{"id":6890,"date":"2025-10-17T12:38:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T12:38:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sembodja.bg\/%d1%80%d0%b0%d0%b7%d0%b1%d0%b8%d1%80%d0%b0%d0%bd%d0%b5-%d0%bd%d0%b0-%d0%ba%d0%b0%d1%87%d0%b5%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b2%d0%be%d1%82%d0%be-%d0%bd%d0%b0-%d1%82%d0%b2%d1%8a%d1%80%d0%b4%d0%b0%d1%82%d0%b0-%d0%bf\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T07:55:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:55:03","slug":"understanding-durum-wheat-quality-and-its-key-characteristics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sembodja.bg\/en\/understanding-durum-wheat-quality-and-its-key-characteristics\/","title":{"rendered":"UNDERSTANDING DURUM WHEAT QUALITY AND ITS KEY CHARACTERISTICS"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

SEMBODIA ACADEMY<\/strong><\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]Wheat is one of the most widely distributed and cultivated cereals in the world. Common wheat (Triticum aestivum<\/em>) is the most diffused species, while durum wheat (Triticum durum<\/em>) is a minor species (about 5-6% of total). In Europe, durum wheat is grown mainly in countries with a Mediterranean climate such as Italy, France and Spain, but also in North America and more precisely, in Canada and Arizona. In the distant past, Bulgaria was one of the major producers of durum wheat, with a significant part of the production being for export. With the introduction of new, more productive varieties of common wheat, its areas in the country have been decreasing. In recent years, interest in this crop has gradually returned and the areas with durum wheat last year reached approximately 400,000 decares.<\/p>\n

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Durum wheat is an important, widespread crop whose grain is used to produce high-quality pasta, but also for the production of bread, couscous and other products. The final quality of these products is largely determined by the quality characteristics of the grain.<\/p>\n

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Grain grading is a systematic process used to assess the quality of cereals based on established standards, which directly affects market value and trade practices. For pasta production, the main indicators determining high grain quality are:<\/p>\n

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Quality characteristics<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Protein content<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]Protein content is perhaps the most important<\/strong> quality characteristic of durum wheat. The minimum value requested by the mills is 13% on dry matter, while the high quality  samples can reach 15% or more. Higher protein content also contributes to better pasta overall eating quality.<\/p>\n

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Protein content depends on the variety, is also affected by environmental conditions such as rainfall, temperature during the grain filling period, but the factor that has the greatest influence on protein content is nitrogen nutrition. That is why supplying wheat with nitrogen at a time when it continues to accumulate protein is crucial, and this is the end booting stage-beginning of heading stage. Nutrition during this period, in most cases, does not lead to an increase in yield, but increases the quality of the grain (vitreousness, protein content, etc.).[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator css=””][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

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\u200eGluten quality (gluten index)<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]The property of gluten is directly related to the cooking quality of the pasta, affecting firmness, elasticity and resistance to overcooking. Gluten quality determines the processing and end-use performance of semolina. It depends on the balance between the protein component: gliadins, which provide viscosity and extensibility, and glutenins, which confer elasticity and strength. Gluten quality is not defined only by its quantity, but mainly by its functional properties in dough.<\/p>\n

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Evaluation of gluten quality combines quantitative measures (wet and dry gluten content) with qualitative and rheological tests, such as the gluten index, which is the most important parameter to be determined. Other evaluation, as farinograph, extensograph, and alveograph are less utilized. These methods assess dough strength, elasticity, and stability, allowing reliable prediction of flour suitability for different wheat-based products.<\/p>\n

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The good semolina for pasta starting from a gluten index not less than 80.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator css=””][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

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Yellow index<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]The yellow pigment content is one of the main characteristics considered in determining the grain quality of durum wheat. The yellow-amber color of semolina is due to the content of carotenoid (yellow) pigments in the durum wheat grain, which is known as the yellow index. The yellow index is a commercial measure of the color of durum wheat semolina, determined primarily by carotenoid pigments such as lutein, \u03b2-carotene, and zeaxanthin. This characteristic is highly valued in pasta production because consumers prefer the bright yellow color, which indicates high nutritional quality due to the presence of provitamin A and antioxidants.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator css=””][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]\u200e \u200eMarketable parameters<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Test weight <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]Specific weight is one of the most important indicators and is used to assess the marketable quality of grain. The specific weight indicator is measured in kg\/hectoliter and indicates how heavy a certain volume of grain is, essentially measuring the density of the grain. A higher hectoliter weight means better quality and greater mass of grain. For durum wheat, this value is usually between 78 and 85 kg\/hl, with values \u200b\u200babove 82-84 kg\/hl being considered excellent.<\/p>\n

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What does this mean? For example, if the hectoliter weight of the grain is 78 kg\/hl, this means that 100 liters of that grain weighs 78 kilograms.<\/p>\n

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When the specific gravity is high, it suggests that the grain was well nourished during development, which leads to better milling characteristics and a higher semolina yield.<\/p>\n

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Specific weight depends on the varietal characteristics of wheat, but poor plant nutrition can worsen this indicator. Exceeding the norm of nitrogen fertilization can lead to lodging, which leads to a decrease in specific weight.<\/p>\n

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Environmental factors, such as rainy weather before harvest, can lead to germination of the grain, which reduces specific gravity.<\/p>\n

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The test weight determines the percentage of semolina yield during milling: the higher its value, the higher the milling yield.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator css=””][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

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Vitreousness <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]Vitreousness is an important factor in grading durum wheat and is considered by the wheat industry as an indicator of milling and cooking quality.<\/p>\n

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Vitreousness refers to the translucent, glass-like appearance of the grain. When held up to the light, a high-quality durum wheat grain should appear clear and glassy, \u200b\u200bnot dull or opaque. This characteristic is critical because vitreous grains produce better semolina with superior pasta-making properties.<\/p>\n

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Non-vitreous (starchy) grains are opaque and softer, resulting in reduced coarse semolina yield. Compared to non-vitreous grains, vitreous grains typically have better cooking qualities, better pasta color, higher protein content, and are firmer. Premium durum wheat should have a vitreousness of 80% or higher.<\/p>\n

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Vitreousness is directly related to protein content and structure. When the protein content of the grain is high enough, it binds the starch granules within the grain and creates a glassy appearance, which indicates a desirable high level of grain hardness. The lack of protein opens air-filled spaces between the starch granules, which create light (mottled) spots, also known as yellow spots.<\/p>\n

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Vitreousness is related to the variety and high affected by weather conditions, and more specifically by moisture. Pre-harvest rainfall can cause irreversible loss of vitreousness.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]

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CONDITIONS FOR GROWING DURUM WHEAT <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]It is a myth that durum wheat is much more demanding in terms of climatic conditions and can only be grown in regions characterized by hot, dry summers, typical of the Mediterranean climate.<\/p>\n

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The most important factors for the successful cultivation of durum wheat are the choice of sowing date and density. For durum wheat, it is important to know that most of the varieties  does not require a vernalization period as with soft wheat and does not require low temperatures to set an ear. Most varieties of durum wheat are alternative types. The alternativeness of a given variety is related to how sensitive it is to late sowing. Alternative varieties give good yield results even with predominant spring development.<\/p>\n

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The alternative type of durum wheat should not be sown too early, because the plants continue to grow throughout the winter if the weather conditions are moderate (mild winters). Early sowing leads to germination and hastening the phase development, which is undesirable before entering the winter period due to the risk of frost.<\/p>\n

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In the tillering phase, the plants are most resistant to cold conditions. The main risk for the varieties is if the crop progresses in its development in the period March – April and falls into lower temperatures (below – 15 degrees) for a prolonged period (over 4-5 days), which coincides with the stem elongation phase. It is in this that the plants are most susceptible to frost. Therefore, it is important that the crop germinates and develops slowly during the winter. A possible solution to avoid the risk of frost is to sow late in winter or at the end of winter – beginning of spring.<\/p>\n

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The optimal sowing time for two durum wheat varieties Farah and Patriarca from our portfolio is the last week of October – the first of November. The most cold-resistant variety in our portfolio is the Spineto variety. The recommendation for sowing for it is also the last week of October – the first of November, it can also tolerate a slightly earlier sowing.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The sowing rate depends on the variety, soil preparation and sowing time.<\/em> It\u2019s important to avoid particularly the high density, because of the risk of lodging (specially in the high fertile soil).<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The recommended sowing rate for the Farah variety is 450-500 germinating seeds per m2<\/em><\/p>\n

Patriarca – 420-460 germinating seeds per m2<\/em><\/p>\n

Spineto – 420-480 germinating seeds per m2<\/em><\/p>\n

Maesta – 450-500 germinating seeds per m2<\/em><\/p>\n

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The average sowing depth is 4-5 cm; 3-4 cm in very wet and heavy soils; 5-6 cm in very dry and sandy soils. It is recommended to roll the area after sowing, especially in very dry conditions.<\/p>\n

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It is recommended that at least two alternative varieties of durum wheat with different early maturity be present in the variety list of a farm in order to minimize the risk of the influence of adverse conditions during critical periods.<\/p>\n

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In order to also refute the notions that durum wheat is more difficult to grow in the conditions of our country and that the yields obtained are very low, we at Sembodia have been conducting numerous field trials for several years in both Northern and Southern Bulgaria. In the past season 2024\/2025, the results of the trials showed very high yields against the background of the agroclimatic conditions during the year – in the range of 500 to 800 kg\/dka.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator css=””][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

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FERTILIZATION<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]One of the most important factors in growing durum wheat is nutrition. Durum wheat also requires a balanced diet with essential nutrients. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N-P-K) play a key role in its growth, influencing all processes – from root development to grain quality. In addition, some minor elements and trace elements such as sulfur, copper, magnesium, boron, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, are often underestimated by farmers, but are necessary, albeit in smaller quantities.<\/p>\n

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During the different phases of development, wheat has different needs for nutrients. It is important that they are available and in sufficient quantity during the stages when they are most necessary for the crop. To accurately determine the amount of elements needed by plants, it is advisable to perform a soil analysis.<\/p>\n

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Nitrogen nutrition management is crucial for obtaining grain with high quality and protein content.  In the tillering phase, wheat needs nitrogen for the intensive growth of the vegetative mass and the formation of more tillers. Also very important is the supply of nitrogen in the end of stem elongation and the beginning of booting, when the stages of organogenesis take place, during which the length of the ear, the number of ears and florets are established. During this period, plant nutrition is crucial for setting a longer ear with more grains, which also determines the grain yield.<\/p>\n

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A critical phase in terms of the quality indicators of durum wheat is the end of booting stage and beginning of earing stage. Nitrogen fertilization during this period, in most cases, does not affect the yield, but increases the quality of the grain, protein content, vitreousness, etc. This is the phase in which the plants’ need small quantity of nitrogen (about 10% of the total need), and its amount in the soil is significantly reduced. In the conditions of our country, this period is very often not suitable for the application of granular nitrogen fertilizers, due to the low moisture content in the soil. In this case, the third nitrogen fertilization can be done with foliar fertilizer and combined with fungicide treatments (often with triazoles) to protect the ear.<\/p>\n

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To form 100 kg of grain and the corresponding vegetative mass, wheat extracts about 3 kg of nitrogen from the soil. With an expected yield of 700 kg\/dka, wheat will also need 21 kg N\/dka. If the soil has a certain amount of nitrogen (for example, 4 kg N\/dka), it will be necessary to apply 17 kg N\/dka in the form of fertilizer. This amount can be distributed as follows:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Pre-sowing fertilization \u2013 3-4 kg\/dka<\/li>\n
  2. Top dressing in the tillering phase \u2013 5-6 kg\/dka<\/li>\n
  3. Top dressing in the stem elongation phase \u2013 4-5 kg\/dka<\/li>\n
  4. Top dressing in the end of booting\/beginning of earing phase \u2013 3-4 kg\/dka<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=”6162″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

    \u0418\u0437\u0442\u043e\u0447\u043d\u0438\u043a \u043d\u0430 \u0438\u0437\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0436\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0435\u0442\u043e: N Management for Small Grain Yield, Montana State University<\/h6>\n

    [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]The second important macroelement for wheat, which affects the overall growth and yield, is phosphorus. Its presence in the initial phases is of great importance, as it stimulates the formation and development of roots and helps the good rooting of young plants, and only a well-developed root system is able to extract more nutrients from the deeper soil layers. Another critical moment when phosphorus is very necessary for plants is in the later stages – in the phase of formation and especially maturation of the reproductive organs, when phosphorus moves from the vegetative parts of plants (stems and leaves) to the ear and grain.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”6168″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

    \u0418\u0437\u0442\u043e\u0447\u043d\u0438\u043a \u043d\u0430 \u0438\u0437\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0436\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0435\u0442\u043e: The Andersons, Update from the field<\/h6>\n

    [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator css=””][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]Potassium is necessary throughout the entire wheat growing season \u2013 from germination to earing. Wheat\u2019s need for potassium increases significantly in the later stages, when grain filling occurs. Potassium feeding is very important for achieving a high yield of well-filled grains with a high falling number. Potassium deficiency leads to premature ripening, empty spaces in the ears, shrunken and small grains with low weight. Potassium regulates the water regime of plants \u2013 the root cells of plants well supplied with potassium can better absorb soil water and send it to the plant\u2019s conductive system. Plants well supplied with potassium overcome drought periods better and are more resistant to lodging. Lodging, in turn, worsens many grain indicators (falling number, specific gravity, etc.)<\/p>\n

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    In addition, potassium increases the resistance of plants to low temperatures and resistance to pathogens, especially fungal and bacterial, which makes it difficult for them to penetrate the plant.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    For good planning of wheat nutrition, it is advisable to do a soil analysis in advance in order to determine the exact amount of necessary nutrients.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

    \u200e \u200e<\/h2>\n

    [\/vc_column_text][vc_separator css=””][vc_column_text css=””]\u200e[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””] SEMBODIA ACADEMY [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]Wheat is one of the most widely distributed and cultivated cereals in the world. Common wheat (Triticum aestivum) is the most diffused species, while durum wheat (Triticum durum) is a minor species (about 5-6% of total). In Europe, durum wheat is grown mainly in countries with a Mediterranean climate such as Italy, France and Spain, but also in North America and more precisely, in Canada and Arizona. In the distant past, Bulgaria was one of the major producers of durum wheat, with a significant part of the production being for export. With the introduction of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6136,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sembodja.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sembodja.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sembodja.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sembodja.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sembodja.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6890"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/sembodja.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6897,"href":"https:\/\/sembodja.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6890\/revisions\/6897"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sembodja.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sembodja.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sembodja.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sembodja.bg\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}