Cereal Chem. 73 (2):235-238  |  VIEW ARTICLE

Grain Quality

Quality Response to the Control of Leaf Rust in Karl Hard Red Winter Wheat (1).

Timothy J. Herrman, Robert L. Bowden, Thomas Loughin, and Robert K. Bequette (2). (1) Contribution 95-319-J of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station. (2) Assistant professor, Department of Grain Science and Industry; associate professor, Department of Plant Pathology; assistant professor, Department of Statistics; and research associate, Department of Grain Science and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, 66506-2201. Phone: 913/532-4082; Fax: 913/532-4017. Accepted October 23, 1995. Copyright 1996 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Samples of Karl hard red winter wheat from Kansas fungicide trials in 1992 and 1993 were used to evaluate the impact of leaf rust on physical grain quality, milling properties, flour protein content, absorption, and peak mixing time. Leaf rust was allowed to develop naturally on control plots and was prevented from developing on plots treated with systemic fungicides. Changes in kernel characteristics and flour properties were observed for the fungicide in both years, whereas flour extraction percentage and test weight did not respond significantly (P > .05). Differences between control and fungicide-treated wheat were consistent between years, except for single kernel size standard deviation. Increases in grain and flour protein content related to fungicide were 0.7% in both studies. Using protein premiums for 1992 and 1993 marketing years, an economic comparison between fungicide and control treatments revealed that the added value of increased protein exceeded 50% of the fungicide treatment cost.