There is growing interest in the local cultivation of baking wheat. Winter wheat has a wider seeding window than spring wheat and higher yield potential. Depending on the buyer, baking wheat requires a protein content of at least 11.5-12 % and a sedimentation value of at least 30-35 ml. The falling number or Hagberg number, which is a measure of the presence of sprouting, is also an important quality parameter. However, it proves challenging to achieve these requirements for baking quality with (winter) wheat. This is apparent both from our variety trials in recent years and from what we hear from the field.

With this project, we want to get a better picture of whether sowing date, sowing density and mechanical weed control influence baking quality. In addition, we also want to map which varieties are best for baking wheat in Flanders. In this way, we can steer organic farmers in the right direction for growing local baking wheat.