Analysis of Flour Whiteness in Wheat Germplasm Conserved in Shandong Province

The flour whiteness of 2068 wheat landraces and varieties or breeding lines was investigated, and the grain hardness index of wheat germplasm with flour whiteness value over 80 was measured. The results showed that the ranges of distribution of flour whiteness values for Shandong landraces, Shandong varieties or lines, and varieties or lines collected from other provinces were 63.9-82.9, 63.1-83.8, and 67.2-84.2, respectively. Three hundred and forty-two varieties or lines with the flour whiteness values over 80 were identified, which included 22 landraces, 228 Shandong varieties or lines, and 92 varieties or lines from other provinces. Among them, 26 landraces and varieties or lines had flour whiteness values over 83, and 18 landraces and varieties or lines displayed high grain hardness index (≥50). These 18 high grain hardness landraces and varieties or lines are importance in developing high-flour-whiteness and strong–medium gluten wheat variety to meet people’s taste and health security.