What Makes Bread and Durum Wheat Different?

Durum wheat (tetraploid) and bread wheat (hexaploid) are two closely related species with potentially different adaptation capacities and only a few distinct technological properties that make durum semolina and wheat flour more suitable for pasta, or bread and bakery products, respectively. Interspecific crosses and new breeding technologies now allow researchers to develop wheat lines with durum or bread quality features in either a tetraploid or hexaploid genetic background; such lines combine any technological properties of wheat with the different adaptation capacity expressed by tetraploid and hexaploid wheat genomes. Here, we discuss what makes bread and durum wheat different, consider their environmental adaptation capacity and the major quality-related genes that explain the different end-uses of semolina and bread flour and that could be targets for future wheat breeding programs.

Automated summary

Durum wheat and bread wheat, two closely related species, have different adaptation capacities and technological properties that make them suitable for different products. By utilizing interspecific crosses and new breeding technologies, researchers can develop wheat lines with desired quality features in either tetraploid or hexaploid genetic background. Understanding the major quality-related genes of different wheat types can provide guidance for future wheat breeding programs.