KANSAS CITY — The 2023 US winter wheat harvest is in the books and the spring wheat harvest is within spitting distance of the finish line. Weather challenges have slowed the northern durum harvest, but collection was poised to wrap up in a few weeks. Laboratory analysis of hundreds of samples of each variety indicated hard wheat crops had lower average proteins and lower average test weights but higher falling numbers compared with 2022. Hard red spring, northern durum, soft red winter and soft white crops matched their respective average grades in 2022 while the average hard red winter wheat grade dropped compared with last year.

The soft red winter wheat crop, which includes southeastern states and south-central states along the lower Mississippi River but has its largest concentration in the Central states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, was the first wheat harvest in the books this year. US Wheat Associates issued its final harvest report Aug. 4 and noted vomitoxin (DON) levels were lower than in 2022 and sharply lower than the five-year average.

Great Plains Analytical Laboratory indicated with 232 of 250 expected samples delivered and tested, the 2023 soft red winter wheat crop averaged 9.2% in protein (9.7% in 2022, 9.5% as the recent five-year average), 35.8 grams in thousand kernel weight (32.9 grams, 32.7 grams), 60.2 lbs per bu in test weight (60.1 lbs, 58.9 lbs) and 318 seconds in falling number (327 seconds, 309 seconds). The average grade, No. 1 soft red winter wheat, matched last year’s average, and surpassed No. 2 soft red winter as the recent average.

“Composite flour data results so far suggest milling yield and flour ash are similar to last year’s crop,” US Wheat said. “Compared to the five-year average, flour protein, wet gluten and flour ash are slightly lower this year. The cookie spread factor (diameter/height) average is 9.9 compared to the five-year average of 8.9.”

Producers in America’s breadbasket, the central and southern Great Plains, completed combining of the 2023 hard red winter wheat crop in early September and US Wheat issued its final harvest report for the variety on Sept. 15. Perhaps of most interest to hard wheat millers and pan bread bakers was the determination that the crop had a lower average protein, lower average test weight and lower average grade compared with 2022. Protein content and test weight averages also fell below the average of the 2018-22 crops. Falling number improved from 2022 but fell short of the average. The average grade was down from both last year and the average.

Plains Grains Inc., a private, nonprofit wheat marketing organization, indicated that with 462 of an expected 475 samples tested, the crop averaged 12.6% protein (13% in 2022, 11.6% as the five-year average), 29.9 grams in thousand kernel weight (31.4 grams, 31.3 grams), 59.9 lbs per bu in test weight (61 lbs, 60.9 lbs) and 365 seconds in falling number (361 seconds, 370 seconds). The average grade in 2023, No. 2 hard red winter wheat, fell short of the No. 1 hard red winter wheat average grade both in 2022 and as the five-year average.

The final harvest report said “laboratory baking analysis of 81 milled composites is holding steady and indicates an average loaf volume across all composites of 916 cc, above the industry quality target of 850 cc. Those same composites indicate an average laboratory flour extraction of 75.95%, flour ash of 0.53% (14% mb), farinograph absorption of 58% (14% mb), bake absorption average of 64.4% (14% mb) and mix time of 4.0 minutes.”

The US soft white wheat crop also wrapped in early September in time for a final report issued Sept. 15. The crop is largely grown in the Pacific Northwest states of Washington, Idaho and Oregon. With 385 of an expected 390 samples from those states analyzed by Wheat Market Center, the crop averaged 11% in protein (9.5% in 2022, 10% as the five-year average), 32.5 grams in thousand kernel weight (34.8 grams, 34.6 grams), 60.2 lbs per bu in test weight (61 lbs, 61.1 lbs) and 333 seconds in falling number (340 seconds, 327 seconds). The average grade, No. 1 soft white wheat, matched last year and the average.

“Solvent retention capacity lactic acid values and overall profiles are typical for soft white despite the higher protein,” US Wheat said.

The hard red spring wheat crop in the northern US Plains was nearly wrapped with less than 4% remaining in fields by Sept. 24. Completion by that date was 95% in North Dakota (93% a year earlier, 95% as the 2018-22 average progress for the date), 95% in Montana (100%, 95%), 99% in Washington (99%, 97%) and 93% in Idaho (96%, 98%). Minnesota spring wheat growers collected the crop ahead of both last year’s pace and the five-year average pace. South Dakota producers binned the final bushels a week earlier, matching their 2022 pace and beating the five-year average progress of 99%.

With 346 of an expected 445 samples (77%) collected and analyzed at North Dakota State University’s Hard Red Spring Wheat Quality Laboratory in Fargo, the crop was averaging 14.2% in protein (14.3% in 2022, 14.6% as the five-year average), 33.8 grams in thousand kernel weight (30.4 grams, 30.7 grams), 60.9 lbs per bu in test weight (62.1 lbs, 61.5 lbs) and 410 seconds in falling number (386 seconds, 375 seconds). The average grade in 2022, 2023 and the previous five years was the same: No. 1 northern spring.

US Wheat in its Sept. 22 report said the average falling number represents a “sound crop” and that the average grade was derived from an average vitreous kernel content of 58%.

The northern durum crop in North Dakota and Montana was behind normal pace thanks to sporadic precipitation, cooler nights and shorter days. By Sept. 24, North Dakota durum was 86% harvested, ahead of 83% a year earlier but behind 90% as the 2018-22 average for the date. Montana durum by Sept. 24 was 95% harvested, advancing from 88% a week earlier.

“Producers are reporting average yields and protein,” US Wheat said in notes accompanying its Sept. 22 report. “Recent moisture has impacted the color of this year’s crop compared to last year, but test weights and falling number values are sound. The low moisture content and high falling number reflect dry conditions across the growing region.”

With 74 of an expected 128 samples tested at NDSU’s Durum Wheat Quality Laboratory, the crop was averaging 11.2% in moisture (11% in 2022, 11.3% as the recent five-year average), 14.1% in protein (13.7%, 14.4%), 61.1 lbs per bu in test weight (61.8 lbs, 61.1 lbs) and 406 seconds in falling number (433 seconds, 399 seconds). The average grade, No. 1 hard amber durum, matched the 2022 average and that of the most recent five crop years.