Association of asparagine concentration in wheat with cultivar, location, fertilizer, and their interaction

Acrylamide is a toxic compound that can form in food if the amino acid asparagine (part of protein) is present and reacts with free sugars during high heat processing such as baking or frying. The need to produce Canadian wheat with low asparagine concentration is important as a measure to reduce acrylamide formation in wheat-based products. This study compared the asparagine content in eight wheat varieties grown in two locations under four fertilizer treatments consisting of two nitrogen rates (90 or 120 lbs/acre) with or without 15 lbs of sulphur per acre. The asparagine concentration of the harvested wheat was significantly affected by variety, growing location, and their interaction but not fertilizer treatment. Location and variety were responsible for 80% and 14% of the variation in asparagine content, respectively. Some wheat varieties were not affected by location and maintained their “low asparagine” trait no matter where they were grown. Thus, breeding strategies should aim to identify the types of wheat that are consistently low in asparagine across multiple growing environments.