ABSTRACT
Grain quality comprises a group of characteristics that collectively deter mine the usefulness of the harvested grains for a particular end use. Fre quently it is regarded by both breeders and producers to be as important as yield. Not only are these characteristics the reason why only a few plant species are used to satisfy most human requirements for food and fiber (Slafer and Satorre, 1999), but also their importance for grain trading has been increasing in recent decades (Wrigley, 1994). Therefore, to breed and manage grain crops to achieve a certain quality standard and to be able to predict the quality of a particular crop is rather important. Achievement of this objective is dependent upon our knowledge of the major factors that could modify grain composition and, consequently, its quality.
