8th INTERNATIONAL WHEAT CONFERENCE

component analysis performed on quality characteristics captured half of the total variability
on the first two components (R 2 =0.52). Interestingly, principal component 1 was
mainly associated with parameters that quantify protein content (i.e. gluten and protein
content, alveograph L), and principal component 2 was mainly associated with parameters
that quantify dough strength (i.e. alveograph W and P, farinograph stability). Based
on these two major principal components it was possible to segregate environments that
behave similarly. Favorable environments (high protein content and high dough strength)
were associated in general with low crop yields or high yields under temperate climates.
No relationship between yield and baking quality characteristics was found when considering
a wide range of environmental and genotypic characteristics. Some environments
are inherently poor and it is not possible to obtain good quality characteristics with the
current germplasm. This analysis offers a unique opportunity to explore the extremes in
the responses of individual genotypes to the environment, and offers a unique opportunity
to jointly analyze a wide range of environments and genotypes, allowing the identification
of local genotypic and environmental constraints to yield and quality.
494