K. Taneva
Agricultural Academy, Field Crop Institute, 6200 Chirpan, Bulgaria

(Manuscript received 5 June 2023; accepted for publication 18 June 2024)

Abstract. Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L., var. durum) is the only commercially important tetraploid wheat species grown exclusively for human consumption. With the increasing interest in organic food, there is a need for more information about the yield and quality of the production of durum wheat in organic fields. The purpose of the present study was to compare the characteristics related to the quality of grain from the durum wheat cultivar Progres in organic and conventional farming. The experiments were carried out after the predecessor pea in plots with biological and conventional cultivation conditions during the study period in the experimental fields of the Field Crops Institute in Chirpan. The study was conducted in the period 2019-2022. The grain quality indicators which were studied are the following: protein content, wet gluten content, test weight, vitreousness and yellow pigment content. Average for the research period, the values of protein content (15.2% d.b.) and wet gluten (32.3% d.b.) in the grain of the cultivar Progres in conventional areas were significantly higher compared to the values of protein content (11.7% d.b.) and wet gluten (21.6% d.b.) of the grain in biological farming. Regarding the yellow pigment content, the cultivar Progres in biological field was characterized by a higher average value for the period (18.54 Minolta b*) compared to conventional treatment (17.22 Minolta b*). The test weight averaged over the study period of the Progres variety under conventional farming was higher (75.43 kg/hl) compared to organic farming (73.65 kg/hl).