Effect of Climatic Conditions on Wheat Starch Granule Size Distribution, Gelatinization and Flour Pasting Properties

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different varieties, year and location of growing, and their interactions, on wheat starch and flour properties, and to analyze the relationship between these attributes. The set of 92 wheat samples chosen to cover wide ranges in the parameters commonly used for the assessment of wheat flour and starch properties was reduced to a representative set of 27 samples. The obtained results showed that wheat variety and year significantly affected maximum viscosity (MV), alpha–amylase activity (AA), amylose content (AM), volume proportion of A-, B- and C-starch granules, as well as gelatinization temperatures, while the year and location by year interaction had a significant effect on the falling number (FN). In this work, a number of significant correlations were observed among analyzed starch and flour properties. AA was mostly influenced by the changes in packing of starch granules and granule size distribution, while gelatinization temperatures were affected by particle size distribution. Additionally, when testing the suitability of the parameters for the estimation of alpha–amylase activity, it was determined that Amylograph was more reliable in predicting alpha–amylase than FN because it provided a better description of the state of flour starch complex.