05/19/08 Washington modifies its "Q" rating for preferred wheat varieties

Farm and Ranch May 19, 2008 Does a wheat variety with an end use quality rating with a minus, for example Q-, convey a negative message to you? Washington Wheat Commissioner Dana Herron thinks so and at his urging the Commission has changed its Q ranking system for the preferred varieties list it puts out in brochure form in cooperation with the Western Wheat Quality Lab. Herron's concern is that varieties with acceptable end use quality were getting a negative connotation with a Q- rating. Now they will get at least a Q rating. He says the Commission did not change any statistics or monkey with the science in making its modification. Herron: "It really was a marketing issue. When you look at a preferred variety list and your variety, whether it's Madsen or Tubbs or Xerpha has a Q-, it does have a very negative connotation. It was going detract people from planting it. It might detract overseas merchandisers from buying our product. And it would never have been released had it not been acceptable quality. We all know that." Dr. Ralph Cavalieri, Director of Washington State University's Agricultural Research Center, who supported Herron, says he and Dean Dan Bernardo were also concerned about the negative connation of Q-. Cavalieri: "Washington State University with its strong partnership with the Washington Wheat Commission, does not release to the public any varieties that don't at least equal the quality of the varieties being grown." Only varieties that actually erode wheat end use quality will now get a Q-. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.