USW’s quality survey of the 2014/15 U.S. SRW wheat crop is complete and the full report is available at http://www.uswheat.org/cropQuality. Great Plains Analytical Laboratory in Kansas City, MO, collected and analyzed 527 samples from 18 reporting areas in the nine states that typically account for 60 to 70 percent of total SRW production. USW and USDA Foreign Agricultural Service fund the annual survey.
USW will also soon share this data with hundreds of overseas customers at several events, including USW's annual crop quality seminars. Buyers are encouraged to construct specifications carefully to be sure that they receive qualities that meet their needs either for traditional soft wheat products or for blending with higher protein wheat.
The 2014 SRW production, estimated at 12.5 MMT, is down nearly 3 MMT from the large 2013 crop but is about 1 MMT larger than the previous five-year average. If there is a defining factor for SRW quality this year, it is the timing of rainfall. Moisture was ample, or even excessive, for most of the SRW area throughout the growing season, but regional differences are striking. While USW did not sample wheat from far southern Gulf tributary states, there is evidence that SRW grown from Arkansas south avoided moisture at flowering but had rain at harvest, which affected soundness. In contrast, wheat farmers in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky experienced more rain at flowering than they did at harvest so DON levels in that wheat is higher. Ohio and East Coast tributary states including Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina had adequate moisture throughout the growing season and good harvest conditions.
The overall average SRW grade for 2014/15 is U.S. No. 2, though the overall average test weight just barely meets the No. 2 grade requirement. Average protein is slightly lower than last year and the five-year average. Average dockage and total defects are both below last year and the five-year averages, indicating that the crop has relatively few visual defects. Falling number values are again below the five-year average, though somewhat better than the very low values of the 2013 crop. The samples from Gulf Port states show the adverse effects of excessive moisture during growing and harvest while the East Coast states largely avoided these conditions.
The overall average test weight of 58.0 lb/bu (76.3 kg/hl) is 0.4 lb/bu (0.5 kg/hl) below 2013 and 0.6 lb/bu
(0.8 kg/hl) below the five-year average. The Gulf Port average test weight of 57.8 lb/bu (76.1 kg/hl) is below the five-year average for these states, while the East Coast average of 58.7 lb/bu (77.3 kg/hl) is 1.5 lb/bu (2.0kg/hl) above last year and similar to the five-year average. The average total defects value of 1.8% is 1.0 percentage point lower than last year and 0.4 percentage point below the five-year average. Both the Gulf Ports (2.0%) and East Coast (1.1%) have average total defects below the respective five-year averages.
While wheat protein content of 9.8% on a 12% moisture basis is slightly below the five-year average of 10.1%, overall sedimentation and wet gluten averages are similar to the respective five-year averages. Wheat falling number of 304 seconds for the Gulf Ports is similar to the low value of 2013 and well below the five-year average. Grain handlers and others are reporting very low falling numbers in wheat from far southern Gulf Port states. In contrast, the average falling number of 340 seconds for the East Coast states is well above the five-year average. The overall DON average of 2.2 ppm is higher than 2013 and the five-year average. The DON average for the six Gulf Port states is 2.5 ppm, well above 2013 and the five-year average. DON levels are highest in wheat from southern Illinois and Indiana and eastern Kentucky. However, industry sources indicated last week that buyers should be able to source SRW with less than 2.0 ppm DON. The DON levels are completely different in the three East Coast states with an average of 0.6 ppm, which is below 2013 and the five-year average.
Flour and Baking Data. Buhler laboratory mill flour extraction and flour ash are similar to the five-year averages overall for both East Coast and Gulf Port states, suggesting that the crop has typical SRW milling characteristics. The dough properties suggest the crop is somewhat weaker than recent crops. Farinograph peak, stability and absorption values, especially for the Gulf Ports states are somewhat lower than the five-year averages. Alveograph P, L and W values for Gulf Ports and East Coast are somewhat lower than five-year averages. However, cookie spread ratios and loaf volumes are all higher than last year and the respective five-year averages.
The data showed that excessive moisture in many areas during flowering or during harvest adversely affected DON levels or falling numbers, primarily in the six Gulf Port states. SRW importers should pay close attention to their specifications to receive the wheat they need. As always, local USW representatives are ready to assist.
Source : uswheat.org