| Abstract: | A morphological study was carried out on three hard and three soft Australian wheat varieties. A number of staining techniques were developed to reveal the structure of the bran layers and the endosperm and hence to establish any inter-varietal differences. This information has been used to facilitate the explanation of expected differences in the rate of penetration of the water used in the conditioning of wheat prior to milling, and in the milling yields themselves. Possible explanations for these differences in behaviour include variations in the thickness and composition of the outer cuticle and testa, the extent to which the outer epidermal and inner parenchymal cells have been compressed, and the number and size of protein masses present in the sub-aleurone endosperm cells. |
