Official Grain Grading Guide
Experimental grades of wheat: Grading factors
Full list of grading factors
Contaminated grain (CONTAM GRN)
Important: Wear gloves and a mask to handle any sample that is suspected of containing contaminated grain.
Grain is contaminated for the purposes of the Canada Grain Act if the grain contains any substance in sufficient quantity that the grain is either
- adulterated for the purposes of the Food and Drugs Act; or
- contaminated within the meaning of the regulations made under section 51 of the Safe Foods for Canadians Act.
Treated seed
Treated seed is grain that has been adulterated with an agricultural chemical for agronomic purposes. The types of agricultural chemicals used to treat seed include pesticides, fungicides and inoculants. These seed dressings contain a dye to render the treated seed visually conspicuous. The colour of the dye varies depending upon the type of treatment and the type of grain. The current Canadian colour standard for pesticide and fungicide seed treatments for cereal (including corn) is red or pink. The colour standard for pesticide and fungicide seed treatments for canola is blue; however, green has also been used. Pulse crop (including soybeans) pesticide and fungicide seed treatments are typically blue or green. The coatings or stains may appear greasy or powdery and the surface area covered may range from tiny flecks to complete coverage.
Other chemical substances
Other chemical substances refers to any chemical residues either adhering to the kernel or remaining in the sample and to samples having a chemical odour of any kind.
Extraneous material
Can be defined as glass, metal, wood (including wood pellets), plastic or any other material not already defined in the Official Grain Grading Guide.
Procedure
If a sample is suspected of being coated with a pesticide, desiccant, inoculant or if the sample contains evidence of extraneous material, including any foreign chemical substance other than fertilizer pellets (FERT PLTS), the sample shall be graded ‘Wheat, Held IP Suspect Contaminated Grain’ and submitted to the Canadian Grain Commission. Determination as to whether grain is contaminated will be made by the Grain Research Laboratory in consultation with the Chief Grain Inspector for Canada.
Samples deemed to be contaminated are graded ‘Wheat, Sample Condemned’.
Degermed (DGM)
Tolerances apply to kernels not classed as sprouted (SPTD).
Extraneous material
Fertilizer pellets (FERT PLTS)
Fertilizer pellets are a manufactured plant nutrient product used by producers in the production of grain. They are typically small, round or irregular shaped and usually white, grey, brown, pink or reddish in colour.
Procedure
- Handpick any fertilizer pellets and determine the concentration in the net working sample.
- Fertilizer pellets are assessed as stones (STNS) when the concentration does not exceed 1.0% of the net sample weight.
- Samples containing fertilizer pellets in excess of 1.0% of the net sample weight are graded ‘Wheat, Held IP Suspect Contaminated Grain’. The sample should be submitted to the Canadian Grain Commission. Determination as to whether grain is contaminated will be made by the Grain Research Laboratory in consultation with the Chief Grain Inspector for Canada. Samples deemed to be contaminated are graded ‘Wheat, Sample Condemned’.
Grass green (GRASS GR)
Grass-green kernels are a distinct vivid green throughout because of immaturity.
Hard vitreous kernels (HVK)
Vitreousness is the natural translucent colouring that is a visible sign of kernel hardness. It is a factor for hard wheat varieties only. For a full description, see Chapter 4.
Insect damage (I DMG)
Consider the overall quality of the sample.
Stones (STNS)
Stones are hard shale, coal, hard earth pellets, and any other non toxic materials of similar consistency. Fertilizer pellets are assessed as stones when constituting 1.0% or less of the net sample weight. See Fertilizer pellets (FERT PLTS) for specific procedures to be followed when samples contain fertilizer pellets.
Procedure
- Handpick stones from a representative portion of the cleaned sample.
- Determine stone concentration in the net sample.
Note: Stones may be removed and included in dockage if the material removed is 5.0% or less of the gross weight of the sample. See Cleaning for grade improvement.
- In western Canada samples of grain containing stones in excess of basic grade tolerances, up to 2.5% are graded ‘Wheat, Rejected (basic grade) Account Stones’. The ‘basic grade’ refers to a grade established in the Canada Grain Regulations (grades listed in the first column in grade determination tables) that would have been assigned to the sample if it contained no stones.
- In western and eastern Canada grain containing more than 2.5% stones is graded ‘Wheat, Sample Salvage’.
Examples: Western Canada
Excerpt from grade determination tables
| Grade name | Stones % |
|---|---|
| numberNo. 1 CW EXPRMTL | 0.03 |
| numberNo. 2 CW EXPRMTL | 0.03 |
| numberNo. 3 CW EXPRMTL | 0.06 |
| CW Feed | 0.10 |
- Basic grade: Wheat, numberNo. 3 Experimental
- Reason for basic grade: Mildew
| If the above sample contained | Grade in Western Canada |
|---|---|
| 0.08% stones | Wheat, Rejected numberNo. 3 CW Experimental Account Stones |
| 3.0% stones | Wheat, Sample Salvage |
Test weight (TWT)
Test weight is the weight of a known volume of grain expressed in kilograms per hectolitre. For the procedure, see Chapter 1 of this guide, Test weight.