Cereal Chem 51:180 - 187.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
The Effect of Field Sprouting on the Quality of Durum Wheat.

J. W. Dick, D. E. Walsh, and K. A. Gilles. Copyright 1974 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Seven durum wheat varieties were sprouted under controlled field conditions in order to reveal the effect of sprouting on the milling and pasta-making quality of durum wheat. The degree of sprouting, as measured by the falling number test, ranged from sound wheat to severely sprouted wheat. Sprouting had an adverse effect on falling number, vitreous kernel content, and number of damaged kernels in the wheat. At the early stages of germination, wheat grade was not affected by sprouting. Furthermore, semolina milling yield and overall spaghetti quality were not significantly altered by sprouting, even when the falling number tests indicated extensive sprout damage.