Comparison of Wheat Quality, Antioxidant Activity, and Mycotoxins Under Organic and Conventional Farming

Summary

This study evaluates eight winter wheat cultivars grown under both organic and conventional farming systems, examining a broad set of quality indicators including milling and baking properties, antioxidant capacity, and the presence of selected mycotoxins. By comparing both farming regimes simultaneously across multiple cultivars, the research provides nuanced evidence on trade-offs between nutritional quality and food-safety risks in organic wheat production. The findings are likely to inform decisions around cultivar selection and farming system suitability for organic wheat intended for industrial food processing.

UK applicability

Although conducted in Serbia under Balkan agro-climatic conditions, the findings are broadly relevant to UK organic arable producers and millers facing similar questions about wheat quality standards, mycotoxin regulation (governed by UK retained EU law thresholds), and consumer demand for organically produced flour. Cultivar-specific results may not transfer directly, but the methodological framework and quality benchmarks are applicable to UK contexts.

Key measures

Protein content (%); gluten strength; dough rheological properties; antioxidant activity; mycotoxin concentrations (likely deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and/or aflatoxins, µg/kg); cultivar performance under two farming systems

Outcomes reported

The study compared grain and flour quality parameters (including protein content, gluten properties and dough characteristics), antioxidant activity, and mycotoxin occurrence across eight winter wheat cultivars grown under organic and conventional farming systems. It assessed whether organic management affected both nutritional and food-safety attributes relative to conventional practice.

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