Evaluation of the compositional and functional quality of South African triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack) cultivars

The baking potential of South African bred triticale (x Triticosecale spp. Wittmack ex A. Camus 1927) cultivars, and the effect of cultivar and environment on baking potential parameters had not previously been studied. At present South African triticale cultivars are used for animal feed as grazing, hay or silage. Seven cultivars harvested over two years from eight localities in the Western Cape region of South Africa were used to examine the baking potential parameters falling number, SDS sedimentation, ash content, particle size index, total protein content and 1000-kernel mass. The quality of the South African bred cultivars compared well with data from cultivars grown in other countries. The triticale cultivars studied here generally had higher ash contents, lower falling numbers and SDS sedimentation values than the bread wheat standard. Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed between cultivars and between localities in each year's harvest, illustrating the effect of genetic as well as environmental factors on the quality of the grain produced. Interactions between cultivars and localities were found to be significant (P