Patented Nov. 20, 1945 2,389,302 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE . 2,589,502 Cyril Harry Evans, Cleethorpes, England, assignor to Spiers Limited, London, England, a British joint-stock corporation NoDrawing. Application September 29, 1942, Se ria No. 460,72. a Great Britain. September 26, 1941. 6 Claims. (C. 99-91) Wheat, particularly European wheat, is liable and convenient remedies are available for this during growth to the attack of insects usually purpose, and the proportions of sodium chlorite known as "wheat bugs.' These insects belong used for treatment of such damaged four are to the species Hemiptera and are of the genera greater than could be used for general "improve Aelia and Eurygaster. Two common insects are ment and maturing,' and such proportions would Eurygaster maurus and Aelia acuminata. Wheat have markedly adverse effects on the baking attacked in the early stages of growth has no . quality of flour milled from sound wheats. milling value as the grain does not mature but In the practical application of the invention it is not dangerous as the various cleaning opera the addition of sodium chlorite may be made tions through which wheat passes before milling O either to the grain before milling or to the four suffice to remove the shivelled grain. Grain at by spraying or other application of a water solu tacked when approaching maturity however pre tion of sodium chlorite as is preferred. Dry So sents a very difficult problem for the miller, since dium chlorite in the condition of powder may it cannot be removed from the bulk in the wheat alternatively be mixed with flour. cleaning Operations, and apart from restricting 5 Generally the “wheat bug' puncture is such its use to Small percentages in the grist (which that the harmful secretion lies close under the method is not applicable in countries where much bran layer. For this reason it is possible to apply Sound grain is not available), there has hithereto the treatment with advantage by immersion of been no simple method of treating wheat to over the damaged grain in a solution of sodium chlo come the objectionable effects of this insect pest. 20 rite or otherwise to apply the solution over or Grain attacked is difficult to detect by visual upon the grain as by spraying. The application examination as the puncture made by the insect of the solution upon the grain has the advantage is Small, and the presence of a few damaged that it is possible to treat the affected wheat only grains in a large quantity of sound grain is likely or the wheat containing the affected grains, in to make the flour milled from it unfit for baking. 25 stead of adding the sodium chlorite to the four This is because the insect is apparently unable to obtained by milling several varieties of wheat in assimilate the endosperm of the wheat and there cluding perhaps only a portion of wheat likely to fore after making a hole through the bran layers - have been affected. injects saliva, which contains enzymes. These The presence of sodium chlorite in the bran attack the proteins (and possibly also the starch 30 is not detrimental as it quickly becomes reduced of the wheat) and convert them into a form as to sodium chloride which is quite innocuous. similable by the insect. While the amount of The proportions of sodium chlorite to be added the grain actually eaten by the insect is negligible, depend of course on the extent to which the wheat the enzymes which are left in the grain are par is damaged. The effect of sodium chlorite on ticularly active and serve to make not only the 35 sound flour is to tighten and shorten the dough, unattacked parts of the infected grains useless and when left in contact with the flour for some for conversion into flour for baking, but affect time it operates as a bleaching agent. Propor as much as twenty times the amount of sound tions of the order of A to 1 gram per sack (280 grairi if this grain is milled with it. lbs.), as is known, improve sound flour. Larger Flour milled from infected wheat is subject 40 amounts cause cracking of the dough skin and to intense enzymic activity during panary fermen the bread produced is deficient in volume, and tation with the result that the dough 'runs' and has a very rough crust. Thus as a remedy for produces bread of very poor quality. “wheat bug' damage proportions of sodium chlo It has been proposed to treat 'bug wheat' by heating, but the method involves special appara 45 rite are added beyond those necessary or desire, tus and unless great care is taken in the applica able for sound flour, whereby the tightening ac tion of heat the grain is apt to be rendered use tion of the sodium chlorite offsets the tendency of less for baking purposes. - the damaged four to run, and become sticky in The present invention is based upon my dis the dough. Thus for example with wheat from covery that if sodium chlorite is added to the in 50 Roumania containing "wheat bug' damaged grain sect damaged flour the effects may be overcome amounting approximately to 5% of the whole, the and good baking quality is restored to the four. treatment by spraying with a solution containing I am aware that it has been previously proposed to 2 grams per sack of sodium chlorite proved very use Sodium chlorite for the general 'improvement effective and the flour baked into a good loaf. and maturing" of flour, but many more effective 55 Without treatment it was hardly possible to ob 9,889,802 by the use of the flour produced from sodium chlorite is added as a solution in water. wheat. 4. A process according to claim , wherein a clan solution in water of sodium chlorite is sprayed 1. A process for counteracting the harmful ef upon the material under treatment. fects of the presence in wheat of grain damaged 5. A process according to claim 1, wherein the by Hemiptera of the genera Aelia and Eurysaster, wheat to be treated is immersed in a solution of consisting in adding to the wheat in a condition sodium chlorite. - selected from the granular and milled conditions 6. A process in accordance with claim in of the wheat an amount of sodium chlorite ex which sodium chlorite is added to each 280 pound ceeding 1 gram per sack of 280 lbs. 0. sack at the rate of approximately 2 grams for a 2. A process according to claimi 1, wherein the content of infected material of five percent. sodium chlorite is added dry and as powder. 3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the CYR BARRY WANS,