Some growers say they’ve been unfairly penalized for a condition that did not harm the baking performance of the flour made from their wheat, prompting calls for a new methodology to replace the standard Hagberg-Perten falling numbers test.
Tag Archives Falling Number
New falling number test may better spot sprouting
A new methodology could save farmers from misapplied penalties in years of weather damage
Grain grading guide to tighten definition of ‘severely’ sprouted wheat
More changes, clarifications on deck for Aug. 1
A laboratory review of the end-use quality of sprouted wheat will lead to changes in how wheat is graded starting Aug. 1 this year. The Canadian Grain Commission on Tuesday announced changes in store effective Aug. 1 for how Canadian wheat is graded, along with a list of clarifications and new housekeeping rules for the […] Read more
Low falling numbers mean lower wheat prices
Grain buyers’ falling numbers tests are finding evidence of pre-harvest sprouting
A wet fall across the Prairies provided the ideal conditions for pre-harvest sprouting in cereal crops. As a result, falling numbers tests have come to the fore as a quality assessment tool for buyers, with some grain companies performing a falling test on all wheat samples before purchasing. While, for the most part, harvest conditions were the […] Read more
Four ways to avoid low falling numbers in grains
How accurate is the falling number test?
1. Harvest as soon as possible Try and harvest wheat as soon as possible after maturity. The longer it stays in the field once mature, the higher the risk of sprouting if it rains. On the other hand, don’t harvest too early — green kernels can have high alpha-amylase content to provide fuel for grain […] Read more
Knowing your wheat’s falling number critical this year
[UPDATED: Nov. 22, 2019] The ‘harvest from hell’ has resulted in one of the worst years in recent memory for sprout damage. That’s pushed down falling numbers and — since grain buyers have different approaches to handling this issue — increased the need for farmers to know the falling numbers for their wheat. But if […] Read more
Grain grading revamp may add falling number, DON as factors
Two significant grain specs that aren’t yet factors for a crop’s official grade are now under consideration to join that official list. The Canadian Grain Commission on Monday put out a call for “grain sector stakeholders” to submit their views before May 10 on a proposal for falling number and deoxynivalenol (DON) to both become […] Read more
Interest in falling numbers on the rise
Wheat buyers want the numbers; the AWC wants falling numbers in grading systems
With apologies to accountants and statisticians, numbers don’t always tell the story. Falling numbers, however, are growing in popularity with farmers around the globe. In an industry where success is equal parts calculation and perspiration, more and more producers are counting on falling numbers to help drive their success. “Falling number is a widely used […] Read more
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