There is a separate tolerance for barley in oats.

Representative portion for analysis

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

Cereal grains other than barley and wheat refers to rye and triticale. For grading purposes, spelt and Kamut® are considered as Other cereal grains in samples of oats.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—25 g     Optimum—100 g     Export—100 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 Oats, Sample Condemned.

There are no specific numeric tolerances for smut. In evaluating covered 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

Kernels are damaged if the groats are fireburnt, heated, frost-damaged, insect damaged, sprouted, mildewed, green, badly weather stained, affected by fusarium or are otherwise damaged.

Weather stained and/or mildewed groats are considered damaged if there is significant brown or black discolouration on 50% or more of the groat or the discolouration penetrates into the groat.

There is no limit for frost damage in Oats, No. 4 CW. When the inclusion of frost damage in Total damage or Total damage and foreign material would result in either of these totals exceeding 8%, only that percentage of frost that brings the total up to 8% is considered in grade assessment. That is, the percentage of the frost component in a sample cannot be used to assign a grade lower than Oats, No. 4 CW.

Representative portion for analysis (hulls removed)

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

Determination of damage by mechanical hulling

1. Hull a divided representative portion of the clean sample to yield at least 25 grams of groats.
2. Determine the weight of damaged groats as a percentage of hulled groats.

Determination of damage by manual hulling

Use this method only if a mechanical huller is not available. To determine the percentage by weight of damaged kernels,

1. Divide a representative portion of not less than 5 grams from the cleaned sample.
2. Hull all kernels to establish whether the groats are damaged.
3. To accurately determine the percentage by weight of damaged kernels, weigh the affected groat and the oat hull together.

• 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 that have 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.
• Samples containing fertilizer pellets in excess of 1.0% of the net sample weight are graded Oats, Held IP Suspect Contaminated Grain.

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 have been charrred 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 that crumbles easily under pressure.

Representative portion for analysis

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

Foreign material is anything other than oats that remains in the sample after the removal of dockage. Some types of foreign material have separate tolerances.

Frost-damaged kernels of oats have a black or sunken ventral side and gray or black groats. Frost-damaged oat groats show discolouration in the ventral crease as a dark line. The discolouration may extend throughout the groats depending on the severity of frost damage.

There is no limit for frost damage in Oats, No. 4 CW. When the inclusion of frost damage in Total damage or Total damage and foreign material would result in either of these totals exceeding 8%, only that percentage of frost that brings the total up to 8% is considered in grade assessment. That is, the percentage of the frost component in a sample cannot be used to assign a grade lower than Oats, No. 4 CW.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—5 g     Optimum—25 g     Export—25 g

Procedures

Cut the kernels lengthwise through the ventral side and examine the groats to confirm frost damage symptoms.

Fusarium damage is rare on oats. It resembles fusarium damage in barley. Kernels 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

Confirm the presence of fusarium damage using a 10-power magnifying lens.

Green kernels in oats are an indication of immaturity.

• Green hulls are assessed in the general colour of the sample.
• Green groats are considered damaged.

Representative portion for analysis

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

Procedures

Manually or mechanically hull the appropriate portion and examine the groats for green discolouration. Green groats are assessed as damaged. See Damage.

Heated kernels have the colour or odour typical of grain that has deteriorated in storage or has been damaged by artificial drying. When the hull of a heated oat is removed, the groat appears brown or orange-red.

Rotted kernels are included in the tolerance for Heated.

Representative portion for analysis

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

Procedures

Manually or mechanically hull the appropriate portion and examine the groats.

Hulled oats have the hulls removed. Hulless oats have loose hulls which are usually removed during harvesting.

Groats are the oat kernels without the hulls.

If oats appear to be unprocessed and contain 75.0% or more of hulless oats,

• Grade the sample according to the primary or export grade specifications except for the tolerances for hulled and hulless kernels.
• Add hulless to the grade name, for example, Oats, No. 1 CW/CE Hulless.
• When determining moisture content, use the hulless oats conversion table.

Representative portion for analysis

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

Large seeds are domestic and wild seeds that remain on top of the No. 4.5 round-hole sieve. Large seeds are assessed

• As dockage if they are removed by Cleaning for grade improvement
• As large seeds and included in Total damage and foreign material if they remain in the sample

Representative portion for analysis

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

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.

• Hull discolouration is assessed in the general colour of the sample.
• Discoloured groats are considered as damaged when there is significant brown or black discolouration on 50% or more of the groat or the discolouration penetrates into the groat.

Representative portion for analysis

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

Procedures

Manually or mechanically hull the appropriate portion and examine the groats for mildew discolouration. Mildewed groats are assessed as damaged. See Damage.

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

Rotted kernels are discoloured, swollen, and soft and spongy as a result of decomposition by fungi or bacteria. Rotted kernels in oats are considered as damaged. See Heated.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—25 g     Optimum—100 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

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 Oats, Sample CW/CE Account Admixture.

Sprouted kernels show definite signs of germination. Sprouted oats are assessed as damaged. See Damage.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—10 g     Optimum—50 g     Export—50 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 Oats, 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 Oats, Sample Canada Eastern Account Stones.
• In western and eastern Canada grain containing more than 2.5% stones is graded Oats, Sample Salvage.

Examples: Western Canada

Basic grade:.................... Oats, No. 1 CW

Examples: Eastern Canada

Basic grade:....................... Oats, No. 1 CE

Total damage and foreign material includes all foreign material and all damage. Frost damage is not included in No. 4 CW Oats. When assigning a grade, choose the most appropriate grade as indicated in the table below.

Treated seed

Treated seed is grain that has been coated with an agricultural chemical for agronomic purposes. 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 Oats, 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

Oats are graded without reference to variety. However, for samples containing 75% or more of a hulless oats, Hulless forms part of the grade name, and tolerances for Hulled and hulless are disregarded

There is a separate tolerance for wheat in oats.

Representative portion for analysis

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

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—500 g