Is the verdict in, or the jury still out on Xerpha winter wheat?

Farm and Ranch September 22, 2009 The Washington Grain Commission has been fielding dozens of telephone calls about Washington State University’s new soft white winter wheat Xerpha. A main issue is the end-use quality of Xerpha and its marketability, whether flour mills want to buy it or not. The quality of the variety was questioned last year after flour millers tried samples of it. The Washington Grain Commission and WSU say however, the tested samples were not representative of Xerpha in that they came from areas where the variety shouldn’t be grown.

Commission CEO Tom Mick says that based on two years of data it looks like Xerpha comes in as “Acceptable” on the group’s preferred variety list, which is based on end-use quality.

Mick: “It is not “Desirable“ or “Most Desirable“ it is in the “Acceptable.” It‘s got the quality some very predominant varieties such as Madsen right now. But we always like to see new varieties have better quality than what was out there before. The trouble with Xerpha, and it is not really trouble, it is benefit to the farmers it has great agronomic traits. It is a very high yielder and the farmers are very interested in that. So, we are reserving any comments on the quality aspect of it until we get another years data.”

Mick does provide this suggestion.

Mick: “If you are concerned Xerpha, call the country elevator operator or the first-handler of your grain, and ask him will he buy Xerpha if you deliver it next year.”

Tomorrow, Xerpha and wheat diseases.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.

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