Grain Quality, Biochemical Traits, and Internal Water Status of Chinese Elite Wheat Lines by Sowing Interval in Semiarid Conditions

Climate change adversely affects the pattern of temperature and distribution of rainfall, due to which sowing of wheat is delayed from mid-October to early December. This consequently lowers the quality of wheat crop. A study was carried out on grain quality, biochemical traits, and internal water status of elite Chinese wheat lines according to sowing interval under semiarid conditions during the winter season 2020–2021. The experimental design was randomized complete block with a split-plot arrangement and three replications. Treatments consisted of sowing date (1 November, 16 November, and 1 December 2020) and wheat lines (MY409‑4, MY1617, MY1416, MY291‑4, MY1501, MY1419, and MY902) with one local wheat check (PS-15). Sowing dates were assigned to the main plot and wheat lines to the subplot. Results indicated that wheat lines MY291‑4, MY409‑4, and MY902 resulted in higher chlorophyll content (54.7 SPAD value), carotenoids (11.7 mg g⁻¹), grain protein content (12.8%), and amylose content (25.5%), with statistically similar values between the lines. Similarly, lines MY291‑4 and MY902 resulted in higher relative water content (78.6%) and wet gluten content (29.1%), statistically on par with each other, while the proline (43 mg g⁻¹) and amylopectin contents (79.0%) were higher in local check PS-15. Moreover, water saturation deficit (30.3%) and dry gluten content (11.5%) were higher in line MY409‑4. Regarding sowing dates, sowing on 1 November resulted in maximum chlorophyll content (53.0 SPAD value), carotenoids (10.8 mg g⁻¹), relative water content (76.2%), amylose content (24.3), wet gluten content (27.7%), and dry gluten content (11.4%) as compared to late sowing on 1 December, while water saturation deficit (27.9%), proline content (39.8 mg g⁻¹), grain protein content (12.6%), and amylopectin content (77.9%) were higher with late sowing on 1 December. Conclusively, wheat lines MY291‑4, MY409‑4, and MY902 produced higher chlorophyll content, carotenoids, relative water content, water saturation deficit, grain protein content, amylose content, and wet and dry gluten content, while proline and amylopectin contents were higher in local cultivar PS-15. Likewise, plots sown earlier on 1 November resulted in increased in chlorophyll content by 7%, carotenoids by 17%, relative water content by 9%, amylose content by 10%, wet gluten content by 9%, and dry gluten content by 16% as compared to late sowing on 1 December, while water saturation deficit, proline content, grain protein content, and amylopectin content were 18%, 7%, 14%, and 8% higher than with early sowing on 1 November, respectively.