Wednesday August 16 Ag News

HUSKER SCIENTISTS’ RESEARCH PROJECT AIMS TO CRACK CODE OF MAJOR SWINE VIRUS

Two University of Nebraska–Lincoln scientists have received a $627,000 federal grant to study a viral disease posing a significant threat to the swine industry worldwide.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus is widespread, causing reproductive failure in sows and major respiratory illness in pigs of all ages. In addition, the virus modulates the pig’s immune system, making the animal more susceptible to other infectious diseases. The costs to the U.S. swine sector from PRRSV annually total an estimated $1.1 billion.

Hiep Vu, associate professor of animal science, is the co-director of the research project, funded by a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The other co-director is Sarah Sillman, assistant professor with Nebraska’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center.

The project will examine how PRRSV infects swine macrophages, the immune cells that recognize, engulf and destroy harmful intruders, including viruses and bacteria.

Viruses can only make copies of themselves when they sneak into a living cell.

“As long as we can prevent viruses from entering a cell, we can prevent viral infection,” Vu said.

Figuring out which cells the virus can attack and how it gets inside them strengthens scientists’ ability to create vaccines and intervention strategies to stop the virus’s spread and harmful effects.

PRRSV is picky, infecting only a few specific cell types, including swine macrophages and the monkey cell line MARC-145.

Vu recently discovered a PRRSV variant that nearly lost the ability to infect swine macrophages while still being able to infect MARC-145 cells effectively. This PRRSV variant has just one tiny change in its genome compared with the other PRRSV that infects macrophages.

“I will compare those two viruses to find out why one infects the swine macrophage and the other does not,” Vu said.

Such knowledge, Vu said, can “be critical for the development of a safe and efficacious PRRSV vaccine. Additionally, this knowledge will provide novel insights for generating PRRSV-resistant pigs, either through natural selection or genome editing.”

The project illustrates the frequent multidisciplinary collaboration among Husker faculty in studying animal diseases. For this project, Sillman’s expertise in veterinary pathology complements Vu’s work in molecular virology, enabling a detailed study of PRRSV characteristics and its manifestations of disease in pigs.

“Most of my studies involve collaboration with a veterinary pathologist at the Diagnostic Center,” Vu said. “For almost all of my publications, I have at least one collaborator from the Diagnostic Center.”

This research was supported by the intramural research program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.



Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board Announces New Executive Director

The Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board, together with the Nebraska Sorghum Producers Association, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kristine Dvoracek-Jameson to the Executive Director position effective as of August 14, 2023.

“I am very honored and excited to have been selected for this role,” stated Dvoracek-Jameson.

“My family has been involved in the sorghum industry for generations and I’m glad that I will get to continue the tradition.”

Kristine will work directly with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to promote sorghum production in Nebraska.

Kristine grew up on a family farm that raised sorghum for several generations. She graduated from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln in 2022 with a degree in AgriBusiness. While attending UNL, she interned with the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board. Kristine lives in St. Paul, with her husband, Matt.

You are able to reach Kristine at Sorghum.Board@Nebraska.gov or by phone at 402-471-4276.



Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards Presented to 39 Farm Families at the 2023 Iowa State Fair

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, and Department of Natural Resources Director Kayla Lyon today recognized 39 Iowa farm families with Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards at the Iowa State Fair. The award acknowledges farmers who take voluntary actions to improve and protect our state’s natural resources while serving as leaders in their communities.

These farm families use proven in-field and edge-of-field practices such as cover crops, no-till, wetlands, bioreactors and saturated buffers, among many others, that support the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy by holding soil in place and improving water quality. These worthy recipients recognize that the benefits of conservation practices extend beyond their fields, and their leadership encourages others to adopt similar conservation practices.

“The Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award recognizes the farmers who have made stewardship a priority. Their commitment to protecting, preserving, and restoring Iowa’s natural resources will ensure that future generations can enjoy the benefits of healthy soils and improved water quality for decades to come,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds. “Congratulations to the 2023 winners of the IFELA award. We applaud your leadership and commitment to environmental excellence!”

“We continue to see record engagement in our state’s conservation activity, and it is important that we recognize the dedicated Iowa farm families who lead by example in implementing these proven practices,” said Secretary Naig. “As we accelerate our water quality efforts statewide and work toward meeting our nutrient reduction goals, I believe Iowa farmers and landowners will continue to rise to the challenge in the years ahead by adding even more conservation practices.”

“We take great pride in recognizing these leaders in our farming communities throughout our state that put sound conservation practices at the forefront of their operations,” said Director Lyon. “Their conservation practices are leading the change and setting an example for future generations and other farmers.

The 2023 award recipients, listed alphabetically by last name, include:
Craig and Nancy Anderson - Plymouth County
Roger Bumann - Ida County
Rusty & Karen Corderman - Sac County
Perry and Stacy Corey - Steve Killpack - Harrison County
John & Ione Koster - Carroll County
Ryan & Tarin Tiefenthaler - Carroll County
Vos Family Farm - Ron and Nancy Vos - Sioux County

A total of 777 Iowa farm families have been recognized since the creation of the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award in 2012. A list of previous recipients is available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website.

The winners were chosen by a committee representing conservation and agricultural groups.



Master Conservationist Program Graduates Invited to Statewide Meetup in Loess Hills

Graduates of Iowa State University’s Master Conservationist Program are invited to gather in the Loess Hills this September for the first-ever statewide meetup.

“The goal for this event is to get graduates together to explore different parts of Iowa while providing space for socializing and learning,” said Kaycie Waters-Brocka, natural resources field specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and co-director of the Master Conservationist Program.

The event will begin with a dinner and social at the Desoto National Wildlife Refuge on Sept. 29, followed by a day of field trips around the Loess Hills on Sept. 30. Graduates will get the opportunity to meet conservation professionals in western Iowa and learn about how management in the Loess Hills differs from other places in Iowa. Saturday’s tour will begin at the new Willow Lake Nature Center, where participants will learn about various water quality conservation practices happening in the area. Participants will then get to hike around a few scenic places in the Loess Hills while learning from County Conservation Board and Department of Natural Resources biologists. Lunch will be provided, and during lunch attendees will learn about the unique fire management that happens in the Loess Hills.

The Master Conservationist Program started in Iowa in the 1990s but was redesigned and reinvigorated in 2017. Since then, over 700 people have completed the curriculum that combines online lectures about statewide efforts for conservation and land stewardship with in-person lessons led by local natural resources professionals in over half of Iowa’s counties. Graduates are encouraged to volunteer in their communities and continue to stay engaged with one another and local instructors. This statewide meeting will be the first of its kind. The program’s goal since its inception has been to “Plant the seeds of conservation in Iowa.”

Adam Janke, program co-director and extension wildlife specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, said he hopes graduate engagement efforts such as this will help those seeds flourish.

This year’s event is hosted by ISU Extension and Outreach Harrison County. Future graduate meetups will be hosted in other areas of the state, with the goal of giving graduates more opportunities to network and learn from one another, while also explore more of Iowa’s unique natural resources.

Graduates of any Master Conservationist Program offering from any year are invited to attend the event. The registration for this event is $35 and payment in the form of cash or check will be accepted at the event. Dinner on Friday evening and lunch on Saturday will be provided. Pre-registration is required, and registration closes on Monday, Sept. 18. Registration can be found at this web link: https://go.iastate.edu/BWODOE.

Lodging is not provided. Those traveling can explore surrounding areas for overnight accommodations: Missouri Valley, Onawa, Denison, Harlan and Council Bluffs, Iowa, or Blair, Nebraska.

This event is only open to those who have previously completed the Master Conservationist Program. For more information, contact Kaycie Waters-Brocka at 515-294-5820 or kwaters@iastate.edu; or reach Adam Janke at 515-294-7429 or ajanke@iastate.edu



Friesth’s ribeye cap steak earns championship crown at the 59th annual Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout

Amidst the smoking coals and wood fired flames from more than 40 contestants along the Iowa State Fair Grand Concourse, Ryan Friesth of Fort Dodge rose above the competition and was crowned the 2023 Iowa Farm Bureau ‘Cookout Champion.’ Friesth’s Ribeye Cap Steak recipe was voted as the championship-winning dish of the 59th annual Farm Bureau Day Cookout Contest at the Iowa State Fair.

The championship winning entry was favored by the judges over a wide array of entries from some of the state’s best backyard chefs, representing one-third of Iowa's counties, during the longstanding Iowa State Fair tradition. In addition to being crowned the overall Farm Bureau Cookout Champion, Friesth also won first place in the beef division, and his charcoal grilled ribeye caps beat out other popular entries, including smoked beef brisket, baby back pork ribs, lamb skewers, smoked chicken and turkey dishes.

Competitors in the Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest earned entry by smoking, grilling or barbecuing their way to victory in a county Farm Bureau contest in one of six categories: Beef, Lamb, Pork, Poultry, Turkey or Youth.  In addition to several regional qualifying county Farm Bureau Cookout Contests, entry to the popular event was expanded to include a select number of entrants from online applications.  

“The Farm Bureau Cookout Contest on Farm Bureau Day at the State Fair is a great tradition that our members and fairgoers look forward to each year as a fun way to celebrate the diversity of Iowa livestock production and Iowa’s best backyard cooks,” said Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson.  “The dedication and passion from today’s contestants reflect the values of Iowa farmers committed to responsible livestock care, and we’re excited to put on this event that celebrates Iowa’s livestock industry through these delicious dishes.”  

Friesth’s championship winning steak topped several other beef entries in route to being selected as the contest’s overall winner.  He received $1,000, the champion’s crown and a trophy as the 2023 Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest Champion. Friesth also won $400 for winning the beef division.

Other first place winners, hometown and their winning category were: Jesus Ojeda of Johnston, lamb; Mitch Schmitz of Lost Nation, pork; Bob Carson of West Point, poultry and Theresa Jones of Hubbard, turkey. All category winners received a $400 prize.  

Second place finishers, hometown and their categories were: Sarah Cruise of Olin, beef; Ryan Justice of Vinton, lamb; Ben Zehr of Keswick, pork; Richard Bishop of Granger, poultry and Alan Schroeder of Dubuque, turkey. All second-place category finishers received $200. Kamie Helmke of Dumont finished second place in the youth division and won $150.  

Stoney Wood of Corydon emerged from a crowded field of young contestants to take home first place in the youth division. Wood received a gas grill valued at $1,000 and $300 cash, courtesy of the Iowa Propane Gas Association. Wood also won the praises of the judges for his flair behind the grill, display, presentation and engagement with fairgoers, and he also received the $200 showmanship prize.  

Prize sponsors for the Farm Bureau Cookout Contest include: Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Farm Bureau Financial Services, GROWMARK, Inc., Iowa Propane Gas Association, Iowa Pork Producers Association, the Iowa Beef Industry Council, the Iowa Turkey Federation and the Iowa Poultry Association.  



Weekly Ethanol Production for 8/11/2023

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending August 11, ethanol production swung 4.5% higher to 1.069 million b/d, equivalent to 44.90 million gallons daily. Output was 8.7% more than the same week last year and 7.4% above the five-year average for the week. Still, the four-week average ethanol production rate decreased 0.1% to 1.063 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 16.30 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks expanded 2.4% to a 16-week high of 23.4 million barrels. Stocks were equivalent to year-ago levels and 4.7% above the five-year average. Inventories built across all regions except the East Coast (PADD 1).

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, tanked 4.8% to 8.85 million b/d (135.69 bg annualized). Demand was 5.3% less than a year ago and 4.6% below the five-year average.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol climbed 0.5% to 926,000 b/d, equivalent to 14.20 bg annualized and the largest weekly volume since May. Net inputs were 0.3% less than the same week last year but 0.3% above the five-year average.

Ethanol exports were estimated at 79,000 b/d (3.3 million gallons per day), a 14.5% increase over the prior week. There were zero imports recorded for the 36th consecutive week.



UAN32, Anhydrous Lead Major Fertilizer Prices Lower

Retail fertilizer prices continued to fall at a substantial pace in the first full week of August 2023, according to sellers surveyed by DTN. As has been the case in recent weeks, prices for all eight major fertilizers were lower compared to a month ago.

For the second week in a row, seven of the eight major fertilizers had a large price decline from last month. DTN designates a significant move as anything 5% or more. Anhydrous was lower again, with the nitrogen fertilizer 14% lower compared to last month and with an average price of $634 per ton. Also 14% less expensive looking back to last month was UAN32. This nitrogen fertilizer had an average price of $400/ton.

Potash was 8% lower compared to last month with an average price of $566/ton. Both DAP and MAP were 7% less expensive compared to the prior month. DAP had an average price of $758/ton while MAP was at $764/ton. UAN28 was 6% less expensive with an average price of $369/ton. Urea was 5% lower with an average price of $576/ton.

One fertilizer was just slightly lower compared to the prior month. 10-34-0 was down just a bit and had an average price of $714/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.63/lb.N, anhydrous $0.39/lb.N, UAN28 $0.66/lb.N and UAN32 $0.63/lb.N.

All fertilizers are now lower by double digits compared to one year ago. 10-34-0 is 19% lower, DAP is 23% less expensive, MAP is 26% lower, urea is 29% less expensive, potash and UAN28 are both 36% lower, UAN32 is 41% lower and anhydrous is 54% less expensive compared to a year prior.



AFBF Welcomes WTO Ruling on Chinese Tariffs

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the World Trade Organization ruling that China had no right to issue retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports five years ago in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum.

“AFBF is pleased that the WTO dispute panel ruled against China’s imposition of unjust retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural products. Agricultural trade is necessary for food security around the world and should not be endangered by retaliation for unrelated concerns.”



NPPC’s EATS Act Rationale Built on a House of Cards
Press Release

A new report issued today by the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action reveals that a diversified pig production sector already in place can meet the modest demand created by Prop 12 in California and Question 3 in Massachusetts for more humanely raised pork.

Nearly 40 percent of breeding sows are already in group housing systems, rather than gestation crates, and a market analysis shows that California and Massachusetts together will require just 6% of total U.S. pork production to come from facilities that allow the sows an opportunity to lie down, stand up, and turn around. The report reveals that the industry has been in transition for more than two decades since Florida banned the use of gestation crates in 2002 and that it has existing capacity to supply gestation-crate free pork in two states.

In promoting the EATS Act, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and some of its legislative allies have falsely stated that California “doesn’t like bacon,” that the farm-animal ballot measures ban farrowing crates, and that the two ballot measures will require that farmers in Iowa and Kansas must change their production practices and conform to California’s rules. Those false claims are debunked in the new report released today, with the analysis conducted by two agricultural veterinarians steeped in animal agriculture and based in the Midwest.

The new report from the Center notes that EATS, or the Exposing Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, would not only unwind two landslide state elections, but would undo more than 1,000 other state laws according to an analysis from a team of legal analysts at Harvard University.

“The National Pork Producers Council is spinning an enormous yarn,” said Dr. Jim Keen, D.V.M., Ph.D., director of veterinary science for the Center for a Humane Economy and the primary author of the new report.

“The trade association has exaggerated the market impact of ballot measures in California and Massachusetts by 300 percent,” he said. “A highly diversified pork industry has ample capacity right now to accommodate the market demand for Prop 12 and Question 3 without any meaningful changes to the current animal housing set ups.”

Dr. Keen worked for two decades at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska, and as a faculty member of the University of Nebraska College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

The report notes that the pork industry, as a matter of law, is already selling pork from the offspring of overcrowded, immobilized breeding sows in 48 states and 139 nations without any animal welfare restrictions or minimum space allotments.

“U.S. pig producers can sell pork from intensively confined pigs in 187 of 189 markets and NPPC’s doomsday about market disruptions is groundless,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Humane Economy. “The EATS Act is a pig in a poke. Not since the fictional orations from Squealer in George Orwell’s Animal Farm have we heard such misdirection and propaganda from the pig barnyard.”

The report notes that Prop 12 and Question 3 exempt all combined and canned pork products, which represents about 42% of pork sales in California and Massachusetts, meaning that nearly half of the pork sold in these two states need not come from farms providing some ample living space to the sows. It also notes that nearly 40 percent of sows are already in group housing and minor adjustments on these farms would allow producers to sell whole pork cuts to California and Massachusetts.

“A national industry with 40 percent of breeding sows already in group housing can accommodate two states that need just six percent of pork coming from gestation-crate-free housing,” added Pacelle.

“Through its total control of Smithfield Foods, the Chinese Government already controls a quarter of U.S. pig production,” added Dr. Thomas Pool, senior veterinarian with Animal Wellness Action and a former Colonel and commander of the U.S. Army Veterinary Command. “The EATS Act has the perverse effect of nullifying U.S. elections and benefitting a foreign government that wants no humane standards in agriculture. China is building high-rise factory farms that bear no resemblance to the farming practices that my family has observed for 100 years in southwest Oklahoma.”

Dr. Pool is a graduate of the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Keen and Pool note that the EATS Act has the potential to drive thousands more pig farmers out of business by accelerating consolidation in American agriculture and turn many who stay in the business into contract farmers answering to Chinese- and Brazilian-owned companies (Smithfield and JBS). These two companies already control 40 percent of the value of the U.S. pork industry (Smithfield 26% and JBS 14%).

The authors of the report also conclude that any price increases in pork in California or Massachusetts would be contrived and based on the false assumptions by pork industry leaders. The 40 percent of the industry relying on group housing is already competitive on inputs and pricing with the remainder of the industry relying on gestation crates.

The report also notes the deep reservoir of public opposition to the use of gestation crates and the thorough judicial repudiation of the claims that Prop 12 was an unconstitutional intrusion into interstate commerce.

The NPPC lost five of five ballot measures on gestation-crate confinement, each one by double-digit margins, with landslide votes in California (63% "Yes" vote) and Massachusetts (78% "Yes" vote). It lost 12 of 12 court cases challenging Prop 2 and Prop 12, with a SCOTUS ruling delivering the final judicial blow to the NPPC, with conservative justices Gorsuch, Thomas, and Coney Barrett arguing that Prop 12 was a proper and constitutional exercise of state authority. The NPPC also lost the debate with 60 major food retailers, including giants in food retail such as McDonald's, Costco, and Safeway that have strong anti-gestation-crate policies. In July, Governor Phil Murphy signed a ban on gestation crates in New Jersey after the Assembly passed a ban on gestation crates 73 to 1 and the Senate passed the measure 35 to 1.



NCBA Thanks EPA for Rejecting Environmental Activist Groups’ Petitions

Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) thanked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for supporting farmers and ranchers by rejecting two petitions from environmental activist groups.

“NCBA appreciates the EPA recognizing that America’s farmers and ranchers are committed to ensuring clean water and investing in a sustainable future,” said NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart. “By rejecting these two petitions that sought to directly attack animal agriculture, the EPA is protecting cattle producers from frivolous distractions and allowing them to return to the important job of stewarding our natural resources and feeding the nation.”



Growth Energy Releases New Economic and Job Benefits Data on IRA's One-Year Anniversary

Growth Energy, the nation's largest biofuels trade association, marked the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) by releasing new data on the economic, employment, and agriculture market potential of the bill's Section 45Z clean fuel production tax credit.  

"45Z represents an historic opportunity for the American bioeconomy, but the bill’s final impact will depend on its implementation," said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. "This new research not only illustrates the enormous economic potential of this key tax credit—it also underscores why it is so important for the U.S. Treasury to adopt the right approach in administering the credit. To deliver on its potential, 45Z must reward the full array of innovations taking place on the farm and in America's bioprocessing facilities, including technologies like carbon capture and sequestration and climate smart agriculture.”  

When it was enacted a year ago, the biofuels industry praised key IRA provisions, including $500 million earmarked for biofuels infrastructure, a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) tax credit (40B), an expanded carbon capture tax credit (45Q), and the clean fuel production tax credit (45Z). According to Growth Energy’s new data, if implemented properly the 45Z tax credit alone would add $21.2 billion to the U.S. economy, generate nearly $13.4 billion in household income, support more than 192,000 jobs across all sectors of the national economy, and provide farmers with a 10 percent premium price on low carbon corn used at an ethanol plant.

“The U.S. Treasury can unleash these benefits by fully adopting the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies (GREET) model—the best, most accurate lifecycle analysis (LCA) model available today-for both aviation and non-aviation fuels,” Skor added. “Regulators cannot afford to miss this opportunity. We look forward to working with our champions in Congress and the administration to make sure we implement the IRA in a way that maximizes both its environmental and its economic benefits."

The research was commissioned by Growth Energy and prepared by Agriculture and Biofuels Consulting LLP.



Growth Energy Files Intervenor Brief in Support of EPA against Latest RFS Challenge

Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuels trade association, filed a motion to intervene today in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) v. EPA et al. (Case No. 23-1277). CBD is challenging EPA’s most recent “Set” rule for the 2023-2025 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor issued the following statement:

“By any measure, the RFS is one of the nation's most successful renewable energy and environmental programs. And yet it's the target of near constant litigation from groups seeking to weaken it, limit its reach, or undo it altogether. EPA has amply shown that the RFS Set does nothing to undermine our nation’s commitment to protecting endangered species. Oil industry interests surely must enjoy watching some environmental groups do their bidding by working so hard to undermine a program that is, today and into the future, reducing our nation's reliance on fossil fuels and lowering carbon emissions.”  



New Falling Number Test Prevents Wheat Contamination, Saves Farmers Millions  

As wheat harvesting season comes to an end, farmers brace for a potential threat to their crop that costs tens of millions of dollars each year. High levels of alpha-amylase protein in wheat can lead to a low falling number score, a factor that determines the quality and price of wheat. Because alpha-amylase digests starch, wheat with a low falling number score produces flour with lower gelling capacity, causing cakes that fall or sticky bread and noodles, and significantly lowers the price growers receive. Unfortunately, falling number tests can only be performed in a laboratory. If growers cannot detect wheat with a low falling number, the wheat may mix with sound wheat on farms, in grain elevators or during transport, essentially compromising the entire bushel.

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is awarding a $835,888 Seeding Solutions grant to Washington State University (WSU) to develop a faster, cheaper and more accurate test that measures alpha-amylase on farms and in elevators, preventing mixing of low and high falling number wheat. EnviroLogix, HighLine Grain Growers, The McGregor Company, Washington Grain Commission, Wheat Marketing Center and WSU provided matching funds or in-kind support for a total $2,037,107 investment.

“Every year, farmers hold their breath as they wait to find out if their wheat harvest passes muster,” said Dr. Angela Records, FFAR chief scientific officer. “By enabling early detection of low falling number, this research is saving quality wheat from becoming animal feed and saving farmers millions.”

The current falling number test, developed almost 70 years ago, is slow, expensive, exhibits high variability and most importantly, does not assess alpha-amylase levels directly. The technology is poorly utilized because it requires large, specialized equipment, laboratory conditions and experienced operators. The process requires taking a wheat meal sample, mixing it with water, then putting that mixture on a falling number instrument that heats water to boiling.

“You essentially make a gravy or slurry,” said Dr. Amber Hauvermale, a research assistant professor in WSU’s Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and lead on the grant. “Then you drop a plunger into the gravy and count, in seconds, how long it takes for the plunger to fall to the bottom. That number is the falling number. Samples with high levels of alpha-amylase, which is bad for baking, have much lower falling numbers.”

In the wheat industry, prices are discounted when falling numbers go below 300 seconds. In 2016 alone, low falling numbers cost the grain industry over $30 million.

“Low falling number events were once seen every 10 years or so, but now they are happening more regularly, with some regions seeing events every two to four years,” Hauvermale said.

Due to expense and logistics, most grain elevators don’t have a falling number testing system on hand. That means wheat is mixed at the elevators, and problems are found much further down the supply chain. Containers with wheat combined from many growers may get hit with a bad test result, reducing everyone’s profits.

“We need a better test that can be used in real time at elevators to help separate loads of wheat that have low falling numbers,” Hauvermale said. “That reduces grower discounts, ensures customers get the best quality grain available and consumers get high-quality end products like cakes and bread.”

To develop the tests at an industrial scale, the research team is working with EnviroLogix, a company specializing in rapid tests for the grain industry.

In addition to developing new rapid tests, the grant also includes two other important components to help growers manage alpha-amylase. The first is developing an early warning system to alert grain handlers to weather patterns likely to cause spikes in alpha-amylase. The second is conducting research for a better understanding of the genetic regulation of alpha-amylase. This will provide breeders with tools for breeding wheat varieties that are less susceptible to low falling numbers.