread production to improve several quality-related parameters such as loaf volume, crust color or staling behavior. To study the impact of exogenous α-amylases on straight dough wheat bread, we quantitated mono-, di- and oligosaccharides and residual α-amylase activity in bread crumb during storage for up to 96 h. Discovery-driven proteomics of the five α-amylase preparations studied showed that only a few different amylases per preparation were responsible for the hydrolytic effect. Compared to the control, the supplementation with α-amylase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in wheat dough preparation led to major changes in the sugar composition of bread crumb during storage with the formation of oligosaccharides like maltopentaose, maltohexaose, maltoheptaose, and maltooctaose. A residual activity corresponding to 4.0% of the applied activity was determined in the breads prepared with α-amylase from B. amyloliquefaciens, but no residual activity was detected for any of the other fungal or bacterial α-amylases from Aspergillus oryzae or Thermoactinomyces vulgaris. Whether the detected residual activity is related to the characteristics of bread staling or bread crumb properties must be clarified in further studies.

The study investigated the effect of sourdough made from combinations of four Lactobacillus spp. on the physicochemical properties, consumer acceptability, and shelf life of bread made from pearl millet flour. Fermentation based on both single and multiple species reduced the pH of the dough and increased its titratable acidity and H2O2 content. The addition of sourdough increased the elasticity and reduced the stiffness of the pearl millet dough. Sourdough fermented with L. brevis had the greatest effect on loaf height, specific volume, porosity, and moisture content. During storage, the moisture content of the bread crumb decreased, but that of their crust increased. Sourdough-based loaves retained their moisture better than conventional loaves and the sourdough suppressed the development of mold for a longer period. An organoleptic assessment showed that the sourdough-based bread was more palatable than either conventional or chemically acidified ones. The tissue softness, chewiness, and flavor of the pearl millet bread decreased during storage. The use of sourdough based on either L. brevis, L. paralimentarius, or L. brevis + L. paralimentarius is recommended to produce high-quality pearl millet-based bread.