Impact of Cultivar and Growing Conditions on Alpha‐Amylase Properties in Wheat

Abstract Alpha amylase (α‐amylase) is an endo‐amylolytic enzyme that plays an important role in the starch metabolism in developing wheat grains. However, excessive enzyme activity in post‐harvest wheat grains has adverse effects on grain quality. Therefore, the objective of the study is to determine the influence of cultivars with different growth habits (spring vs winter) and weather conditions on the characterization of native α‐amylase. The results show that winter wheat cultivar (cv.) Cubus show a lower α‐amylase activity than those of spring wheat cv. Amaretto, by escaping the humid weather before harvest. Grains exposed to higher temperatures in Gladebeck have lower enzyme activity in the later stages of ripening than the grains in Torland. On the other hand, wheat α‐amylases from both cultivars have similar properties. They show thermal inactivation at 30 °C and acid lability at increasing pH values. The results indicate that a better understanding of the α‐amylase properties could be helpful to develop a suitable management to avoid quality losses in wheat.