Bacillus licheniformis produced 2,3-butanediol from glucose with an optimum yield of 47 g/100 g glucose after 72 h of growth on a peptone/beef extract medium containing 2% (w/v) glucose at pH 6.0 and 37°C. This yield of 2,3-butanediol was higher than those previously reported forKlebsiella oxytoca (37 g/100 g glucose) andBacillus polymyxa (24 g/100 glucose).

Selected Indian durum wheats including five newly released varieties and seven landraces were studied for their grain quality, gluten strength (sodium dodecyl sulphate-sedimentation and mixograph) and pasta making properties. Landraces were found to have good grain size, protein content, and gluten strength but they had lower test weight and semolina yield than released varieties. As protein composition affects gluten strength, landraces having combination of low molecular weight (LMW-GS) with 5, 12, 15 and 19 linked to Gli-B1 43.5 and high molecular weight (HMW-GS) 2*, 14 + 15 provide a dough strength comparable with the 7 + 8 and LMW-GS 2, 4, 6, 12, 15 and 19 (caa) allelic pattern, typically associated with good gluten strength. Landraces have rare combinations of glutenins and gliadins, which are not seen in commercial Indian durums, and in some cases, these rare alleles seem to favour good gluten strength and pasta firmness. Introduction of these alleles through breeding should improve the gluten strength and pasta making properties of Indian durum cultivars.

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