This special Wheat Quality release represents wheat shipments that occurred from August 30^th through December 31, 2004 (Fall 2004). The basic quality information is compiled by summarizing data from inspection certificates for railroad car samples of Kansas wheat moving from first point of sale. In addition, truckloads converted to carlot equivalents were included. Test weight, protein, grade, and defect determinations are made by the Kansas Grain Inspection Service Inc. The data are summarized by Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service, and collection and publication are funded by the Kansas Wheat Commission.

The average test weight from 8,403 carlot samples tested during Fall 2004 was 59.8 pounds per bushel. For comparison purposes, this is down from the 60.9 pounds per bushel test weight during the Fall 2003 season. Fall 2004 protein averaged 13.2 percent, compared to 11.7 percent for Fall 2003 while moisture content averaged 11.4 percent for the 2004 period, compared to 11.3 percent for 2003.

Samples of wheat grading No. 1, at 37 percent, are below the Fall 2003 average of 72 percent. Forty-three percent graded No. 2, compared with 24 percent during Fall 2003. The remaining 20 percent of the samples graded as No. 3 or lower, compared with 4 percent last year. Higher incidences of damaged kernels and below average test weights, primarily in Western Kansas, led to lower average grades. Damaged kernels averaged 0.2 percent, Statewide, during 1993-2002, 0.3 percent for Fall 2003, and 1.0 percent for Fall 2004. The most common cause of damaged kernels during 2004 was sprouting in the head.

A final report will be published in May covering the 2004 wheat crop shipped from January 1, 2005 through April 30, 2005.

District	Time Period 1/	Samples Tested 2/	Test Weight	Protein 3/	Moisture	Grade			Dockage			Average Dockage of Samples
						1	2	All Other Grades	0.1-0.4%	0.5-0.9%	Over 0.9%	Average Dockage of Samples
						1	2	All Other Grades	0.1-0.4%	0.5-0.9%	Over 0.9%	Over 0.9%	All
			Lbs.	- Percent -		- - - - - - - - Percent of Samples - - - - - - - -						- Percent -
NW	Harvest 2004	259	59.0	13.3	11.1	44	29	27	14	77	9	1.2	0.6
	Fall 2004	548	58.8	14.2	11.2	13	64	23	21	67	12	1.3	0.7
	Fall 2003	4,218	59.8	12.5	10.3	70	28	2	14	75	11	1.2	0.7
WC	Harvest 2004	433	58.9	13.9	11.3	19	43	38	30	64	6	1.1	0.6
	Fall 2004	963	59.2	13.9	11.2	29	45	26	42	56	2	1.2	0.5
	Fall 2003	4,080	60.9	11.9	10.7	81	18	1	35	60	5	1.2	0.5
SW	Harvest 2004	2,081	59.5	13.8	11.1	24	49	27	28	71	1	1.2	0.5
	Fall 2004	2,110	59.2	13.9	10.8	20	61	19	19	78	3	1.1	0.6
	Fall 2003	3,599	60.5	12.7	11.1	83	17	0	39	58	3	1.3	0.5
NC	Harvest 2004	2,083	60.2	12.9	12.2	88	11	1	94	6	0	-	0.3
	Fall 2004	1,753	60.1	13.3	12.0	64	31	5	80	19	1	1.6	0.4
	Fall 2003	3,182	61.4	11.4	11.3	90	9	1	67	32	1	1.4	0.5
C	Harvest 2004	1,759	60.7	12.6	11.9	79	20	1	67	32	1	1.3	0.4
	Fall 2004	1,070	61.1	12.6	11.6	81	18	1	56	42	2	1.3	0.4
	Fall 2003	1,821	61.6	11.0	11.7	93	6	1	47	46	7	1.4	0.5
SC	Harvest 2004	1,861	59.9	12.0	11.7	37	50	13	57	41	2	1.3	0.5
	Fall 2004	1,798	59.9	12.0	11.7	28	40	32	46	52	2	1.3	0.5
	Fall 2003	2,280	61.1	11.3	12.0	38	49	13	47	41	12	1.6	0.6
NE	Harvest 2004	453	62.2	11.9	12.4	99	1	0	100	0	0	-	0.2
	Fall 2004	136	62.8	11.8	12.3	98	2	0	92	8	0	-	0.2
	Fall 2003	59	62.5	10.7	12.1	100	0	0	56	37	7	1.1	0.5
EC	Harvest 2004	118	59.0	11.1	12.1	4	93	3	61	39	0	-	0.3
	Fall 2004	21	58.8	11.4	12.4	24	74	2	39	46	15	1.4	0.5
	Fall 2003	79	60.6	10.9	12.4	75	25	0	25	74	1	1.1	0.5
SE	Harvest 2004	780	58.8	11.1	12.7	10	72	18	66	32	2	1.8	0.4
	Fall 2004	4	63.2	10.8	12.1	100	0	0	0	100	0	-	0.6
	Fall 2003	222	60.3	10.5	12.6	50	39	11	27	47	26	2.1	1.0
State	Harvest 2004	9,827	59.7	12.8	11.6	51	36	13	58	40	2	1.3	0.5
	Fall 2004	8,403	59.8	13.2	11.4	37	43	20	44	53	3	1.3	0.5
	Fall 2003	19,540	60.9	11.7	11.3	72	24	4	38	55	7	1.4	0.6

1/ "Harvest 2004" covers the period of 6/16/2004 - 8/29/2004. "Fall" represents 8/30/2004 - 12/31/2004 and 8/17/2003 - 12/31/2003, respectively. 2/ "Samples tested" represents data from inspection certificates of railroad cars (truckloads are converted to carlot equivalents). Summarized data include old crop and new crop wheat moving from first point of sale and inspected by the Kansas Grain Inspection Service, Inc. 3/ Protein content is on a 12% moisture basis.