Wheat cultivar susceptibility to grain damage by the New Zealand wheat bug, Nysius huttoni, and cultivar susceptibility to the effects of bug proteinase on baiting quality

Immature wheat grain in New Zealand is attacked sporadically by the native insect (bug), Nysius huttoni. This 'bug-damaged wheat' contains a bug salivary proteinase, and bread made from this wheat has a characteristically poor loaf volume and texture. Historical baking data suggest variations in wheat cultivar susceptibility to bug damage. This suggestion was tested in two trials (1992/1993 and 1993/1994) on immature wheat using nine or seven New Zealand cultivars and breeding lines enclosed together in nylon mesh cages with and without N. huttoni. Visible damage, bug-proteinase levels, electrophoretic protein patterns, and baking properties of the grain were analysed. Both trials showed that susceptibility to bug damage was significantly different amongst cultivars and breeding lines. The ranking of cultivar susceptibility was the same for the two trials, except for cv. Arawa, which was one of the most susceptible cultivars in the first trial, bur one of the least susceptible in the second trial. Cultivars Domino and Oroua consistently showed less susceptibility to bug attack. The breeding line WW378 and the cultivar Otane were the most susceptible to bug attack. The high quality bread wheats (Otane, Oroua, Domino and Batten) were less susceptible to the effects of bug proteinase in baking than the poor baking quality wheats (Karamu, WW378, ASPS9927 and ASPS9928). Batten was significantly less susceptible than any other cultivar in test baking. There was no relationship between bug-damage susceptibility and grain characters such as colour, hardness and texture, or head characters such as shape, awns and waxiness. (C) 1998 Academic Press Limited.