Falling Number

The Falling Number (FN) Method is the internationally standardized (ICC 107/1, ISO 3093-2004, AACC 56-81B) and most popular method for determining sprout damage. With the Falling Number test, so-called weather or sprout damaged wheat or rye, which is disastrous for bread making quality, could be detected at the grain silo intake within a few minutes.

Sprouting or pre-harvest germination is caused by damp or rainy weather conditions during the final stage of maturation of the new crop. The germination causes an accelerated production of the starch degrading enzyme alpha-amylase. Severely sprouted grain kernels can contain several thousand times the amount of enzyme of sound unsprouted kernels. Because of this, very low levels of severely sprouted kernels mixed into sound wheat can cause the entire lot to exhibit significant amylase activity. Since the introduction in the early 60’s the FN method has become a world standard in the grain and flour milling industries for measuring alpha-amylase activity in wheat, durum wheat, triticale, rye and barley as well as milled products made from these grains.