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Effect of storage, initial grain moisture, and fumigation on rheological quality of wheat stored in hot steppe climate
Author(s) -
Akhlaq Muhammad,
Ali Shinawar Waseem
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
cereal chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.558
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1943-3638
pISSN - 0009-0352
DOI - 10.1002/cche.10307
Subject(s) - falling number , fumigation , relative humidity , moisture , starch , chemistry , retrogradation (starch) , rheology , warehouse , starch gelatinization , agronomy , gluten , food science , zoology , materials science , amylose , meteorology , composite material , biology , geography , organic chemistry , archaeology
Background and objectives As a seasonal crop, the government (Pakistan) and the milling industry purchase and store a reasonable quantity of wheat ( T. aestivum ) annually. After filling in jute/polypropylene bags, the major portion of this wheat is stacked in a room type warehouse under uncontrolled conditions. The aim of this study was to find the impact of the storage period, initial grain moisture, annual temperature variations, relative humidity, and fumigation on rheological changes in wheat stored in a hot steppe climate using the latest approach (mixolab). Findings During this study, the gluten index (GI) (72.4%–97.1%) and falling number (FN) (455–593.1 s) values increased for most of the storage months and showed a strong negative temperature correlation. Significant variability was also noted during the storage period in mixolab behavior and a strong correlation was found with the storage temperature. The starch gelatinization (C3) (1.824–2.063 Nm) and C3‐C2 (1.320–1.583 Nm) increased, while retrogradation (C5) (2.833–2.506 Nm) and cooling setback (C5‐C4) (1.265–0.840 Nm) decreased over most of the month. Pasting properties (C4) showed a mixed pattern during storage (1.7965–1.536 Nm). The GI and FN were positively correlated with C3 and C3‐C2, and negatively correlated with C5‐C4. Fumigation showed significant effect on GI and FN of the grains, while the initial grain moisture (<11%) showed non‐significant impact on most of the rheological characteristics during storage. Conclusions Most of the rheological characteristics of wheat (GI, FN, and mixolab) changed significantly during the storage period, while the fumigation and initial grain moisture did not show any significant impact. Significance and novelty The quality characteristics of stored wheat vary depending on the geographical region. For millers, it will be important to understand these variations to produce a consistent quality flour.