Study Reveals Extreme Dwarfism in Wheat Impairs Gluten Composition and Baking Quality

A recent study by the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (LSB) and the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) has found that extremely dwarf wheat, a variety developed during the Green Revolution to increase yields and prevent wind damage, has a less favorable gluten composition. As a result, it produces flour with poorer baking properties than semi-dwarf, dwarf, or tall wild-type wheat.

The introduction of so-called dwarfing genes (Reduced height-Rht genes) during the "Green Revolution" in the 1960s is considered a milestone in agriculture. These genes ensure that wheat plants are shorter and therefore less susceptible to wind damage (lodging). They can also invest more energy in grain filling, which can significantly increase yields. Over 70% of all wheat grown globally today contains at least one of the dwarfing genes responsible for its short stature.

Research on dwarfism genes in wheat shows that while common genes have little effect on gluten, those causing extreme dwarfism can negatively alter the gliadin-glutenin ratio, making the dough too soft, leading to poorer baking quality. However, the study found that environmental factors, particularly warm and humid conditions during grain filling, had an even greater negative impact on gluten composition.

For more details, read the article on the LSB website.