ARCHIVED - Western Standards Committee recommendations from April 8, 2008

Standard samples

The Western Standards Committee recommended the following new standard samples for the 2008-09 crop year:

• Wheat, No. 2 Canada Western Amber Durum
• Wheat, No. 2 Canada Western Soft White Spring

The committee also recommended discontinuing the following standard samples, effective August 1, 2008:

• 2006 Special Select Canada Western Six-row
• 2006 Select Canada Western Six-row
• 2005 Special Select Canada Western Two-row
• 2006 Select Canada Western Two-row

Standard samples provide a visual definition of “degree of soundness” in the Standard of Quality for each grain. The committee approved a revised malt barley grade schedule which does not include “degree of soundness” as a grading specification. Therefore, the committee recommended discontinuing the standard samples for malt barley.

Standard samples previously adopted for other grades and grains will continue to be used.

Grading changes

The Western Standards Committee recommended the following grading changes to come into effect on August 1, 2008.

Barley, Canada Western/Canada Eastern Malting

Recommendation: Revise the current malt barley grade schedule to include only two grades -- Select CW/CE Six-row and Select CW/CE Two-row.

The revised grade schedule has been developed to reflect the industry's handling and marketing practices. All barley selected for malting purposes will be graded according to the schedule.

The Canadian Grain Commission will inspect railcar unloads of selected malt barley for factors identified in the schedule. If shippers or receivers disagree with the analysis, they have the right to request a reinspection. When barley is delivered and is not selected as malt barley, it will be graded General Purpose Barley.

Recommendation: Introduce a list of malt barley characteristics for selected malt barley.

This recommendation reflects what happens when companies select barley for malting. Companies that select malt barley use the characteristics as selection criteria and set their own tolerances for these characteristics. Characteristics identified on the list are not grading factors.

Once barley has been selected for malting purposes, if the grain producer or the person delivering the grain disagrees with the selecting company's assessment of any of the characteristics, the Canadian Grain Commission, upon request, will perform an analysis of the disputed factor.

The Canadian Grain Commission provides this analysis through its submitted sample program and reports the analysis to both parties. The results are not binding.

Characteristics of malt barley

• Barley of other types
• Other cereal grains
• Peeled and broken
• Plump and thin
• Protein
• Sprouted
• Total foreign material
• Wild oats

Wheat, Canada Western General Purpose

Recommendation: Implement a grade schedule for Canada Western General Purpose wheat.

The committee agreed that the Canada Western General Purpose wheat class is strictly intended for varieties that are developed for the ethanol and feed industries. It recommended a grade schedule that is designed to reflect this direction.

Only wheat varieties that are developed and registered as Canada Western General Purpose wheat will be graded according to this schedule. They will be included in the Canadian Grain Commission's variety designation list for Canada Western General Purpose wheat.

On August 1, 2008, the variety designation list for this class will be posted on the Canadian Grain Commission';s web site. Currently, there is one variety eligible for the class – CDC Ptarmigan. In February, the Prairie Grain Development Committee recommended five new cultivars for registration in this class.

Wheat, Canada Western Red Winter

Recommendation: Introduce a revised grade schedule for Canada Western Red Winter wheat.

The new schedule is intended to enhance the marketability of this class both domestically and abroad. It includes the following changes:

• Increase minimum test weight. (No. 1 and 2)
• Tighten tolerances for total foreign material. (No. 1 and 2)
• Tighten tolerance for contrasting classes and total wheats of other classes. (No. 2)
• Tighten tolerances for broken and for total shrunken and broken. (No. 1 and 2)
• Assess blackpoint as a grade specification on its own, not as a form of damage or in conjunction with smudge.
• Tighten tolerances for Fusarium damage. (No. 1)
• Introduce a new specification for total damage. (No. 1 and 2)
• List only the following types of damage - binburnt, fireburnt, fusarium, heated, midge, sawfly, severely sprouted, sprouted, penetrated smudge, and smudge. (No. 1 and 2)
• Assess other types of damage in the total damage specification. (No. 1 and 2)

Sclerotinia tolerances

Recommendation: Revise the tolerances for sclerotinia in specific grades of general purpose barley and rye.

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a fungus that attacks broad-leaf plants. It produces hard masses of fungal tissue called sclerotia.

The sclerotia look similar to ergot, which is produced by the fungus Claviceps purpurea. Unlike ergot, the sclerotia are not toxic. In the grade schedules for both rye and general purpose barley, however, most of the current tolerances for sclerotinia are tighter than tolerances for ergot.

The committee decided that the tolerances for sclerotinia were unnecessarily tight and recommended making them the same as tolerances for ergot. In this way, if ergot was misidentified as Sclerotinia sclerotia during the grading process, the tolerance for ergot would be met and vice versa.

Grading studies and projects

Technology to assess chlorophyll content in canola

The Western Standards Committee recommended that the Canadian Grain Commission continue pursuing the assessment of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy as an objective test for chlorophyll content in canola and use its technology transfer template as a guide towards implementation.

Chlorophyll assessment would replace the current practice of crushing seeds and assessing distinctly green in grades of Canada canola.

The Canadian Grain Commission has determined that the DICKEY-john Instalab ® 600, an instrument that uses near infrared reflectance spectroscopy, is the most suited for measuring chlorophyll content. The next steps will involve the Canadian Grain Commission assessing the instrument in an operational environment.

Other steps will involve risk assessments, evaluation, and consultations with stakeholders.

Pulse crop studies

The Pulse Sub-Committee reported that the Canadian Grain Commission is working with the pulse sector to develop grade schedules for split peas and to review current assessments of bleaching in green peas. The Canadian Grain Commission is also looking at developing a method of testing brittle seeds in large green lentils.