Adhered hulls are kernels of hulless varieties with hulls that have not been removed during harvesting. See Varieties with adhered hulls.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—250 g     Export—250 g

In two-row barley, barley of other types is any six-row variety. In six-row barley, barley of other types is any two-row variety.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—10 g     Optimum—10 g     Export—10 g

Broken kernels are pieces that are less than three-quarters of a whole kernel and kernels with the germ end broken off.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—25 g     Optimum—50 g     Export—50 g

▲ Important: Wear gloves and a mask to handle any sample that is suspected of containing contaminated grain.

Contaminated is defined in the “Canada Grain Act” as; “Contaminated means, in respect of grain, containing any substance in sufficient quantity that the grain is unfit for consumption by persons or animals or is adulterated within the meaning of the regulations made pursuant to sections B.01.046(1), B.15.001 and B.15.002(1) of the Food and Drugs Act.”

Samples deemed to be contaminated by the Grain Research Laboratory in consultation with the Chief Grain Inspector for Canada are graded Barley, Sample Condemned.

There are no specific numeric tolerances for smut. In evaluating smut as a grading factor, consider

• The degree of smut tag on the kernels
• The number of pieces of covered smut left in the cleaned sample

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—working sample     Optimum—working sample     Export—working sample

• Hard earth pellets are pellets that do not crumble under light pressure.
• See Stones.
• Soft earth pellets are pellets that crumble under light pressure.
• See Soft earth pellets.

Ergot is a plant disease producing elongated fungus bodies with a purplish-black exterior, a purplish-white to off white interior, and a relatively smooth surface texture.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—500 g     Optimum—1000 g     Export—1000 g

▲  Important:  Wear gloves and a mask to handle any samples that you suspect may contain excreta.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—working sample     Optimum— working sample     Export— working sample

Fertilizer pellets are typically either small, round and white or irregular shaped and pink or red. Fertilizer pellets are not considered a hazardous substance however there is no visible means of assuring that material resembling fertilizer pellets is not some other contaminant.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—working sample     Optimum—working sample     Export—working sample

Procedures

Handpick any fertilizer pellets and determine the concentration basis the net working sample.

Fertilizer pellets are assessed as stones when the concentration does not exceed 1.0% of the net sample weight.

Note: Canadian Grain Commission personnel should refer to ISO national work instruction “Suspect Contaminated Grain, Handling Procedures” for procedures to be followed when handling samples containing fertilizer pellets.

Fireburnt kernels charred or scorched by fire. A cross-section of a fireburnt kernel resembles charcoal with numerous air holes. The air holes result in a low weight kernel which crumbles easily under pressure.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—500 g     Optimum— working sample     Export— working sample

For varieties with hulls—frost-damaged kernels have distinctly indented backs, and usually a loose hull. Kernels with a light wrinkling from frost are not considered frost-damaged.

For hulless varieties—frost-damaged kernels have severe wrinkling and translucent endosperms.

▲ Important: Determine frost-damaged kernels and Peeled and broken prior to sizing the sample. Sizing tends to peel kernels.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—25 g      Optimum—100 g     Export—100 g

Procedures—Malting and hulless grades

1. Use a representative portion of at least 25 grams of the cleaned sample.
2. Determine the percentage of frost-damaged kernels.

Fusarium-damaged kernels of barley are discoloured by pink, orange or black encrustations of fusarium mould. Under magnification, the black encrustations appear raised above the surface of the kernel and are surrounded by a white mould. The black encrustations can be scraped off.

Some degree of judgment is required when identifying kernels with the fusarium mould. Only those kernels which meet this description are to be designated as fusarium damaged.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—25 g     Optimum—100 g     Export—100 g

Procedures

Heated kernels have the colour or odour typical of grain that has deteriorated in storage or has been damaged by artificial drying. The hull over the germ of the heated kernels often appears discoloured, usually to a golden brown.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—25 g     Optimum—100 g     Export—100 g

Procedures

A representative portion of the cleaned sample is passed through a barley pearler for up to 10 seconds. When the hull is removed by pearling the germ appears red or brown. As the degree of heat damage increases, a greater portion of the pearled kernel exhibits the red discolouration.

Inseparable seeds are those not removed by the cleaning process, usually large seeds including grains other than cereal grains, such as peas, beans, corn, flaxseed and domestic buckwheat. See Glossary.

Representative portion for analysis — malting and hulless grades

Minimum—100 g     Optimum— working sample     Export— working sample

Representative portion for analysis — general purpose grades

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—100 g     Export—100 g

Procedures

• Assess as dockage if they are removed by Cleaning for grade improvement.
• Malting and hulless grades may not contain any large oil-bearing seeds such as sunflower seeds, safflower seeds or soybeans.

Mildew is a fungal condition that develops in unthreshed grain usually under conditions of excessive moisture. The affected kernels are grayish in colour and lower in quality. In the evaluation of mildew, consider the number of affected kernels and their severity. See Severe mildew.

There is no numeric tolerance for odour. Consider:

• The basic quality of the sample
• The type and degree of the odour
• The presence of visible residue causing the odour

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—working sample     Optimum—working sample     Export—working sample

Other cereal grains include wheat, rye, oats or triticale remaining in the cleaned sample. For grading purposes, spelt and Kamut® are considered as Other cereal grains in samples of barley.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—50 g     Optimum—100 g     Export—250 g

Peeled kernels are kernels with at least one of the following characteristics:

• One-third or more of the hull is removed, including kernels of hulless barley.
• The germ is fully exposed.
• The hull is badly frayed or ruptured over the germ end without evidence of germination.
• The hull is removed along both edges.

Broken kernels are pieces of kernels that are less than three-quarters of a whole kernel and kernels with the germ end broken off.

▲ Important: Determine peeled and broken and frost-damaged kernels prior to sizing the sample. Sizing tends to peel kernels.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—50 g     Optimum—100 g     Export—100 g

The process for determining plump and thin kernels is called sizing.

• Plump kernels are kernels that remain on top of or lodged in the No. 6 slotted sieve. These are a grading factor for malting barley only.
• Thin kernels are kernels that pass through the No. 5 slotted sieve. These are a grading factor for malting and hulless barley.

▲ Important: Determine frost-damaged kernels and peeled and broken prior to sizing the sample. Sizing tends to peel kernels.

Procedures

1. Using a Boerner-type divider, divide a representative portion of not less than 250 grams from the cleaned sample.

2. Set the Carter dockage tester as follows:

3. Pass the representative portion through the Carter dockage tester once.

4. When most of the sample has passed over the sieves, turn on the sieve cleaner control for five kicks of the machine to loosen lodged kernels.

▲ Important: Do not rap sieves in the machine to loosen lodged kernels.

5. Remove each sieve carefully from the machine.

6. Remove lodged kernels from each sieve. Add them to the barley that passed over that sieve.

7. Weigh separately

• Plump kernels on top of or lodged in No. 6 slotted sieve
• Thin kernels that passed through the No. 5 slotted sieve

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—250 g     Optimum—250 g     Export—250 g

Rotted kernels are discoloured, swollen, soft and spongy as a result of decomposition by fungi or bacteria. Consider rotted kernels in combination with severely mildewed and heated.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—50 g     Optimum—250 g     Export—100 g

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a fungus producing hard masses of fungal tissue, called sclerotia. The sclerotia vary in size and shape, have a course surface texture, vary in exterior color from dark black to gray to white and have a pure white interior.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—500 g     Optimum—1000 g     Export—1000 g

Severe mildew refers to kernels that are severely blackened by mildew. See Mildew. Consider severe mildew in combination with rotted and heated kernels.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—50 g     Optimum—100 g     Export—100 g

See Covered smut and false loose smut.

Soft earth pellets are
Earth pellets that crumble into fine dust under light pressure, using a finger only—if they do not crumble, they are considered Stones.
Any non-toxic material of similar consistency

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—working sample     Optimum—working sample     Export—working sample

Procedures

1. Handpick soft earth pellets from a representative portion of the cleaned sample.
2. Soft earth pellets constituting 10.0% or less of the sample are assessed as dockage.
3. Where soft earth pellets represent more than 10% of the net weight, the sample is graded Barley, Sample CW/CE Account Admixture.

Sprouted kernels show definite signs of germination.

Procedures for malting grades

1. Select a representative portion of not less than 25 grams.
2. Pass the sample through the pearler for two or three seconds.
3. Analyse the lightly pearled sample for evidence of germination.

General purpose grades

Analyse without pearling.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—25 g     Optimum—25 g     Export—25 g

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 for specific procedures to be followed when samples contain fertilizer pellets.)

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—500 g     Optimum—1000 g     Export—1000 g

Procedures

1. Handpick stones from a representative portion of the cleaned sample.
2. Determine stone concentration in the net sample.

• In western Canada samples of grain containing stones in excess of “basic grade” tolerances, up to 2.5% are graded Barley, 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 determinant tables) that would have been assigned to the sample if it contained no stones.
• In eastern Canada samples of grain containing stones in excess of grade tolerances are degraded to lower grades. Samples containing stones in excess of the tolerance of the lowest grade established by regulation up to 2.5% are graded Barley, Sample Canada Eastern Account Stones.
• In western and eastern Canada grain containing more than 2.5% stones is graded Barley, Sample Salvage.

Examples: Western Canada

Examples: Eastern Canada

Test weight is the weight of a measured volume of grain expressed in kilograms per hectolitre. If a barley sample contains kernels with attached awns that reduce the test weight and affect the grade, see procedures for Cleaning for grade improvement.

The process of determining the percentage by weight of thin kernels is called sizing. For sizing of malting barley, see Plump and thin kernels.

Thin kernels are kernels that pass through the No. 5 slotted sieve. These are a grading factor for malting and hulless barley.

▲ Important: Determine frost-damaged kernels and peeled and broken first. Then size the sample. Sizing tends to peel kernels.

For hulless grades only—the general appearance of the sample and factors other than size are taken into account in grading. Samples scant in sizing requirements but otherwise sound are given the benefit of the doubt in grading.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—250 g     Optimum—250 g     Export—250 g

Procedures

1. Obtain a representative portion of not less than 250 grams of the cleaned sample.

2. Set up the Carter dockage tester as follows:

3. Run the representative portion through the Carter dockage tester once.

4. When the bulk of the sample has passed over the sieves, turn on the sieve cleaner control for only five kicks of the machine to loosen lodged kernels.

▲ Important: Do not rap sieves in the machine to loosen lodged kernels.

5. Weigh thin kernels that pass through the No. 5 slotted sieve

Treated seed

Treated seed is grain that has been coated with an agricultural chemical for agronomicpurposes. 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 standards for pesticide seed treatments are: cereals–pink or red,  canola–baby blue or green. Seed treated with an inoculant may have a green stain. The coatings or stains may appear greasy or powdery and surface area distribution ranges 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.

▲ Important: Wear gloves and a mask to handle any samples that you suspect may contain contaminated grain.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—working sample    Optimum—working sample     Export—working sample

If a sample is suspected of being coated with a pesticide, desiccant, inoculant or if the sample contains evidence of any foreign chemical substance other than fertilizer pellets, the sample shall be graded Barley, Held IP Suspect Contaminated Grain.

Note: Canadian Grain Commission personnel should refer to ISO national work instruction “Suspect Contaminated Grain, Handling Procedures” for specific procedures to be followed when handling samples suspected of containing treated seed or other chemical substances.

For select hulless barley—varieties with adhered hulls are considered as Other cereal grains.

For standard hulless barley—varieties with adhered hulls are any kernels of non-hulless varieties.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—50 g     Optimum—100 g     Export—250 g

Weathered kernels are discoloured by weathering to a very deep yellow or light brown. Severely weathered kernels are severely discoloured. They may be dark brown, heavily stained or distinctly bleached and may also be mildewed. Consider the number of affected kernels and their condition when you assess the general colour of the sample.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—working sample     Optimum—working sample     Export—working sample

Wild oats is an annual grassy weed. The seeds vary in colour from white to black. They are normally more slender than domestic oats, and have a slanting, circular depressed scar, sometimes called a sucker mouth, at the base, and a bent twisted awn.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—50 g     Optimum—100 g     Export—250 g