The impact of low nitrogen conditions on the chemical composition and flour pasting properties of quality protein maize

Olckers, Schae-Lee and Osthoff, Garry and Ng, Perry K. W. and van Biljon, Angeline and Labuschagne, Maryke (2022) The impact of low nitrogen conditions on the chemical composition and flour pasting properties of quality protein maize. CEREAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS, 50 (4). pp. 1117-1125. ISSN 0133-3720 (print), 1788-9170 (online)

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Abstract

Maize is one of the most important sources of protein and starch for humans, however, low soil nitrogen may affect important grain quality traits. The objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition and pasting properties of 11 quality protein maize (QPM) hybrids with one non-QPM hybrid check, grown under optimal and low nitrogen stress conditions. Maize hybrids grown under low nitrogen compared to optimal environments had higher values of starch (56.71 and 54.50%), amylose (33.41 and 30.99%), β- (1.39 and 1.36%) and γ-zeins (68.53% and 53.78) as well as final (3004.56 and 1465.88 cP), setback (2110.48 and 1035.17 cP), trough (958.32 and 430.71 cP), breakdown (237.23 and 68.19 cP) and peak (1217.0 and 499.0 cP) viscosities. Lower amounts of protein (7.08% and 10.22) and α-zein content (29.94% and 44.96), as well as lower temperatures of pasting (50.89 and 51.21 °C) and peak time (5.89 and 6.91 min) of the pasting curves, were observed under low nitrogen conditions. The environment had a large effect on protein, viscosity and amylose content, while starch, zein and pasting temperature were largely determined by genotype.

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