Effect of Cultivars, Environment, and Year on Agronomic Traits, Biochemical Composition of Major Constituents (Lipids, Proteins, and Polysaccharides), and Rheological Properties of Seeds in <i>Brassica juncea</i>

In order to provide varieties of Brassica juncea that meet agronomic and technological qualities, it is necessary to define criteria that are predictive of the quality of the finished product. The objective of our study is to characterize the macromolecular components of the mustard seed in order to identify the compositional profile responsible for the technological quality of mustard pastes. A collection of cultivars that maximizes genetic and technological diversity were grown on three plots and over two years. Our results showed (i) the impact of the genetic and pedoclimatic factors on seed macromolecular components and on rheological properties estimated by measuring the flow in a Bostwick consistometer, and (ii) the potential role of seed storage proteins and cell wall polysaccharides in the mustard paste consistency. Data analyses allow us to propose new criteria for evaluating the technological quality of seeds and to identify interesting genotypes as candidates for future breeding programs.