Quality and Technology Unit

​

Quality generally means suitability for any aim. Should we use it in plant breeding programs, it is an indispensable component. In addition to field yield, diseases resistance agronomic characteristics, determination of quality properties and using as a selection criteria in plant breeding studies has become very important in recent years. Our Quality and Technology Department (QTD) mainly deals with cereals mostly wheat.

The main subject of QTD is determining the bread and durum wheat breeding material quality characteristics from early to advanced generation. Also some quality parameters of barley, oat, triticale and legumes (dry bean and chick pea) are evaluated in the Department. The results of projects related with breeding material are sent to the Breeding and Genetic Department for selection.  So QTD take an important place in new variety deveoping studies.

 The test carried out in QTD are

  • SKCS (Single Kernel Characterization System) analysis-kernel weight, moisture, hardness and diameter
  • 1000 kernel weight
  • Test weight
  • Sieve test
  • Kernel vitreousness
  • Flour yield
  • Colour-L, a, b values (especially in durum wheat)
  • Protein Content (with DUMAS method or Near Infrared Spectroskopy)
  • Wet and Dry Gluten content (with NIR)
  • Zeleny sedimentation test
  • CIMMYT and Macro SDS sedimentation tests
  • Solvent Retention Capacity Tests (modified method by CIMMYT)
  • Swelling index (modified method by CIMMYT)
  • GlutoPeak test-Gluten rheological analysis
  • Damaged starch–SD matic
  • Dough rheological properities-Alveo-consistograph and farinograph
  • Cooking test-in dry bean and chick pea
  • Water holding capacity-in dry bean and chickpea
  • Starch content-NIR
  • Bread-making-laboratory size

The QTD also started some nutritional and feeding animal quality tests:

  • Acide detergent fibre-ADF
  • Nötral detergent fibre-NDF
  • Crude fiber
  • Cellulose
  • Amylose content
  • Hull content

In QTD 1 breeding project (Development of Wheat Genotypes with High Biscuit-Making Quality and Evaluation of Biscuit-Making Quality of Landraces) and 1 educational project supported by Scientific and Technological Research Council and 2 projects (Determining Quality Parameters of Bread and Durum Wheat Breeding Material in Transitional Zone) supported by Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock were conducted. Also QTD supported 10 projects by Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (about bread and durum wheat, barley, oat, dry and chick pea and triticale breeding and plant agronomy projects); 2 projects by Private Sector (about developing new bread and biscuit varieties by using anther culture and developing new bread and biscuit varieties using advanced lines); 1 project with University and 1 project by International Winter Wheat Improvement Program (IWWIP).

Some educational courses and training studies are held in the Department every year. And results of studies are published in Instıtute Annual Reports and in some scientfic journals.

YUKARI ​