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Wheat Agronomic and Fertilization: Impacts to biscuit quality.
I. MOREIRA DE ALMEIDA (1). (1) Mondelez, Saclay, France

To meet cereal demand while protecting natural resources, several countries have already strengthened the implementation of good agronomic practices.  The Nitrates Directive created in 1991 in the European Union aims to protect water quality across Europe by preventing nitrates of agricultural sources from polluting ground and surface waters and by promoting the use of good farming practices. Good agronomic practice implementation by farmers is on a voluntary basis in all zones, but is compulsory in “Nitrate vulnerable zones” (55% of agricultural zones). Specific nitrogen management is required to decrease amount of nitrogen fertilization per ha.
This presentation will focus on results of a wheat nitrogen fertilization study developed with Arvalis, a French research institute, to explore fertilization impact on  flour functional performance and biscuit quality. A two year study in France comprising soft wheat and hard wheat across five locations  and two  levels of nitrogen fertilization provided wheat flours which have been implemented in biscuit production.
Results of flour physico-chemical composition, dough rheology and biscuit attributes will be discussed, with a specific focus on protein contribution to biscuit quality.  In addition, additional steps to reduce nitrogen fertilization for soft wheat production in Western Europe will be discussed.

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