[Protein screening in wheat and broad bean specimens in Gatersleben]

Actually and in future times plant proteins will constitute the main and primary source of proteins in animal feeding and human alimentation. Therefore, the main efforts to resolve the world nutrition problems are focused on the increase of the protein production and the improvement of the nutritional quality of plant seed proteins. In this regard plant breeding occupies one of the most important strategic positions. With the aim of selecting forms with elevated grain protein content and improved protein quality the systematic screening of collections of wild forms and cultivated cereals and leguminoses constitutes a pre-requisite of successful breeding work in relation to the above-mentioned task. In 1970 the Central Institute of Genetics and Investigation of Cultivated Plants at Gatersleben, GDR, belonging to the Academy of Sciences, started a systematic protein screening with about 10000 wheat, 6500 barley and 450 broad bean specimens, which are parts of the World Collection of Cultivated Plants at this institute. Protein determination was performed by the traditional KJELDAHL-method. Limiting amino acids, essentially lysin from cereal grains, were estimated by automatic ion exchange technique. The annual analytic capacity amounted to 6000 to 8000 samples. First results and problems of wheat- and broad bean-screening are reported in the present publication.