A recent report of a 1999 international study ranked wheat grown
by Montana farmers better than any others tested.
The Overseas Varietal Analysis Project was organized by U.S.
Wheat Associates. The project asked commercial buyers from Asian
countries to assess eight hard red spring wheats and nine hard
red winter wheats. Buyers in the test made whatever products they
normally would from the wheat, whether that was noodles, steam
bread or loaves of bread such as those we have in the United
States.
Several states that ship wheat from Northwest United States ports
selected wheats to be tested.
"McNeal appears to be the variety that is preferred, most
probably because of its mixing properties coupled with a high
(water) absorption," said the summary of the spring wheat project
written by scientists at North Dakota State University.
"Rampart ranked best overall in baking quality of the 19 samples
evaluated," said the summary of the winter wheat project written
by scientists at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in
Manhattan, Kan.
Both are wheats developed at Montana State University and grown
commercially by Montana producers.
"It's really a pat on the back for Montana wheat producers," says
Luther Talbert, MSU spring wheat breeder. "It also is a credit to
MSU's Cereal Quality Lab." The lab, managed by Deb Habernicht, is
the proving ground for both Talbert's spring wheat breeding lines
and the winter wheats developed by Phil Bruckner.
The popularity of McNeal also has led to identity-preserved
shipments of the grain both within and outside of the United
States. Such "identity-preserved" shipments generally mean a
bonus to the grain growers involved.
