Location: Corn, Soybean and Wheat Quality Research
Project Number: 5082-30600-001-011-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Mar 1, 2026
End Date: Jan 31, 2028
Objective:
Determine the effects of harvest time on milling and baking quality of wheat
Approach:
Harvesting wheat early at a high moisture level (above 20%) offers several advantages compared with the typical practice of harvesting it after the grain dries to 13-15% moisture. Early harvest minimizes grain yield losses from shattering and bird damage, as well as quality reduction from preharvest germination and decreased bulk density caused by prolonged exposure to adverse weather conditions. Another major advantage of harvesting wheat early is the opportunity to plant soybeans sooner in a wheat-soybean double-cropping system for increased yield potential, as soybeans are more valuable than wheat and double cropping is more profitable than growing a single crop. These advantages are considered sufficient to offset the drying costs of wheat grain harvested early with a high moisture content. Although the negative impacts of delayed harvest on grain yield and quality are well documented, the effects of early high-moisture harvesting on grain quality, milling performance, flour quality, and baking performance have not been studied extensively. Four soft and two hard wheat varieties will be grown in Wooster, OH in two growing seasons, harvested on three different dates starting at grain moisture content of around 20% in each season and evaluated for grain characteristics, milling performance, flour biochemical characteristics and baking quality. Effects of harvesting time, and advantages and disadvantages of early harvest on wheat grain milling and baking quality will be elucidated from the obtained results.