Is Site-Specific Pasta a Prospective Asset for a Short Supply Chain?

Abstract

In the 2011–2012 season, variable-rate nitrogen (N) fertilization was applied two times during durum wheat vegetative growth in three field areas which differed in soil fertility in northern Italy. The quality traits of the mono-varietal pasta obtained from each management zone were assessed in view of site-specific pasta production for a short supply chain. To this purpose, semolina from cv. Biensur obtained from management zones with different fertility treated with N at variable rate was tested in comparison with a commercial reference (cv. Aureo) to produce short-cut pasta. Biensur semolina demonstrated to have technological characteristics positively correlated with the low-fertility zones treated with high N doses (200 and 200+15 kg/ha) and, to a lesser extent, with the high-soil-fertility zones (130 and 130 + 15 kg/ha of N). The lower quality parameters were obtained for pasta produced with wheat from medium-fertility zones, independently of the N dose applied. The derived pasta obtained from the low-fertility zones treated with high N doses had cooking and sensory properties comparable to those of pasta obtained using the reference cv. Aureo. These results are explained by the higher amounts of gluten proteins and by a higher glutenin/gliadin ratio in semolina, which are indicators of technological quality. Overall, the results indicate that segregation of the grain at harvest led to the production of semolina with higher protein content and, hence, to a higher pasta quality. Therefore, site-specific pasta could be a potential asset for a short supply chain, aiming to improve traceability and environmental and economic sustainability.

Protein Maps for Durum Wheat Precision Harvest and Pasta Production

“…In the experiment of Morari et al [13], the average protein content of the field was roughly 12% in both the cropping seasons considered, but the sandy areas fertilized with high nitrogen input were eligible for the premium quality with protein content, reaching a maximum value of 15%. The same areas revealed high HMW/LMW-GS ratios, which allow for obtaining dough with good technological characteristics as well as pasta with good sensory properties [14].…”

“…Technology has been demonstrated to be almost mature to apply automatic grain segregation during harvesting [15] and produce "site-specific" pasta [14]. The bottleneck of a "site-specific" pasta supply chain stays in the definition of the minimum grain stock required in manufacturing pasta.…”

Improving the Sensory, Nutritional and Technological Profile of Conventional and Gluten-Free Pasta and Bakery Products

“…Pasini et al [ 9 ] evaluated the technological properties of pasta production with semolina from cv Biensur, produced in zones with different fertility and treated with various rates of N, in comparison with commercial semolina (cv Aureo). The results obtained in this research demonstrated that the technological properties of Biensur semolina correlated to the low fertility zones treated with a high quantity of N. The derived pasta had characteristics similar to the ones obtained by semolina in cv Aureo.…”