Morphological,Physical, and Chemical Properties of Grain and Flour from Chalky Rice Mutants

Morphological, physical, and chemical properties of grain and flour of 20 chalky rice mutants were compared with those of a translucent parental cultivar, Koshihikari. Compound starch granules were loosely packed and single starch granules were observed in chalky parts of mutant endosperm. Chalky mutant lines were classified into milky‐white and white‐core lines based on the degree of endosperm chalkiness. Physical and chemical characteristics also suggest a division of chalky mutant lines into two groups, consistent with the classification made based on morphological characteristics. Milky‐white mutant lines showed significantly lower grain weight, decreased starch content, and lower grain hardness than white‐core mutants and Koshihikari. Rice flour prepared from milky‐white mutants by dry milling showed less starch damage and finer mean particle size than white‐core mutants and the parent. These results indicated that a loosely packed structure in chalky endosperm was responsible for fragile grain and that it yielded fine flour with lower damaged starch contents. Decreased starch contents of chalky mutant lines correlated to lower RVA viscosities. Milky‐white mutant lines were expected to be useful to produce fine flour, which undergoes less starch damage during dry milling processing.     

优质小麦子粒淀粉组成与糊化特性对氮素水平的响应

在大田条件下,选用3个不同类型优质小麦品种: 豫麦47（强筋品种）、山农8355（中筋品种）和豫麦50（弱筋品种）,设置3个氮肥水平: 施N 0、15和30 g/m2,研究了小麦子粒淀粉的粒度分布、直支链淀粉组成、糊化特性及其对氮素水平的响应。结果表明,优质小麦子粒中淀粉粒的粒径分布范围为1～45 μm,其数目分布呈单峰或双峰曲线变化,体积和表面积分布均呈双峰曲线变化,峰谷位于10 μm处; 据此可将淀粉粒分为两种类型: A型大淀粉粒（10～45 μm）和B型小淀粉粒（1～10 μm）。优质小麦子粒淀粉粒组成存在显著的基因型差异。强筋品种豫麦47子粒中B型淀粉粒的比例较高,弱筋品种豫麦50子粒中A型淀粉粒的比例较高,中筋品种山农8355居中。施氮水平对优质小麦子粒中淀粉的粒度分布存在显著影响。在本试验条件下,随氮素水平的提高,强筋品种豫麦47子粒中A型淀粉粒的比例提高,而B型淀粉粒的比例下降; 增施氮肥后弱筋品种豫麦50和中筋品种山农8355子粒中B型淀粉粒的比例增大,而A型淀粉粒的比例降低,且前者变化的幅度较大。适量增施氮肥提高优质小麦子粒中的淀粉含量,氮肥用量进一步增大后,淀粉含量降低; 增施氮肥后优质小麦子粒中直链淀粉含量降低。增施氮肥对优质小麦子粒淀粉的糊化特性存在较大影响,且此影响的趋势因基因型和施氮量而异。其中强筋品种豫麦47表现为低谷粘度、最终粘度、反弹值、糊化温度和峰值时间提高,而高峰粘度和稀懈值降低; 当氮肥用量增大至30 g/m2时,糊化温度和峰值时间降低,而以粘度为单位的参数均提高。弱筋品种豫麦50表现为增施氮肥后,RVA参数呈下降趋势,与之相对应中筋品种山农8355的呈上升趋势。相关性分析表明,B型淀粉粒的数目、体积和表面积比例与高峰粘度和稀懈值存在显著正相关; 与低谷粘度、最终粘度和反弹值存在显著负相关。子粒中直链淀粉含量、支链淀粉含量和总淀粉含量与高峰粘度和稀懈值呈显著负相关,与低谷粘度、最终粘度、反弹值和峰值时间呈一定程度正相关; 直链淀粉相对含量与RVA特征参数之间的相关趋势与子粒中直链淀粉含量的趋势一致,但均未达显著水平。由此可以认为,氮肥通过调控小麦子粒中淀粉的直、支链组成和粒度分布而影响其糊化特性。     

Amyloplast Formation and Starch Granule Development in Hard Red Winter Wheat

Plastids in the coenocytic endosperm of young wheat caryopses were mostly in the form of pleomorphic proplastids with a few of the plastids containing small starch granules. Following cellularization of the coenocytic cytoplasm, the outer one or two endosperm cell layers became meristematic and continued to divide until about 14 days after flowering (DAF). During the first week of endosperm development, newly divided cells had plastids that were pleomorphic in shape, while subaleurone cells interior to the meristematic region contained amyloplasts that contained a single‐size class of starch granules (incipient A‐type starch granules). The pleomorphic plastids exhibited tubular protrusions that extended a considerable distance through the cytoplasm. Amyloplasts in cells interior to the meristematic region did not exhibit protrusions. Both subaleurone and central endosperm cells had amyloplasts that exhibited protrusions at 10–12 DAF, and some of the protrusions contained small starch granules (incipient B‐type starch granules). Protrusions were not observed in endosperm amyloplasts at 14 DAF. Two sizes of starch, large A‐type and smaller B‐type granules were present within the cells, however. Amyloplast protrusions were numerous again at 17 DAF in both subaleurone and central endosperm cells; at 21 DAF, a third size class of small C‐type starch granules was observed in the cytoplasm. Amyloplasts in the endosperm of wheat apparently divided and increased in number through protrusions because binary fission typical of plastid division was never observed. Protrusions were observed in the coenocytic cytoplasm, in dividing cells, in subaleurone and central endosperm cells at 10–12 DAF, and in subaleurone and central endosperm cells at 17 DAF. The results suggest that there are three sizes of starch granules produced at specific times during wheat endosperm development.     

Effects of Growing Environment on Properties of Starch from Five Australian Wheat Varieties

The effects of growing conditions on properties of starch from wheat grain were examined. Growing conditions affected starch and amylose content, granule size distribution, protein associated with starch granules, and starch swelling power in grains from five commercial Australian milling wheat varieties grown at multiple locations in two years in crop production systems. Soil nitrogen and meteorological conditions were major contributors to variability in grain yield and grain protein and starch contents. The volume proportion of B‐granules was positively affected by warmer temperatures before flowering but negatively correlated with high temperatures during grain filling. Genotype was the main source of variability in the proportion of B‐granules and granule dimensions, starch‐granule proteins, and starch swelling power, although there were also significant contributions to variability from the growing conditions. Seasonal effects and interactions between genotype and season and location were significant sources of variability in amylose content, proportion of short chains of amylopectin, and flour swelling power. The positive relationships between starch content and the number of clear days and atmospheric temperatures before flowering indicate that conditions that enhance accumulation of assimilates before anthesis influence the deposition of reserves in developing grain.     

不同肥力土壤下施氮量对小麦子粒产量和品质的影响

在高、低两种肥力土壤下,研究了施氮量对小麦子粒产量和综合品质性状的影响。结果表明,在高肥力土壤施氮量对产量的影响呈二次曲线关系,获得小麦高产的适宜施氮量J17为193.0kg/hm2,L21为211.4kg/hm2;在低肥力土壤上,随施氮量的提高子粒产量增加,但施氮量超过300kg/hm2时增产效应下降。施氮能够显著提高小麦子粒的蛋白质、湿面筋含量和沉降值,改变子粒蛋白质和淀粉各组分所占的比例,提高面团吸水率、稳定时间、形成时间和评价值等品质指标,以及有利于小麦粉RVA谱特征值的提高,而且高肥力土壤的效果优于低肥力土壤。表明在高肥力土壤下有利于强筋小麦品质性状的提高。     

Ultrastructure of Developing Hard and Soft Red Winter Wheats After Air- and Freeze-Drying and Its Relationship to Endosperm Texture

A transmission electron microscopic study was conducted on air- and freeze-dried developing wheat to determine the effects of drying on the structure of the starchy endosperm. Field-grown hard red winter wheat (Karl) and soft red winter wheat (Clark) were harvested at 15, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, and 35 days after flowering (DAF). Wheat was dried by either air-drying in the spike at 28°C or freeze-drying following freezing in liquid nitrogen. Dried wheat was prepared for microscopy. Fresh samples of Karl and Clark were also harvested on the same days and prepared immediately for microscopy. The method of drying greatly affected cellular ultrastructure. The most pronounced change upon air-drying of developing samples was disappearance of individual protein bodies and conversion of the cytoplasm into a matrix-like material similar in appearance to storage protein matrix found in mature wheat endosperm. Freeze-dried wheats maintained nearly natural ultrastructure but exhibited various amounts of freeze damage. Conversion of protein bodies to a matrix was not observed in freeze-dried samples. The results suggest that hardness develops as a result of endosperm senescence rather than accumulation of particular grain components. Senescence may cause changes in the starch granule surface such that surrounding components bind tightly in hard wheats, whereas the binding is weaker in soft wheats. Therefore, the surface of starch granules might be more important than components the starch granules bind to in determining hardness.     

Impact of Fusarium culmorum on the polysaccharides of wheat flour

To assess the effects of Fusarium infection on the polysaccharides of winter wheat grain (Triticum aestivum L.), grain samples obtained from plants artificially inoculated with Fusarium culmorum were analyzed. Microscopy revealed obvious damage to the starch granules in the seriously infected samples. The Fusarium infection had no analytically detectable influence on the starch and total insoluble dietary fiber content of the wheat grain. There were significantly positive relationships between alpha-amylase activity, cellulase activity, total soluble dietary fiber content, pentosan content, and degree of infection quantified by an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay, which would indicate the importance of fungal enzymes. A distinct higher Hagberg falling number (FN) was determined in the seriously infected samples, while the viscosity and sucrose content of the flour decreased. However, the addition of a liquid medium contaminated with F. culmorum led to a significant decrease in the FN. Depending on the type of buffer used, the alpha-amylase of F. culmorum demonstrated its maximum activity between pH 5.5 and pH 7.0 at 30-50 degrees C. Remarkably, this fungal alpha-amylase showed a thermostable characteristic and was active over a wide range of temperatures, from 10 to 100 degrees C. This type of thermostability suggests that the alpha-amylase of F. culmorum may damage starch granules throughout the processing of wheat flour, thereby inducing weak dough properties and unsatisfactory bread quality.     

Composition and Quality of Wheat Grown Under Different Shoot and Root Temperatures During Maturation

Diminished quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) from high temperature during maturation is usually attributed to direct effects of the stress on the shoots or grain. However, the upper soil temperature approaches the air temperature, and roots are highly sensitive and interact profoundly with other plant parts. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of differential shoot and root temperatures on quality of hard red spring wheat (cv. Len). Plants were grown in hydroponic containers at 15/10°C day/night until 10 days after anthesis, when shoot/root treatments of 15/15°C, 15/30°C, 30/15°C, and 30/30°C were imposed until the grain ripened. Both high shoot and high root temperature affected quality of the grain. Kernel size and weight were diminished more by high root than by high shoot temperature, but flour yield was decreased significantly only by the 30/30°C treatment. The percentage of starch in B granules was reduced by high shoot temperature, and the diameter of A granules was decreased by all heat treatments. Amylose concentration was increased by high temperatures of both shoot and root, resulting in decreased pasting characteristics. Flour protein increased after all heat treatments, but high shoot temperature decreased the polymer‐to‐monomer ratio and unextractable polymeric protein and it affected dough mixing. We concluded that stress on roots directly affects properties of the grain that are important for milling and baking.     

Associations of Starch Gel Hardness,Granule Size,Waxy Allelic Expression,Thermal Pasting,Milling Quality,and Kernel Texture of 12 Soft Wheat Cultivars

Starches were isolated from 12 soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars and were characterized for waxy (Wx) allelic expression, thermal pasting characteristics, and starch granule size. Gels were produced from the thermally degraded starches and were evaluated using large deformation rheological measurements. Data were compared with cultivar kernel texture, milling characteristics, starch chemical analyses, and flour pasting characteristics. Larger flour yields were produced from cultivars that had larger starch granules. Flour yield also was correlated with lower amylose content and greater starch content. Harder starch gels were correlated with higher levels of amylose content and softer kernel texture. The cultivar Fillmore, which had a partial waxy mutation at the B locus, produced the highest peak pasting viscosity and the lowest gel hardness. Softer textured wheats had greater lipid‐complexed amylose and starch phosphorus contents and had less total starch content. Among these wheats of the soft market class, softer textured wheats had larger starch granules and harder textured wheats had smaller starch granules. In part, this may explain why soft wheats vary in texture. The smaller granules have larger surface area available for noncovalent bonding with the endosperm protein matrix and they also may pack more efficiently, producing harder endosperm.     

Observations on the Quality Characteristics of Waxy (Amylose‐Free) Winter Wheats

Previous investigations have suggested waxy (amylose‐free) wheats (Triticum aestivum L.) possess weak gluten properties and may not be suitable for commercial gluten extraction. This limitation could prevent the use of waxy wheat as a source of unique starch, because gluten is a by‐product of the wheat starch purification process. Fifty waxy wheat lines were used to determine the extent to which gluten protein and other grain quality related traits might vary and, consequently, allow the development of waxy wheat with acceptable gluten properties. Among the waxy lines, significant variation was observed for all measured quality traits with the exception of flour protein concentration. No waxy entries statistically equaled the highest ranking nonwaxy entry for grain volume weight, falling number, flour yield, or mixograph mix time. No waxy lines numerically exceeded or equaled the mean of the nonwaxy controls for falling number, flour yield, or mixograph mix time. For grain and flour protein related variables, however, many waxy lines were identified well within the range of acceptability, relative to the nonwaxy controls used in this study. Approximately 50% of the waxy lines did not differ from the highest ranking nonwaxy cultivar for grain and flour protein concentrations. Forty‐three (86%) of the tested waxy lines were not sig‐nificantly different from the nonwaxy line with the highest mixograph mixing tolerance, 22/50 (44%) of the waxy wheat lines did not differ from the highest ranking nonwaxy line in gluten index scores, and 17/50 (34%) did not differ from the highest ranking nonwaxy line in extracted wet gluten. All waxy experimental lines produced gluten via Glutomatic washing. The quality of the gluten, as measured both by mixograph and gluten index, varied widely among the waxy lines tested. These observations suggest that weak gluten is not a natural consequence of the waxy trait, and waxy cultivars with acceptable gluten properties can be developed.     

Effects of Varying Weight Ratios of Large and Small Wheat Starch Granules on Experimental Straight‐Dough Bread

One commercial bread wheat flour with medium strength (11.3% protein content, 14% mb) was fractionated into starch, gluten, and water solubles by hand‐washing. The starch fraction was separated further into large and small granules by repeated sedimentation. Large (10–40 μm diameter) and small (1–15 μm diameter) starch fractions were examined. Flour fractions were reconstituted to original levels in the flour using composites of varying weight percentages of starch granules: 0% small granules (100% large granules), 30, 60, and 100% (0% large granules). A modified straight‐dough method was used in an experimental baking test. Crumb grain and texture were significantly affected. The bread made from the reconstituted flour with 30% small granules and 70% large granules starch had the highest crumb grain score (4.0, subjective method), the highest peak fineness value (1,029), and the second‐highest elongation ratio (1.55). Inferior crumb grain scores and low fineness and elongation ratios were observed in breads made from flours with starch fractions with 100% small granules or 100% large granules. As the proportion of small granules increased in the reconstituted flour, it yielded bread with softer texture that was better maintained than the bread made from the reconstituted reference flour during storage.     

Separation and Characterization of A- and B-Type Starch Granules in Wheat Endosperm

Mature wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) endosperm contains two types of starch granules: large A-type and small B-type. Two methods, microsieving or centrifugal sedimentation through aqueous solutions of sucrose, maltose, or Percoll were used to separate A- and B-type starch granules. Microsieving could not completely separate the two types of starch granules, while centrifuging through maltose and sucrose solutions gave a homogenous population for B-type starch granules only. Centrifuging through two Percoll solutions (70 and 100%, v/v) produced purified populations of both the A- and B-type starch granules. Analysis of starch granule size distribution in the purified A- and B-type granule populations and in the whole-starch granule population obtained directly from wheat endosperm confirmed that the purified A- and B-type starch granule populations represented their counterparts in mature wheat endosperm. Centrifugations through two Percoll solutions were used to purify A- and B-type starch granule populations from six wheat cultivars. The amylose concentrations and gelatinization properties of these populations were analyzed. All of the A-type starch granules contained higher amylose concentrations and had higher gelatinization enthalpies than did B-type starch granules. Although A- and B-type starch granules started to gelatinize at a similar temperature, B-type starch granules had higher gelatinization peak and completion temperatures than did A-type starch granules     

Survey of White Salted Noodle Quality Characteristics in Wheat Landraces

The introduction of novel quality characteristics from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) landraces can enhance the genetic diversity of current wheat breeding programs. The composition of starch and protein in wheat is important when determining the end‐product quality, particularly for white salted noodles (WSN). Quality characteristics that contribute to the production of improved WSN include high starch pasting peak viscosity, low amylose content, high proportion of A‐type granules, low protein content, soft grain texture, and high protein quality as measured by SDS sedimentation volume. A survey of 133 wheat landraces from Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Syria, and Turkey was conducted to examine the genetic variability of starch and protein quality characteristics. Two wheat cultivars, Rosella and Meering, were used as the quality controls. The variation in starch pasting peak viscosities observed among the wheat landraces had a range of 175–295 Rapid Visco Analyser units (RVU), where 52 of the landraces were not significantly different from Rosella, a commercial soft grain wheat with high pasting properties. The amylose content of the landrace population was 23.4–30.2%, where 17 landraces had significantly lower values than Rosella. The proportion of A‐type granules was 60.5–73.9%, where 112 landraces had significantly higher values than Rosella. The grain texture hardness score was 28.0–99.3, the total protein content was 8.0–15.1%, and the adjusted SDS sedimentation volume (SDS/protein) was 1.6–7.0 mL/%P. The landrace AUS4635 had high starch pasting peak viscosity, high breakdown, low amylose content, low protein content, soft grain texture, and high protein quality flour. This wheat is an ideal parent to use in a breeding program that increases the genetic variation available to develop cultivars with high‐quality WSN characteristics.     

水稻胚乳淀粉合成及其育种应用

淀粉是稻米胚乳的主要组成成分,具有重要的生物学功能和经济价值。籽粒胚乳淀粉合成和贮藏于一种异质化的质体中,即淀粉体。而籽粒形成期,胚乳中富集大量淀粉以充实淀粉体胞内空间并形成晶体状的淀粉颗粒,因此胚乳淀粉组成和结构会极大地影响稻米产量和食味品质的形成。本文综述了胚乳淀粉合成的分子途径,改良稻米产量和食味品质的分子策略,以期为优质稻米育种实践提供一定的理论依据。     

间作和施氮对小麦和蚕豆籽粒淀粉及蛋白质含量的影响

  【目的】  探明小麦/蚕豆间作下作物籽粒淀粉和蛋白质含量的变化特征及其对氮肥施用的响应。  【方法】  小麦/蚕豆间作田间试验于2019和2020年在云南昆明进行,供试小麦品种为云麦52 (Triticum aestivum L.),蚕豆品种为玉溪大粒豆(Vicia faba L.)。种植模式包括小麦单作、蚕豆单作、小麦蚕豆间作。每个种植模式均设4个施氮水平,小麦分别为N 0、90、180、270 kg/hm2,蚕豆分别为N 0、45、90、135 kg/hm2。成熟期测定了小麦和蚕豆籽粒淀粉和蛋白质含量。  【结果】  随着氮肥施用量的增加,单作、间作小麦籽粒的淀粉含量均显著降低。在4个施氮水平下,2019和2020年间作小麦较单作小麦籽粒总淀粉含量分别提高了10%和22%,支链淀粉含量分别提高了5%和18%,直链淀粉含量分别提高了18%和28%。间作蚕豆相较于单作蚕豆显著降低了籽粒支链、直链和总淀粉含量,且年际间变异较大。2019和2020年间作小麦籽粒总蛋白含量较单作小麦分别提高了5%和6%,醇溶蛋白含量分别提高了9%和15%;蚕豆间作也较单作提高了两年的蚕豆籽粒球蛋白含量和2019年的醇溶蛋白含量,但对蚕豆籽粒总蛋白及其它蛋白组分含量无明显影响。  【结论】  小麦蚕豆间作有利于提高小麦籽粒蛋白质和淀粉含量,而对蚕豆籽粒蛋白质含量几乎无影响,因此,间作是一种具有品质优势的种植模式。     

Size Distribution and Properties of Wheat Starch Granules in Relation to Crumb Grain Score of Pup‐Loaf Bread

Twelve hard winter wheat flours with protein contents of 11.8–13.6% (14% mb) were selected to investigate starch properties associated with the crumb grain score of experimentally baked pup‐loaf bread. The 12 flours were classified in four groups depending on the crumb grain scores, which ranged from 1 (questionable‐unsatisfactory) to 4 (satisfactory). Flours in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 produced breads with pup‐loaf volumes of 910–1,035, 1,000–1,005, 950–1,025, and 955–1,010 cm³, respectively. Starches were isolated by a dough handwashing method and purified by washing to give 75–79% combined yield (dry flour basis) of prime (62–71%) and tailing (7–16%) starches. The prime starch was fractionated further into large A‐granules and small B‐granules by repeated sedimentation in aqueous slurry. All starches were assayed for weight percentage of B‐granules, swelling power (92.5°C), amylose content, and granular size distribution by quantitative digital image analysis. A positive linear correlation was found between the crumb grain scores and the A‐granule sizes (r = 0.65, P < 0.05), and a polynomial relationship (R² = 0.45, P < 0.05) occurred between the score and the weight percentage of B‐granule starch. The best crumb grain score was obtained when a flour had a weight percentage of B‐granules of 19.8–22.5%, shown by varietal effects.     

Factors Controlling Gas Cell Failure in Bread Dough

Stress relaxation in the wall of a gas bubble, as measured by the alveograph, was used to study surface tension at the gas-dough interface of doughs from flours producing differing bread crumb grains. The surface tensions in the various wheat flour doughs were not different. Dough rheological properties, as measured by both dynamic oscillatory rheometry and lubricated uniaxial compression, were not different for doughs made from wheat flours that gave breads with different crumb grains. However, when the effect of starch granule size on gas cell wall stability was tested, the presence of a greater proportion of large starch granules in wheat flour dough was sufficient to result in gas cell coalescence and open crumb grain in the final baked product. This suggests that starch granule size is at least one of the factors that affects the crumb grain of bread.     

Influence of Cooking Conditions on the Protein Matrix of Sorghum and Maize Endosperm Flours

To understand the influence of the sorghum and maize endosperm protein matrix honeycomb structure on starch hydrolysis in flours, three‐dimensional fluorescence microscopy was applied to floury and vitreous endosperm flours cooked under various conditions. Cooking caused the collapse and matting of the sorghum and maize vitreous endosperm matrices, with the effect being greater in sorghum. The effect of cooking was rather different in the floury endosperm in that the protein matrices expanded and broke up to some extent. These effects were a consequence of expansion of the starch granules through water uptake during gelatinization. Cooking in the presence of 2‐mercaptoethanol caused an expansion of the vitreous endosperm matrix mesh due to breakage of disulfide bonds in the protein matrix. Mercaptoethanol also caused an increase in the proportion of β‐sheet structure relative to α‐helical structure of the endosperm proteins. Increased energy of cooking caused collapse of the sorghum matrix. Disulfide bonding and an increase in β‐sheet structure occurred with cooking, with the increase in disulfide bonding being greatest in sorghum vitreous endosperm. The tendency for the sorghum protein matrix to collapse and mat more with cooking than the maize matrix appears to be due to greater disulfide bonding. This is responsible for the observed low starch digestibility of cooked sorghum flour as a result of the more disulfide‐bonded protein matrix limiting the expansion of the starch granules and hence amylase access.     

Effects of Wheat Starch Granule Size Distribution on Qualities of Chinese Steamed Bread and Raw White Noodles

Starch is a crucial component determining the processing quality of wheat‐based products such as Chinese steamed bread (CSB) and raw white noodles (RWN). Flour from wheat cultivar Zhongmai 175 was used for fractionation into starch, gluten, and water solubles by hand washing. The starch fraction was successfully separated into large (>10 μm diameter) and small starch granules (<10 μm diameter) by repeated sedimentation. Flour fractions were reconstituted to original levels in the flour by using constant gluten and water solubles and varying the weight ratio of large and small starch granules. As the proportion of small granules increased in the reconstituted flours, farinograph water absorption increased, and amylose content, pasting peak viscosity, trough, and final viscosity decreased. Starch granule size distribution significantly affected processing quality of CSB and RWN. Superior crumb structure score (12.0) was observed in CSB made from reconstituted flour with 35% small starch granules. CSB made from reconstituted flours with 30 and 35% small starch granules exhibited the highest total scores, with values of 85.4 and 83.3, respectively. Significant improvements in color, viscoelasticity, and smoothness of RWN were obtained with an increase in small starch granule content, and reconstituted flours with 30–40% small starch granules produced RWN with moderate firmness.     

Starch Granule Size Distribution from Seven Wheat Cultivars Under Different Water Regimes

Seven wheat cultivars with different starch contents were used as materials to investigate the distribution of grain starch granule size under irrigated and rainfed conditions. In mature grains, the diameter of starch granules was 0.37–52.6 μm, and the percent volume distribution showed a two‐peak curve with the mean particle diameter of 5 (B‐type) and 25 μm (A‐type) at each peak. The volume percentages of A‐ and B‐types were 52.7–65.5% and 34.5–47.3%, respectively. A two‐peak curve is also shown in percent surface area distribution of starch granules, but only one peak in percent number. Both irrigated and rainfed conditions had a significant effect on the starch granule size distribution of the seven cultivars. As compared with irrigated treatment, rainfed treatment affected the distribution of starch granules in grains of all cultivars through increasing the volume percentage and surface area percentage of 2–9.8 and <9.8 μm starch granules and decreasing those of >9.8 and >18.8 μm starch granules. The soil water deficit also decreased the contents of amylose and starch in grains and increased protein content, indicating that different water regimes had an evident effect on grain quality. According to correlation coefficients (r), the contents of amylose, starch, and protein in grains was significantly correlated with the volume percentage of starch granules with different diameter ranges.