AGRONOMICAL AND HYGIENIC-HEALTH QUALITY OF DURUM WHEAT PRODUCTIONS FROM DIFFERENT MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENTS UNDER ORGANIC AND CONVENTIONAL CROPPING

Summary

In 2009/2010, eight durum wheat cultivars were compared in organic and conventional cropping system in two different locations of south - central Italy. A huge dataset was evaluated, including quality and agronomic traits.
As expected, grain protein content revealed to be the real Achille’s heel for organic productions, seen as average values were not far from the Italian national standard for durum wheat minimum value of protein content (11.5 %). Anyway, values lower than expected were obtained also in conventional management. Protein quality of organically produced grain was as good as the conventional one. No Deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination was recorded in organic durum wheat even in environments where significant DON levels (although clearly lower than the maximum allowed level for unprocessed durum wheat) were detected in conventional durum wheat productions.
Limited to the study period, organic management in the two study sites were able to give productions characterised by a satisfactory quality under the aspects of both protein content (despite the lower amount) and DON contamination.