K. O'brien

Environmental influences on flour quality for sheeted noodles in idaho 377s hard white wheat

ABSTRACT Production of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the Pacific Northwest of the United States specifically for Asian noodle products is a relatively new goal for grain producers. We surveyed commercial fields of the hard white spring wheat cultivar Idaho 377s in two years to determine the variables contributing to Asian noodle quality and to validate previous observations made with small-plot research. Fields were surveyed in 1998 and 1999 in two areas of the Snake River Plain of southeastern Idaho separated by ≈100 km, with both irrigated fields and rain-fed fields sampled in both zones. Samples were evaluated for grain characteristics then milled and evaluated for flour quality, alkaline noodle color, and color and texture of nonalkaline Chinese (salted, neutral pH) noodles. Grain from rain-fed fields produced brighter and more yellow alkaline noodles than grain from irrigated fields. Grain produced in rain-fed fields also had lower peak flour pasting viscosity than grain produced in irrigate...