Agricultural News
Early Wheat Quality Results Show 2010 Crop is Functional
Thu, 17 Jun 2010 6:19:51 CDT
The first numbers for the 2010 Hard Red Winter wheat being harvested in the southern Great Plains are in- and they show wheat berries that, when turned into flour, will get the job done when baking a loaf of bread. Mark Hodges, Executive Director of Plains Grains, tells us that some of the aspects of how functional this crop is turns out to be a pleasant surprise.
The biggest problem remains is that the export trade continues to talk about the need for protein higher than 12%- and the first couple of grainsheds that have come in don't suggest much help in that area. Industry officials have pointed out we have millions of bushels of wheat in storage from the last couple of years that is 11% protein- and the crop harvested thus far adds to that stockpile.
Hodges says the data compiled thus far comes from North Texas and far southwestern Oklahoma- basically the wheat areas south of US 62. He offers the following comments about these first quality numbers Plains Grains now has.
"Please find the early testing of 2 composites (21 samples) attached (incomplete grainsheds so final could change) out of Texas and Oklahoma with comments below:
Expected
Very good test weights
Good thousand kernel weights
Good flour yields
Good kernel diameters
Low to mid 11's wheat protein
"Early testing indicates the northern Texas crop has very good kernel data and resulting flour yield reminiscent of very good climatic conditions (cool temperatures with sufficient soil moisture in the profile) during grainfill, even more so than in southwest Oklahoma. Unfortunately, these conditions are not conducive to accumulation of protein in the grain and as you know there are usually tradeoffs with good yields and outstanding kernel characteristics. Add to these factors record high fertilizer prices 2 years ago which could have resulted in a large percentage of acres not up to optimum fertility levels commensurate with growing conditions (and early forage production = grazing and maybe not enough topdress N applied). Then there is the stocks issue.
Preliminary dough data
Wheat to flour protein spread (while not unusual we would not want to see it any wider)
Considering flour protein the absorption is still good (not expected)
Acceptable mix times/dough development times (would like to see graphs at 30 45 degree slope start to peak, so 9.7 flour protein is borderline)
"The bottom line is that- with all things considered, functionality is good. Wheat proteins under 11.5% will probably require some type of "improver" (add gluten) or blending with wheat of higher protein."
Click on the PDF link below to see some of the details from these two initial areas that quality details are now available.
02806_Early_north_TX_and_sw_Oklahoma_Data.pdf
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