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Measurement of Wheat Hardness by Seed Scarifier and Barley Pearler and Comparison with Single-Kernel Characterization System

¹Grain Chemistry and Utilization Laboratory, National Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit, USDA-ARS, 1691 S. 2700 West, Aberdeen, ID 83210. Names are necessary to report factually on available data; however, the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by the USDA implies no approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable. ²Corresponding author. Phone: (208) 397-4162. Fax: (208) 397-4165. E-mail: Keshun.Liu@ars.usda.gov

A new procedure based on a seed scarifier (SS) for measuring wheat hardness was described and investigated along with methods using a barley pearler (BP) and the single kernel characterization system (SKCS). Hardness measured by SS and BP is expressed as a percentage of kernel weight remaining after abrading and defined as abrasion resistance index (ARI). For a given sample weight, increased abrading time decreased ARI but improved the ability to differentiate variation among samples. The effect of sample moisture was also statistically significant. For improved performance of SS and BP, based on distinct patterns of relationships between surface removal rates and surface removal levels among soft and hard wheats, a combination of parameters that produces ARI values in the range of 80–20, and a run for a set of reference material are recommended. Differences in measured hardness values from SS, BP, and SKCS existed within a wheat group, but they were very much method-dependent. Nevertheless, all methods were able to differentiate variations between soft and hard wheat groups. Because of low cost, durability, simplicity, repeatability, and aforementioned ability, SS and BP, although limited by lack of standardization and calibration procedures, can still be useful for grain hardness measurement, particularly when and where instruments for contemporary popular methods such as SKCS and near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy are not readily available.