Grain buyers want specific levels of protein, depending on how the wheat will be used. Bakers need high-protein for bread but low-protein for cakes, cookies and crackers.
Because buyers will pay a premium for high-quality wheat, farmers need to not only grow it, but also know which exact locations in their fields have the wheat that will fetch the higher prices.
The problem from a farmer’s point of view is that a field can produce grain with significant variations in quantity and quality.
If the grain is all lumped together, chances are the whole lot will sell at the elevator for a price close to the lowest grade.
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The elevator that separates the grades will profit the most from those higher grades. On the other hand, if the producer can keep the grades separate on the farm, then the bonus stays on the farm.
The key to maximizing profit from a field is to keep the grades separate, starting at harvest and continuing through to the elevator. However, segregating those grades has always been the challenge.
Over the past decade, a U.S. Department of Agriculture agronomist has tested various instruments that may one day help farmers quickly pinpoint the precise location of high-quality wheat.
Dan Long started testing wheat-quality measuring devices while teaching at Montana State University and has continued that work in Oregon.
He is working with two firms to develop and test spectroscopic devices that use fiber optics and near-infrared light to measure protein concentration in grain.
Attached to a combine, the devices measure the protein content of wheat during harvest. The optical sensors also measure fat, oil, carbohydrate and moisture levels, which allows the combine operator to segregate grades in the field and bin them separately in the yard.
Farmers can also use the sensor-derived information for fertilizer management because soil nitrogen and protein levels are correlated. They will be able to tell which locations already have enough nitrogen.
The information will help them save money on unnecessary fertilizer applications and also help protect the environment against surplus nitrogen.
The sensors probably will not be commercially available for another year or two, Long said.
