GREEN AND RIPE WHEAT

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1931, Page 15

GREEN AND RIPE WHEAT

TESTS OF BAKING QUALITIES. BEST TIME FOR-REAPING SOUGHT. Experiments conducted by the Wheat Research Institute concerning the relation between the time of cutting a wheat crop and the quality of the flour may bring about a great improvement in the quality of the bread of New Zealand. At the present time and for some years past, farmers have been advised to cut their crops of Tuscan as well as other wheats when still inclined to greenness; but the researches of the institute indicate that the proper time is when the crops are ripe. Reporting at a meeting of the committee of the institute last week, the director, Dr. F. W. Hilgendorf, summed up the experiments as follows:— “One of the most interesting results is that obtained from wheat cut green and cut ripe. The material was harvested at Lincoln and great care was taken to secure accurate samples for the test. The result shows that the baking score of the loaves improved steadily as the wheat became more mature. At the stage of normal cutting there started a sharp rise in baking quality, the rise continued for six or seven days, and then remained stationary. The baking score just before the normal cutting period was 29, and after six days was 39, so that the delay turned an indifferent loaf into an excellent one. The results are confirmatory of those obtained in a less striking degree in the two preceding years: they are very uniform in their progression from low score to high; and altogether they afford unusually good evidence of a method by which a slight modification of practice may improve the baking quality of our flour, a modification, that in the case of Tuscan at any rate, can usually be made without running undue risk. “From the binder ripe stage onwards two lots were cut at each sampling, one lot with the ordinary long straw and the other with only 6in, of straw attached to the heads to simulate the action of the header harvester. With the short straw the baking scores were slightly but consistently lower than where the straw was cut long, although they were at the same time considerably and consistently higher than those of the wheat cut at or before the binder ripe stage. “The trials -made suggest that wheat cut ripe is of better baking quality, but more trials are to be conducted on the point before making a definite pronouncement.” Mr. R. J. Lyon said that the experiments seemed to indicate a revolution in cutting methods. As the results pointed that way, it would be necesspry to get the farmers interested. , ■ Dr. Hilgendorf said that last year’s restilts were fairly conclusive, and this year’s results, from carefully selected samples, absolutely conclusive. “We must'be perfectly sure before asking the farmers to cut late,” said Mr. James Carr. “Some ripe wheats are liable to damage from wind and rain if they are left too long.” Mr. C. H. Hewlett said that the results of the experiments were what reason would indicate. With' early cutting, he had wondered how the millers managed to make flour at all. Mr. Lyon said that if there was to be a sacrifice in quantity, the millers would make it for the sake of a gain in quality. The millers would want to be able to experiment for themselves right away. They had thought that the quality was best when the wheat was cut green, but apparently they were wrong. The chairman, Dr. H. G. Denham, said that results indicated that late cutting was advisable, but as it was such a big departure from practice, it would be advisable to conduct another series of experiments, taking samples from different localities The chairman’s suggestion was adopted.