Field-Scale Variability and Homogeneous Zone Delineation for Some Qualitative Parameters of Durum Wheat Semolina in Mediterranean Environment

Wheat yield and quality parameters are spatially variable because of inherent spatial variability of factors affecting crop at a field scale. The following semolina quality parameters were analyzed in 100 georeferenced locations, in a 12-ha durum wheat field in southern Italy: protein content (PC, %), dough strength (W = Jx10 ) and tenacity/extensibility ratio (P/L). The study identified few homogeneous zones by 4 geostatistical procedure called factorial co-kriging. Co-kriging was also used to map the quality parameters in the field. It is suggested that the delineation of homogeneous within-field areas should allow to segregate the harvested grain on the basis of the field-scale semolina qualitative parameters, so to obtain uniform grain lots being sent to the pasta industries.