Effect of Climate Change on Wheat Quality and HMW Glutenin Subunit Composition in the Pannonian Plain

Abstract

The primary goal of this study is to improve our understanding of the extent of influence of climatic factors in Serbia and high-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (HMW-GS) composition upon wheat end-use quality. In-depth analyses were performed on four bread wheat cultivars that are the most common in agricultural practice in Serbia. Total glutenin content showed significant difference between the production years, in opposition to gliadins. Cluster analysis of different percentages of glutenin and gliadin subunit molecular weight ranges (<40,000, 40,000–80,000, 81,000–120,000, and >120,000) indicated that the year of production and the cultivar did not have a significant effect on the percentage ranges for glutenins. However, they had a considerable impact on the percentage ranges for gliadins. Production year and the interaction of year and cultivar had the strongest influences on the percentage of SDS-unextractable polymeric proteins. A synergistic effect of the HMW-GS composition and climatic conditions revealed that all eight samples with HMW-GS composition 2*, 5 + 10, 7 + 9 along with the highest Glu 1 score of 9 (out of a maximum of 10) produced in the year 2011 belonged to two clusters with the best wheat end-use quality. Furthermore, the climate conditions in 2011 made it possible for the wheat cultivars with HMW-GS composition –, 2 + 12, 7 + 9 to possess similar qualities as cultivars with HMW-GS composition 2*, 5 + 10, 7 + 9 produced in 2012.