Wheat Cleaning for Low Falling Number: What to Test

A wheat lot can look sound after a wet harvest and still return a low Falling Number. A wheat cleaning trial can show whether removing a physically separable fraction changes the result for the wheat retained for sale. Test that retained wheat against the buyer’s specification before committing the whole bin to processing.

Saskatchewan’s September 24, 2026 crop report put harvest completion at 41%, compared with a five-year average of 82%. It reported quality deterioration and sprouting in some standing crops. That regional report supports closer attention to affected wheat; it does not establish the Falling Number of an individual lot.

What the laboratory result tells you

The Falling Number test uses a heated slurry of ground wheat and water. The reported time includes 60 seconds of stirring followed by the time the stirrer takes to descend under its own weight. Higher alpha-amylase activity breaks down starch and reduces viscosity, allowing the stirrer to fall faster. Grain appearance cannot provide that measurement.

Washington State University explains that enzyme activity can rise before sprouts are obvious. Late maturity alpha-amylase can also affect wheat that appears sound. Obtain the laboratory result and the buyer’s acceptance terms before treating visible damage as the whole problem.

What an airflow separator can address

A METRA ADS aerodynamic grain cleaner divides material according to its response to airflow, influenced by particle weight and aerodynamic properties. It can change the composition of a lot through physical separation. It does not repair sprout-damaged kernels or measure enzyme activity.

A trial is relevant when it can test whether physically separable fractions differ in the property that matters to the buyer. Removing a lighter fraction is not, by itself, evidence that the remaining lot meets a milling specification.

Define the trial before processing the bin

Agree on representative sampling with the laboratory. Record the incoming result, cleaner settings and mass of each output. Test the retained wheat intended for sale and compare its result with the actual acceptance terms. A cleaner-looking sample is not a substitute for that comparison.

If the first trial is encouraging, check whether the result holds as the lot is processed under the chosen operating conditions. Decide in advance how changes in incoming material will be detected and when another sample is needed. If the retained wheat remains below the buyer’s specification, discuss the lot with the buyer before scheduling further passes.

Check a proposed blend in the laboratory

Falling Number does not blend as a simple arithmetic average. WSU cautions that combining higher- and lower-Falling-Number wheat can produce a disappointing result. Have a representative proposed blend tested before combining whole lots.

To discuss a wheat-cleaning trial with METRA Grain Cleaner, provide the initial laboratory report, buyer specification and lot details. These establish the physical separation question and the result needed to justify an equipment choice.

Sources: Saskatchewan crop report, September 24, 2026; Canadian Grain Commission: Falling Number method; Washington State University Extension FS242E; METRA ADS operating manual

Cover: AI-generated editorial illustration of wheat sample preparation. The equipment shown is not a Falling Number test apparatus.