Small kernels of soft wheat are sometimes considered to be harder than larger kernels and to have inferior milling and baking characteristics. This study distinguished between kernel size and kernel shriveling. Nine cultivars were separated into large, medium, and small kernels that had no shriveling. Eleven cultivars were separated into sound, moderate, and severely shriveled kernels.

Shriveling greatly decreased the amount of flour produced during milling. It adversely affected all other milling quality characteristics (ash content, endosperm separation index, and friability). Shriveled kernels produced flour that had inferior soft wheat baking qualities (smaller cookie diameter and higher alkaline water retention capacity). 

In contrast, test weight and milling qualities were independent of kernel size. Small, non-shriveled kernels had slightly better baking quality (larger cookie diameter) than larger non-shriveled kernels. Small kernels were softer than large kernels (measured by break flour yield, particle size index, and flour particle size). Small non-shriveled kernels did not have diminished total flour yield potential or other reduced flour milling characteristics. Those observations suggest a possibility of separating small sound kernels from small shriveled kernels to improve flour yield and the need to improve dockage testing estimation techniques to distinguish between small shriveled and small non-shriveled kernels.