ALPHA-AMYLASE AND BETA-AMYLASE ACTIVITY IN THE TRITICALE GRAINS

In the resting grains of selected winter Triticale lines and in the developing ones of the variety Lasko, growing in two following seasons the activities of alpha-amylase, as well as free and bound beta-amylase were investigated. The contents of reducing sugars, starch and protein were determined as well. The higher activity of both amylases was observed in samples characterized by lower hectolitre weights and kernel filling as compared to the lower activities in samples of higher hectolitre weight and kernel filling. Parallelly, in the former samples the lower starch, but the higher reducing sugar contents in comparison with the latter ones were observed. Also higher protein percentage for the former and the lower one for the latter samples were characteristic. In developing grains of winter Triticale cv Lasko two periods of an intensive increase in the activity of both enzymes were distinguished. The first one appeared when the grain dry matter amounted to 28-35% (i.e. between 28th and 40th day after flowering, but the second one started at the beginning of the full maturity phase (i.e. when the grain dry matter percent amounted-to about 70),