Australian wheat traditionally attracts a high price in the market
The discovery of genes that determine the yield of flour from wheat could increase milling yield, boosting food security and producing a healthier flour. University of Queensland researchers believe the discovery could increase the amount of flour produced from wheat by as much as 10 per cent. Wheat - the leading temperate climate crop - provides 20 per cent of the total calories and proteins consumed worldwide. Wheat grain is milled, or crushed, to make flour for bread and other food products. UQ Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation Director Professor Robert Henry said his research team had pinpointed the genes that control a cell protein which acts like a glue, holding the wheat grain's endosperm, wheat germ and bran layers together. "Wheats that produce less of this glue-like protein come apart more easily in the milling process," he said. "This increases the efficiency of processing and improves the nutritional profile of the flour as more of the outer parts of the endosperm - rich in vitamins and minerals - are incorporated into the flour.
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