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Yellow Pigment Determination for Single Kernels of Durum Wheat (Triticum durum Desf.)

¹CRA Cereal Research Centre, S.S. 16 Km 675, 71122 Foggia, Italy. ²Corresponding author. Phone: +39-0881-742972. Fax: +39-0881-713150. E-mail: romina.beleggia@entecra.it

The carotenoid concentration of durum wheat is a criterion for the assessment of semolina quality, and it is of particular importance in determining the color of pasta. Thus, the development of a rapid screening method for kernel and semolina color has facilitated increasing the yellow color in durum wheat cultivars. However, the distribution of the pigment might vary within the ear of the wheat. The micromethod for the determination of yellow pigment concentration (YPC) of single wheat kernels now allows the discovery of whether this variation is the same for cultivars with different carotenoid concentrations. All of the cultivars investigated showed similar trends in the arrangements of the kernels within the ears, with the central positions of the ears being the most stable for YPC. Indeed, the best combination of higher YPC and larger kernel size is seen for the basal-central region of the ear, which can be used for the selection during wheat-breeding programs of cultivars with a more intense yellow color.