Growers in the United States Pacific Northwest were faced with lower prices for wheat due to limitations in the data provided by the Falling Number test, resulting in millions of dollars lost in the area's 2016 harvest.
The Falling Number test is the most common tool used internationally to measure amylase, a starch-degrading enzyme, in wheat. In the United States a strict, 300-second Falling Number standard is imposed in evaluating wheat quality. If tested grain has a Falling Number below 300 seconds, the grain's price is automatically reduced, in turn reducing farmers' income.