Nitrogen partitioning to grain and grain quality
Maximising the proportion of nitrogen recovered in the grain (Nitrogen Harvest Index) is a key target to improve the overall efficiency of N use in the wheat plant. Furthermore, variation in this trait occurs with some genotypes being more efficient at transferring N into the grain. This is known as Grain Protein Deviation (GPD) and a recent study at Rothamsted Research identified a number of grain transcripts associated with the trait. It is also important to ensure that a high proportion of the grain protein is present within the gluten protein fraction which determines grain protein quality. The partitioning of N to the grain will therefore be determined and related to gluten protein composition determined by SDS-PAGE and transcript profiling of developing grain. The impact on protein quality will also be determined, using microsedimentation and Glutopeak analysis to measure gluten strength.