Soybeans may be yellow, green, brown or black. Colour is part of the grade name; for example, Soybeans, No. 1 Canada Yellow.

Bicoloured or mixed soybeans

• Mixed soybeans are samples containing bicoloured soybeans or soybeans of another colour.
• Bicoloured soybeans are yellow or green soybeans with black or brown pigmented streaks or blotches in the seed coats.

Representative portion for analysis

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

▲ 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 Soybeans, Sample Condemned.

Damaged soybeans include those which are sprouted, frost-damaged, shriveled, ground-damaged, insect damaged, immature, or otherwise unsound.

Representative portion for analysis

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

Procedures

Soybeans showing some indication of possible internal damage are to be cut for confirmation of damage.

Downy mildew is a superficial coating of downy or powdery fungal growth. An individual soybean is considered affected only if all of the fungal growth could be pulled together and the growth covers 50% or more of the surface area of the soybean.

Representative portion for analysis

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

• 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.

Ergot attacks cereal crops and is not usally present in soybeans, which are a broadleaf crop.

Representative portion for analysis

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

▲ 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     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 Soybeans, 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 soybeans are seeds charred or scorched by fire. A cross-section of a fireburnt seed resembles charcoal with numerous air holes. The air holes result in a low weight seed which crumbles easily under pressure.

Representative portion for analysis

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

Procedure

Samples of soybeans containing fireburnt seeds are graded as Soybeans, Sample Canada Account Fireburnt.

Foreign material includes any material other than whole soybeans or split soybeans left in the sample after the removal of dockage.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—500 g

Foreign material other than grain does not include ergot or stones, but does include

• Large weed seeds that did not pass through the No. 8 round-hole sieve
• Soft earth pellets which crumble under light pressure
• Soft fertilizer pellets
• Any other non-toxic material of a similar consistency
• Sclerotinia

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—500 g

Frost-damaged soybeans, when cut in cross-section, are

• Soybeans whose cotyledons are green or greenish-brown with a glassy wax-like appearance are considered frost-damaged.
• Seeds that are yellow or very pale green are considered sound, even if they are superficially affected by weathering.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—50 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—500 g

Soybeans with a light to dark brown cotyledon when cut in cross section are considered heated.

• Soybeans with a very light tan cotyledon when cut in cross section are considereddamaged. See Damage.
• Soybeans with light pink seed coats are considered in the overall assessment ofcolour.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—50 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—working sample

See Seed coats.

Immature damaged soybeans are characterized by a green exterior appearance in conjunction with green discolouration penetrating the cotyledon. Examination of the cotyledons is determined by cutting the soybeans in cross section. For grading purposes, immature damaged soybeans are considered as part of the “Total Damage” grade specification.

Soybeans that are green in appearance and have no discolouration of the cotyledon or just a halo of green around the outside of the cotyledon are to be assessed against the overall colour of the sample.

Representative portion for analysis

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

Insect damaged kernels are characterized by a perforation of the seed coat in conjunction with a discoloration penetrating into the cotyledon.

See Damage.

See Stained and mottled.

Mouldy soybeans are wrinkled and misshapen, and range in colour from medium to dark brown. Large areas of the affected bean are superficially covered with a grey mould. Mouldy beans often have a spongy texture and usually give off an unpleasant odour. They are included in the tolerance for Heated.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—50 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—working sample

A soybean completely covered with caked-on mud is considered damaged.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—500 g

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

Grains grading No. 1 through 3 must have a natural odour. A sample would have to grade No. 4 for Damage before it could have a slight odour associated with low quality soybeans.

Representative portion for analysis

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

All grains other than soybeans that remain in the sample after cleaning are considered other grains.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—500 g

Pokeweed stain is a bright red staining of the soybean seed coat caused by the sap of the pokeweed berry. In some cases, the staining may appear similar to pesticide treated seeds of soybeans.

▲ Important:Do not confuse pokeweed stain with pesticide treated seed or contaminated grain.

Soybeans in various stages of rancidity are characterized by a deep pink discolouration on the seed coat and varying degrees of discolouration of the cotyledon.

Seeds having a deep pink discolouration on the seed coat are cut and, based upon the extent of discolouration of the cotyledon, assessed as follows:

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—50 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—working sample

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.

Sclerotinia is included in Foreign material other than grain for grade determination.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—working     Export—working sample

• In unprocessed samples, loose seed coats are assessed as dockage.
• In commercially clean samples, loose seed coats are assessed as Splits.

If the soybean is shrivelled, small and flat, it has no oil value and is considered Damaged.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—500 g

Soft earth pellets are pellets that crumble under light pressure—if they do not crumble, they are considered stones. These pellets can be

• Earth and fertilizer pellets
• Any non-toxic material of similar consistency

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—500 g       Export—working sample

Procedure

• Earth pellets may be removed as dockage. See Normal cleaning procedures.
• If soft earth pellets are over 10.0% of the gross weight of the sample, they become a grading factor, included in the tolerance for Foreign material other than grain.

1. Return the pellets to the sample.
2. Handpick soft earth pellets from a representative portion of the cleaned sample.
3. If soft earth pellets are the grade determinant, grade the sample Soybeans, Sample Canada (colour, Account Admixture.

Splits include split soybeans, broken seeds that are less than three-quarters of the whole seed, and cotyledons that are loosely held together by the seed coat.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—500 g

Procedure

1. Any slotted hand sieve may be used to help separate splits from the sample.
2. Handpick any small whole soybeans that pass through the sieve and return them to the sample.
3. Handpick the remaining splits in the sample and add them to those removed by sieving.
4. Determine the total percentage by weight of splits.

If a soybean shows evidence of sprouting, it is Damaged.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—500 g

Staining or mottling on the surface is caused by weather, dirt, weed stain, or disease. If the soybeans are not damaged or discoloured internally, they are considered sound. See Pokeweed stain.

Limits are visible in the Canada standard samples, and are defined under standard of quality as

• Good natural colour......................... Canada No. 1
• Slightly stained............................... Canada No. 2
• Stained.......................................... Canada No. 3
• Badly stained................................... Canada No. 4 or 5

Representative portion for analysis

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

Procedure

Evaluate the stain or mottling according to its effect on the general appearance of the sample.

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—500 g     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 Soybeans, 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 Soybeans, Sample Canada (colour) Account Stones.
• In western and eastern Canada grain containing more than 2.5% stones is graded Soybeans, Sample Salvage.

Examples: Western Canada

Basic grade:....................... Soybeans, No. 2 Canada Yellow

Reason for basic grade:...... 0.2% Heated

Examples: Eastern Canada

Basic grade:....................... Soybeans, No. 2 Canada Yellow

Reason for basic grade:...... 0.2% Heated

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 Soybeans, 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.

▲ Important: Do not confuse pesticide treated seed with pokeweed stain, which is similar.

Soybeans are graded without reference to variety.