Blotched seeds are oriental mustard seeds with black or brown discolourations on the seed coat.

• Seeds only partly discoloured but otherwise sound are considered sound, but the discolouration is taken into account in the evaluation of colour. See Colour.
• Seeds completely discoloured by blotch are considered damaged. See Damage.

Representative portion for analysis

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

In oriental mustard, canola is classed as Inconspicuous admixture.

▲ Important: Grain inspectors are authorized to withhold grades on samples with unidentifiable admixtures until results of analyses are confirmed by seed analysts.

Representative portion for analysis

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

Domestic mustard seed is classed as yellow, brown or oriental, or mixed. The class forms part of the grade name; for example, Domestic Mustard Seed, Sample Canada Oriental, Account Heated. For a description of classes, see Identifying classes of domestic mustard seed.

Cockle, or cow cockle, is a hard roundish seed with a dull surface covered with numerous small bumps giving the seed a rough spiky appearance. Colour can be deep black, bluish-black or orangish-brown. In oriental mustard, cockle is part of Conspicuous admixture.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—5 g     Optimum—50 g     Export—5-50 g

Procedures

Use a microscope to examine the sample.

In analysing colour, consider

• The general degree of maturity
• The amount and degree of discolouration, such as from weathering
• The proportion of damaged seeds, which are distinctly green or otherwise colour-damaged. See Damage and Distinctly green.
• The amount of rime—light rime is considered in the overall appearance of the sample. See Damage.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—working sample     Optimum—workin sampleg     Export—working sample

Conspicuous admixture is called Conspicuous inseparable seeds in the grade determinants tables. In oriental mustard, conspicuous admixture includes

• Small seeds or broken seeds of other grains
• Weed seeds such as cow cockle, lamb’s-quarters, ball mustard, pigweed, cleavers, smartweed and lady’s-thumb.
• Any conspicuous foreign material except stones and soft earth pellets

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—5 g     Optimum—50 g     Export—5-50 g

▲ Important: Grain inspectors are authorized to withhold grades on samples with unidentifiable admixtures until results of analyses are confirmed by seed analysts.

▲ 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 Domestic Mustard Seed, Sample Canada Oriental Condemned.

Damaged seeds include those that are

• Distinctly shrunken or shrivelled
• Badly discoloured by mould
• Completely discoloured by blotch
• Completely and densely covered with rime
• Excessively weathered, sprouted, distinctly green, heated or otherwise damaged

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—5 g     Optimum—10 g     Export—10 g

Number of crushes (100-seed strips) for analysis

Minimum—5     Optimum—10     Export—10

Procedures

1. Handpick the representative portion to determine the content of visually damaged seeds.
2. Determine the percentage by weight.
3. Crush the appropriate number of strips from the portion remaining. A crush is made with only one pass of the roller under firm pressure.
4. Convert the count of damaged seeds on the strip to percentage by weight. Add the percentage of visually damaged seeds and crushed seeds for Total damage.

Admixtures considered distinctly detrimental include

• Cow cockle
• Sclerotinia

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—5 g     Optimum—50 g     Export—5-50 g

Distinctly green tolerances are applied to crushed seeds which are a distinct green throughout. Pale green or immature seeds are taken into account in the evaluation ofcolour. See Colour.

Number of crushes (100-seed strips) for analysis

Minimum—5     Optimum—10     Export—10

Procedures

See Damage.

• 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—100 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—500 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

Procedures

• If the amount of excreta is not excessive, determine the kernel count.
• If the kernel count is excessive, determine the weight of excreta as a percentage of the net weight of the 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—1000 g     Optimum—1000 g     Export—1000 g

Procedures

• Handpick any fertilizer pellets and determine the concentration basis the net working sample.
• Fertilizer pellets are considered as a separate grading factor in all grades of domestic mustard seed.
  • Grades of domestic mustard seed may contain one fertilizer pellet in 1000 g, including samples of commercially clean mustard seed.
  • Samples containing one fertilizer pellet per 500 g up to 1.0% are graded Domestic Mustard Seed, Sample Canada Oriental Account Fertilizer Pellets.
  • Samples containing fertilizer pellets in excess of 1.0% of the net sample weight are graded Domestic Mustard Seed, Held IP Suspect Contaminated Grain.

Important: For samples between 500 and 1000 g – if the sample contains one fertilizer pellet, the sample grades Domestic Mustard Seed, Sample Canada Oriental Account Fertilizer Pellets. If the sample contains no fertilizer pellets, it is considered to be within the grade tolerance.

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 containing fertilizer pellets.

Samples that show any evidence of being charred or scorched by fire are considered fireburnt. Evidence includes odour, pieces of charred wood, and so on. Fireburnt seeds pop when crushed.

Representative portion for analysis

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

Procedures

Samples considered fireburnt are graded Domestic Mustard Seed, Sample Canada Oriental Account Fireburnt.

See Damage.

See Distinctly green.

Heated refers only to seeds that are distinctly heated or badly binburnt. Heated seeds have a heated odour.

Crushed seeds may be

• Black—badly binburnt
• Dark chocolate brown—distinctly heated
• Light tan—slightly damaged from oxidation. If they have an odour or are present with brown or black crushed seeds, they are considered heated. Otherwise, they are included in Total damage, not heated.

Number of crushes (100-seed strips) for analysis

Minimum—5     Optimum—10     Export—10

Procedures

1. Examine 5 crushes for evidence of heating.
2. If no heated seeds detected, assess crushes for other damage. See Damage.
3. If at least 1 heated seed is detected, crush and assess an additional 5 crushes for heated seeds.

In oriental mustard seed, inconspicuous admixture includes

• Canola
• Common wild mustard seed
• Any other seeds that blend with oriental mustard seed and are not readily identified

Representative portion for analysis

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

▲  Important:   Grain inspectors are authorized to withhold grades on samples with unidentifiable admixtures until results of anlayses are confirmed by seed analysts.

Samples are designated mixed classes when they contain sufficient quantities of other classes of mustard seed. See Other classes.

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 classes of domestic mustard seed in oriental mustard seed are yellow or brown.
If a sample contains more than 10.0% other classes, it is designated Mixed. Mixed mustard seed is graded according to all specifications except other classes, as in Mustard Seed, No. 1 Canada Mixed.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—2 g     Optimum—5 g     Export—2-5 g

Rime is the lining of the pod adhered to the seed. Seeds that are completely and densely covered with white rime are classed as damaged in any grade. Seeds with light rime sparsely covering the seed coat are

• Considered sound if not otherwise damaged
• Considered in the evaluation of colour. See Colour.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—5 g     Optimum—10 g     Export—10 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—100 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—500 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

▲ Important: In domestic mustard seed, fertilizer pellets are not considered soft earth pellets. See Fertilizer pellets.

Representative portion for analysis

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

Stones are hard shale, coal, hard earth pellets, and any other non toxic materials of similar consistency.

Note: Fertilizer pellets are not assessed as stones in samples of Domestic Mustard Seed. See Fertilizer pellets.

Representative portion for analysis

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

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 Domestic Mustard Seed, 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 Domestic Mustard Seed, Sample Canada Oriental Account Stones.
• In western and eastern Canada grain containing more than 2.5% stones is graded Domestic Mustard Seed, Sample Salvage.

Examples: Western Canada

Basic grade:....................... Domestic Mustard Seed, No. 2 Canada Oriental

Reason for basic grade:...... 2.0% Damage

Examples: Eastern Canada

Basic grade:....................... Domestic Mustard Seed, No. 2 Canada Oriental

Reason for basic grade:...... 2.0% Damage

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 Domestic Mustard Seed, Sample Canada Oriental 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.

Domestic mustard seed is graded without reference to variety.

Wild mustard seeds are classed as Inconspicuous admixture.

Representative portion for analysis

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

▲ Important: Grain inspectors are authorized to withhold grades on samples with unidentifiable admixtures until results of analyses are confirmed by seed analysts.