Idaho Wheat Commission

News

1/3 the Cost of Miag Pilot Flour Milling the PNW Wheat Quality Council Samples

Dr. Alecia Kiszonas

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The PNW Wheat Quality Council was first convened in 1995 with the backing and encouragement of the Tri-State Wheat Commissions. It has been an excellent program and has yielded immeasurable benefits. The USDA ARS WWQL underwrites the majority of the cost through appropriated Federal funds. To assist in the process, the Tri-State Wheat Commissions each contribute one-third the cost of labor to prepare, mill and distribute the samples.As wheat lines are developed by public and private breeding programs experimental lines are analyzed throughout the process by predictive tests to judge their suitability in the marketplace.

On an annual basis the PNW WQC provides a forum with the milling and baking industry to verify that the level of quality in newly released lines is suitable for industrial use. Information exchange between the wheat development community and the end-use milling and baking industries is valuable to all parties. End-users are assured that the quality profile of new releases will suit their needs. Wheat development programs have an opportunity to verify that the models used to predict wheat quality are working.

June 3, 2026

Idaho’s U.S. Senator Frank Church Wrote BPA’s Rulebook. It Demands Reliable Power, Too.

An opinion editorial written by Will Hart, executive director of the Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association, and Kurt Miller, executive director of the Northwest Public Power Association.

April 7, 2026

Changing diets and demographics creating new opportunities for U.S. wheat

Rising incomes, growing populations, and rapid industrialization is creating increased demand for wheat foods around the world.

April 7, 2026

Idaho ag economic impact hits records

The economic impact of agriculture in Idaho reached $44.5 billion in sales, 17.2% of the state’s total economic output.

April 7, 2026

What is the Most Important Asset on the Farm?

How much time do you spend making sure your equipment is properly maintained? From combines and drills to pickups and silos, the farm has spent a lot of money and you probably have a “correct” way to take care of the tools you’ve invested in. But what is the most important asset on the farm? Quick answer: you and the people around you. Do you allocate as much time and attention on those assets? Probably not.

April 7, 2026

ALERT: Warm Weather Threatens Wheat with Yield Loss

The warm winter weather throughout the state has experts concerned about increased fungal diseases creeping into fields and causing yield loss. Xianming Chen, USDA stripe rust expert in the PNW, is warning farmers to start checking their fields. Chen is predicting that stripe rust will be more widespread and extreme this year than in the past 15 years. The last particularly bad year for stripe rust was in 2011. Experts from the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative are also warning about fusarium head blight and vomitoxin (DON) in winter wheat. USWBSI is reminding farmers that the best time to apply fungicides for FHB and DON management is at Feekes growth stage 10.51, when 50% of the main tillers have reached early anthesis (flowering) and up to seven (7) days following.