Solvent Retention Capacities of Irrigated Soft White Spring Wheat Flours

The solvent retention capacity (SRC) test uses the ability of flour to retain a range of solvents as a means of evaluating multiple aspects of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) quality: pentosan content, starch damage, gluten strength, and general water retention. To assess the utility of the SRC in cultivar evaluation, 26 soft white spring wheat genotypes were produced in seven irrigated environments, and milling and baking quality parameters for these genotypes were determined. Solvent (water, 500 g kg −1 sucrose, 50 g kg −1 sodium carbonate, and 50 g kg −1 lactic acid) retention capacities of flours effectively differentiated genotypes across environments. Flour protein concentration and sucrose SRC together effectively modeled sugar snap cookie diameter. Flour extraction and sodium carbonate SRC were negatively correlated. Whole grain measurements, including near‐infrared hardness, single kernel hardness, and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) sedimentation volume were correlated with SRC values. The SRC test is a promising method for evaluating soft wheat genotypes on the basis of their underlying biochemical flour characteristics, independent of flour protein concentration.