Phytic Acid in Triticale Grains As Affected by Cultivar and Environment

Information on phytic acid in triticale (× Triticosecale Wittm.) grains is scarce; reports on triticale and the triticale parent wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are conflicting. The present paper attempts to answer the following questions: (i) How are the concentrations of phytic acid‐phosphorus (PA‐P) and total phosphorus (TP) related among triticale cultivars? (ii) To what extent do triticale cultivars differ in their PA‐P percentage of TP? (iii) Are cultivar differences in the proportion of PA‐P to TP consistent across sites and years? (iv) Do environmental conditions (locations and years) affect the fraction of PA‐P in TP? To answer these questions, 10 hexaploid winter triticale cultivars‐lines were grown in western Switzerland. Using cultivar means of 2 yr, we observed positive relationships between the concentrations of TP and PA‐P among five short (r = 0.74; P = 0.15) and five tall (r = 0.92; P < 0.05) cultivars‐lines. Cultivar‐line means of the fraction of PA‐P in TP ranged from 65.2 to 70.8% (short cultivars) and from 67 to 70.9% (tall cultivars). Pooled across the 10 cultivars‐lines and 2 yr, 68.7% of TP was present as PA‐P. Two lines were grown at two additional locations for 2 yr. Line differences in the proportion of PA‐P to TP were consistent across the six environments. The share of PA‐P in TP was significantly affected by cropping year but unaffected by location and the year × location interaction.