Environment during grain filling affects pasta color

Background and objectives Pasta color is an important quality parameter for pasta companies and consumers. This research was carried out to determine the relative importance of environment and genotype effects on pasta color and related traits using durum lines grown in North Dakota, USA; to determine the relationships between pasta color and semolina quality traits; and to identify key environmental growing conditions that affect pasta color. Findings The environment had the highest relative proportion of variance for pasta color (ranged from 89% to 94%) and related traits. Stepwise linear regression analyses indicated that the number of days with relative humidity (rh) ≥80% was associated with diminished pasta brightness, yellowness, and enhanced pasta redness, while the number of days ≤13°C was associated with enhanced pasta yellowness and pasta color score. The negative effect of high rh could be related to speck counts and soluble brown pigment content, while the positive effect of low temperature was not clear. Conclusions The number of days with rh ≥ 80% diminished pasta color, while the number of days ≤13°C enhanced pasta color. Speck count, soluble brown pigment content, and semolina redness negatively affected pasta color, while yellow pigment content and semolina yellowness had a positive effect. Significance and novelty Since weather cannot be controlled, this information will be helpful in selecting growing locations with more favorable climatic conditions to achieve better quality and pasta color traits. Understanding the relationships between climatic variables and quality traits will aid in developing cropping systems that favor high‐quality durum wheat.