Processing and Bread-Making Quality Profile of Spanish Spelt Wheat

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Food Science
• Genetics

Background:

• Spelt wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ssp. spelta Thell.) is an ancient cereal grain with a history of cultivation spanning centuries.
• Despite a historical decline, there is a growing interest in spelt for its perceived natural and traditional food qualities, leading to a crop revival.
• Traditional spelt varieties have been underrepresented in research compared to modern wheat cultivars.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the milling, processing, and bread-making quality of traditional Spanish spelt genotypes.
• To compare the quality traits of traditional spelt with common wheat cultivars and a modern spelt variety.
• To assess the potential of traditional spelt genotypes for future crop improvement and breeding programs.

Main Methods:

• Cultivation of 88 traditional spelt genotypes, 9 common wheat cultivars, and 1 modern spelt variety over two years in Andalucia, Spain.
• Measurement of various traits related to grain quality, including protein content, gluten extensibility (alveograph P/L), and gluten strength (alveograph W).
• Conducting baking tests to assess end-use quality and bread-making performance.

Main Results:

• Spelt genotypes generally exhibited softer grains, higher protein content (average 14.3% vs. 11.9% in common wheat), and greater gluten extensibility (P/L 0.5 vs. 1.8) but lower gluten strength (W 187 vs. 438 × 10^-4 J) compared to common wheat.
• Baking test results indicated similar performance between spelt and common wheat species.
• Significant variation was observed across the studied spelt genotypes for all measured traits, with some genotypes surpassing common wheat in specific quality parameters.

Conclusions:

• Traditional Spanish spelt genotypes possess distinct quality attributes compared to common wheat, particularly in protein content and gluten characteristics.
• The wide variability within traditional spelt germplasm presents valuable opportunities for breeding programs aiming to develop new spelt or common wheat cultivars with enhanced traits.
• The revival of spelt cultivation is supported by its unique characteristics and the potential for genetic improvement through the study of traditional varieties.