Profiling Yield, Quality, and Antioxidant Properties of Ancient Wheat Species in Comparison with Modern Wheats Across Varying Ploidy Levels

This study aimed to assess the agronomic, technological, and phytochemical properties of 20 ancient wheats at diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid levels, including Triticum monococcum, Triticum turanicum, Triticum polonicum, Triticum ispahanicum, Triticum mirabile, and Triticum vavilovii, along with 19 different modern cultivars in Triticum aestivum and Triticum durum species. The yields of T. monococcum accessions Cl 13965 (6.59 t ha–1) and PI 191381 (6.44 t ha–1) were notable, though still lower than those of high-performing modern wheat cultivars. Grain protein and wet gluten contents were higher in ancient wheats (12.5%–16.3% and 26.1%–38.0%) than modern wheats (11.4%–14.2% and 21.8%–31.2%). Considering all parameters affecting gluten quantity and quality, genotypes in T. monococcum and T. mirabile species exhibited weak gluten structure, making them particularly suitable for soft or hard dough biscuits. Additionally, the tetraploid species, T. polonicum, T. turanicum, and T. ispahanicum, with their diverse qualities, were recommended for bulghur-and pasta-making. However, the hexaploid species T. vavilovii with moderately strong gluten quality was proposed for bread-making. Compared with various Triticum species in terms of phytochemical profiles, T. monococcum exhibited higher average total phenolic and flavonoid content, whereas T. turanicum demonstrated superior antioxidant activity across all assays.