Wheat

Development of wheat lines with novel starch characteristics

Subproject TUM Plant Breeding:
Molecular genetic analyses of allelic variation in candidate genes for breadmaking quality

Person in charge: Sai L.K. Hsam
Project duration: 01.04.2008 – 31.03.2011
Project partner: W. von Borries-Eckendorf GmbH & Co KG
Funding: Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV)

Project description:

Starch is an important polymer for industrial utilization as well as the major reserve carbohaydrate in common wheat. It is composed of glucose molecules that are linked together in two different forms, amylose (20-25%) and amylopectin (70-80%). Higher amylose starch is feasible for both production of biodegradable plastics and in health food. 
Another important aspect of starch in wheat kernels are form and quality of the granules. Starch granules in wheat occur either as the larger A-granules or in the form of the smaller B-granules (?10µm). The nature and contents of the granules greatly effect the end-use quality and value. The A- and B-type starch granules are classified by means of separators and decanters in industrial processing of crude starch.

The objectives of this project are to develop (1) genotypes with a higher amylose content by using wheat mutant lines and (2) to develop wheat lines with a higher amount of A-granules by introgression of genes from wild relatives of wheat possessing only A-type granules via wide hybridization and recombination breeding.