Sensory, yield and quality differences between organically and conventionally grown winter wheat

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Food Science
• Sensory Analysis

Background:

• Consumer expectations link organic produce to superior environmental, health, and sensory qualities.
• The 'DOK' long-term farming system trial in Switzerland compares bio-dynamic, bio-organic, and conventional winter wheat.
• Previous research indicates potential differences in produce quality based on farming methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sensory differences in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Runal) grown under different farming systems (bio-dynamic, bio-organic, conventional).
• To assess yield and quality parameters of wheat from the 'DOK' trial across multiple harvest years.
• To determine if farming systems influence the sensory attributes of wholemeal flour.

Main Methods:

• Double-blinded triangle tests were conducted with two sensory panels.
• Testing utilized dry wholemeal flour from wheat harvested in 2006, 2007, and 2009.
• Wheat was sourced from field replicates within the 'DOK' long-term farming system comparison trial.

Main Results:

• Significant farming system effects were observed for yield (up to 42% reduction in organic systems), thousand kernel weight, hectolitre weight, and crude protein content.
• One out of 12 pair-wise farming system comparisons (PFSCs) showed significant sensory differentiation between bio-dynamically and conventionally grown wheat.
• Aggregated data across three harvest years and two panels indicated a statistically significant effect of PFSCs on correct sensory identification (P = 0.045).

Conclusions:

• Sensory differences between wheat grown under different farming systems can be detected, despite challenges with dry wholemeal flour testing.
• The study provides evidence that farming practices can impact the sensory characteristics of wheat.
• Further research may explore optimal methods for sensory evaluation of dry grain products.