An acoustical, single-kernel wheat hardness instrument was developed t
o assist the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) in objective meas
urement and classification of wheat, particularly mixtures. The instru
ment measures the hardness of each wheat kernel in a sample and provid
es hardness distribution information in addition to an average hardnes
s score. The instrument analyzes the level of sound above 15 kHz produ
ced as a kernel of wheat is ground to measure hardness. The acoustical
, single-kernel scores correlate highly with NIR hardness, the AACC st
andard (r = 0.93). The acoustical, single-kernel hardness instrument w
ould improve the ability of FGIS to classify mixed wheat samples and w
ould improve marketability, particularly in international trade. This
method also provides information of benefit to millers, bakers, cereal
scientists, and wheat breeders.