NEMATODE GALLS IN MARKET WHEAT. 



11 



berries. For comparative purposes both have been reduced to the 

 water-free basis. 



Table 2. — Chemical analysis of nematode galls in comparison with sound wheat 



berries. 



Chemical constituents. 



Nematode 



Sound 



galls. 



wheat. 



Per cent. 



Per cent. 



6.9 



2.06 



22.2 



2.68 



21.3 



13.70 



3.4 



2.06 



46.2 



79.00 



20.4 









110 C.C. 



12 c. c. 



None. 



11.8 



None. 



28. S 



Ether extract 



Crude fiber 



Protein 



Ash 



Nitrogen-free extract 



Pentosans 



Sugars 



N 

 Acidity, c. c. -y alkali per kilo 



Dry gluten 



Moist gluten 



An examination of the chemical analysis of the nematode galls 

 shows that the nitrogen-free extract, which in the normal wheat 

 berry consists mostly of starch grains, has been greatly reduced. On 

 the other hand, the crude fiber, crude protein, ash, and fat have been 

 largely increased. The normal acidity of the whole wheat berry has 

 likewise been raised ten times above that present in sound wheat. It 

 would seem that the percentages of these other components of the 

 wheat berry had increased at the expense of the lesser amount of 

 nitrogen- free extract, or carbohydrate. Microscopic tests for starch 

 grains showed them to be almost completely absent. Whether the 

 nematodes consumed the starch or whether their presence in the plant 

 resulted in physiological disturbances precluding starch formation 

 is difficult to say. 



The fact that the nematode galls contain no starch is very impor- 

 tant. The lack of starch grains will necessarily result in a lower flour 

 yield from any given quantity of wheat, with the nematode galls 

 present. The presence of the galls in wheat will increase the per- 

 centage of the lower-grade flours, because black specks, which are 

 portions of the gall coat, remain in the flour and discolor it. 



Comparative milling and baking tests on a sample of wheat con- 

 taining galls as obtained on the market with the same sample from 

 which the galls were removed by hand picking is given in Table 3. 

 This work was done at the grain-standardization milling and baking 

 laboratory at Fargo, N. Dak. 



