McMorris Rodgers: Accurate Testing For Falling Numbers Remains A Priority

For wheat growers across the Northwest, 2016 was a year many would like to forget, or at the very least never revisit. That year, growers across Washington, Oregon and Idaho struggled with low Falling Numbers, which brought into question the quality of the wheat by some customers.

While the Falling Numbers issue has not been the problem reported four years ago, researchers are working to understand more about Falling Numbers, and what can be done to help producers. Eastern Washington Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers says on the federal level, the industry needs to be prepared for future rounds with low Falling Numbers. She noted that funding was recently secured to select a research candidate to look into Falling Numbers and what can be done.

“To ensure we have an accurate way of testing and measuring what is going on, and doing that work now, so we’re prepared if we have a year where we have more of an issue with falling numbers.”

The Washington State Department of Agriculture described Falling Numbers as a mild problem during the 2019 harvest.

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