Non-vitreousness or ''yellow-berry'' in durum wheat as affected by both depth and date of planting

Abstract

Durum wheat is of major importance in the Mediterranean area, However, its quality is negatively influenced by starchiness in the grain, ie.''yellow-berry''. This trait is more influenced by environment than genetics, but the factors which are involved are poorly understood. In an experiment on durum wheat with several sowing dates and depths, kernels were assessed for ''yellow-berry'' during the determination of thousand-seed-weight. A significantly greater incidence of ''yellow-berry'' was observed at early sowing and with deeper sowing. Seasonal differences were pronounced, with hardly any expression of ''yellow-berry'' in the drier of the two years.