Bread-making quality is important to the industry and farmers. It improves market value of wheat. Breeding for quality has been difficult because it is a very complex trait affected by genetic and environmental factors. In addition, it requires specific tests for early-generation selection. The objective of this study was to analyse the inheritance of sedimentation volume, sedimentation index and protein content in ten crosses between five cultivars with different bread-making quality. Parental means for sedimentation volume and index and protein content differed from each other. Variability for all traits was detected in the crosses by variances and genetic parameters and the occurrence of complementary genes may be suggested. The cultivar CEP 24-Industrial contributed with the highest number of genes for quality improvement. It also had favorable genes for protein content. The traits sedimentation volume and sedimentation index were strongly associated, and had similar heritability. Protein content affected quality estimates obtained from the sedimentation test.
cereals; protein; industrial quality; sedimentation test
