Bonfil, D.J., Field Crops and Natural Resources, The Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Gilat Research Center, M.P. Negev 85280, Israel
Posner, E.S., ESP International, Savyon, Israel

In recent years, the Israeli wheat industry has suffered from quality problems that endangered the possibility of growing bread wheat in Israel. In addition to relying upon grain protein and test weight, the Israeli wheat market has therefore begun using the gluten index (GI) test method. To shed new light on wheat grain quality determinations, wheat grain samples were analyzed for GI and other quality parameters such as dry and wet gluten, SDS-sedimentation, and loaf volume. In many cases, low-GI grains exhibited good dough and bread quality. This could be attributed to the difference in GI values of the wheat versus the corresponding flour. Hence, milling plays a major role in GI determination. Furthermore, grain and white flour GI values did not correlate with other accepted quality parameters, such as SDS-sedimentation and loaf volume. Therefore, it is suggested that the GI be used with caution, and that the addition of other methods can improve wheat quality determination. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.