β-glucan is a non-starchy, water-soluble polysaccharide component of wheat grain that positively affects grain nutrient quality. High β-glucan content in wheat grain also has a cholesterol-lowering effect in humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen and irrigation on durum wheat grain β-glucan content. | Research Article Turk J Agric For 34 (2010) 101-108 © TÜBİTAK doi: The effect of different nitrogen and irrigation levels on grain β-glucan content in some durum wheat cultivars Mustafa GÜLER* Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara University, 06110 Ankara - TURKEY Received: Abstract: β-glucan is a non-starchy, water-soluble polysaccharide component of wheat grain that positively affects grain nutrient quality. High β-glucan content in wheat grain also has a cholesterol-lowering effect in humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen and irrigation on durum wheat grain β-glucan content. Correlations between durum wheat grain β-glucan content, and grain yield and some quality characteristics were examined. Kunduru 1149, Kızıltan 91, and Çakmak 79 durum wheat cultivars were used as material, and 0-, 75-, and 150-mm irrigation levels with 0, 40, 80, and 120 kg ha–1 nitrogen rates were applied. Higher nitrogen levels generally increased durum wheat grain βglucan content in both years of the study and the N3 nitrogen level had the greatest effect on the β-glucan content in durum wheat. Higher irrigation levels negatively affected the β-glucan content in the wheat grain. Non-irrigated treatments generally yielded the highest β-glucan content in both years of the study. The response of grain β-glucan content according to cultivar was significant and C1 had the best grain β-glucan content of all the cultivars. Correlations between grain β-glucan content, and grain yield, protein content, 1000-grain weight, test weight, seed vitreousness, and the SDS sedimentation were significant. With the exception of protein content in 2005, strong positive correlations were observed between β-glucan content, and grain yield and quality characteristics. These results indicate that higher irrigation levels negatively affected grain β-glucan content in durum wheat, whereas higher nitrogen rates positively affected
