Crop Nitrogen Fertilization Schedule in Bread Wheat Affects the Mechanical Performances of Thermoplastic Films Obtained by Plasticization of Flours

Recent research has investigated the plasticization of wheat flour as a non-food alternative application. In this work, we analyzed performances thermoplastic films obtained using flours two bread cultivars (Bologna and Bora) grown in fall–spring under four nitrogen (N) fertilization treatments: (1) continuously well-N-fed (N300 = 300 kg N ha−1, split throughout growth cycle); (2) N-fed only very early (N60-0 60 just one month after sowing); (3) extremely late (N0-120 120 ha−1 at pollination); (4) unfertilized control (N0). Flours were characterized for glutenin gliadin fractions, Chopin’s alveograph parameters, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) images, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), while evaluated mechanical properties (tensile strength break, σb; elongation εb; Young’s modulus, E) FESEM images. Differences among treatments absolute relative abundances gluten fractions alveographic parameters marked gave rise to differences tensile films. Within each cultivar, ranking εb values was N0 > N60-0 N0-120 N300. Thus, inversely correlated with crop availability total content flour. The σb less variable treatments; however, both cultivars, it high N300 appreciably lower N0-120. Overall, best from crops not subjected imbalances nutrition (N0, N300). Our work demonstrates that bioplastic engineering needs take into consideration variability biological source material like caused by different availability.