Buckwheat: Grading factors

C

Cereal grains (CGRN)

Cereal grains in buckwheat include wheat, rye, triticale, barley, oats and groats, including wild oat groats that remain in the clean sample.

Contaminated grain

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

Grain is contaminated for the purposes of the Canada Grain Act if the grain contains any substance in sufficient quantity that the grain is either

adulterated for the purposes of the Food and Drugs Act; or
contaminated within the meaning of the regulations made under section 51 of the Safe Foods for Canadians Act.

Procedures

If a sample is suspected of being contaminated, the sample should be submitted to the Canadian Grain Commission. Determination as to whether grain is contaminated will be made by the Grain Research Laboratory in consultation with the Chief Grain Inspector for Canada. Samples deemed to be contaminated are graded: Buckwheat, Sample Condemned.

D

Damage (DMG)

Damage includes all dehulled seeds and seeds that are frosted, mouldy, or otherwise unsound. The hull of damaged kernels collapses under pressure, as when rolled between the thumb and forefinger.

Dehulled (DHULL)

Dehulled buckwheat is buckwheat with its hulls removed.

E

Earth pellets

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 (ERG)

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

Excreta (EXCR)

Excrement from any animal including mammals, birds and insects.

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

Extraneous material

Can be defined as glass, metal, wood, plastic or any other material not already defined in the Official Grain Grading Guide.

F

Fertilizer pellets (FERT PLTS)

Fertilizer pellets are a manufactured plant nutrient product used by producers in the production of grain. They are typically small, round or irregular shaped and usually white, grey, brown, pink or reddish in colour.

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 Buckwheat, Held IP Suspect Contaminated Grain.

Fireburnt (FBNT)

Fireburnt samples are samples that contain kernels that show any evidence of being charred or scorched by fire.

I

Immature (IM)

Immature kernels

Do not contain a groat or have a severely shriveled groat
Have a hull which collapses under pressure

M

Matter other than cereal grains (MOTCG)

Matter other than cereal grains includes weed seeds and other grains that are not readily removable and may include canola, peas, lentils, beans, corn, and other domestic or wild seeds that remain in the cleaned sample.

O

Odour (ODOR)

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

Heated, fireburnt and odour for buckwheat
If odour is the grade determinant and there is:	Then the grade is:
A distinct objectionable odour not associated with the quality of the grain, but not heated or fireburnt	Buckwheat, Sample Canada (size) Account Odour
A distinct heated odour	Buckwheat, Sample Canada (size) Account Heated
A distinct fireburnt odour	Buckwheat, Sample Canada (size) Account Fireburnt

S

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (SCL)

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.

Size

Size is evaluated using a number 8 slotted sieve. The size, large or small, is added to the grade name; for example, Buckwheat, number 1 Canada Large.

Percentage of kernels passing through the number 8 slotted sieve
If the percentage of kernels passing through the number 8 slotted sieve is:	Then the buckwheat is:
20.0 or less	Large
More than 20.0	Small

Soft earth pellets (SEP)

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

Procedures

Handpick soft earth pellets from a representative portion of the cleaned sample.
Soft earth pellets are removed as dockage. See Composition of dockage.

Stones (STNS)

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.)

Procedures

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

Samples of grain grown in western Canada containing stones in excess of “basic grade” tolerances, up to 2.5% are graded Buckwheat, 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 determination tables) that would have been assigned to the sample if it contained no stones.
Samples of grain grown in eastern Canada 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 Buckwheat, Sample Canada Account Stones.
Samples of western and eastern Canadian grain containing more than 2.5% stones are graded Buckwheat, Sample Salvage.

Examples: Western Canada

Excerpt from grade determination tables for Buckwheat, Canada
Grade name	Stones %
number 1 Canada	0.03
number 2 Canada	0.03
number 3 Canada	0.03

Basic grade: Buckwheat, number 2 Canada large
Reason for basic grade: 2.0% Dehulled

Grade in western Canada if stones found
If the above sample contained	Grade in western Canada
0.06% stones	Buckwheat, Rejected number 2 Canada Large Account Stones
3.0% stones	Buckwheat, Sample Salvage

Examples: Eastern Canada

Excerpt from grade determination tables for Buckwheat, Canada
Grade name	Stones %
number 1 Canada	0.03
number 2 Canada	0.03
number 3 Canada	0.03

Basic grade: Buckwheat, number 2 Canada, large
Reason for basic grade: 2.0% Dehulled

Grade in eastern Canada if stones found
If the above sample contained	Grade in eastern Canada
0.06% stones	Buckwheat, Sample Canada Large Account Stones
3.0% stones	Buckwheat, Sample Salvage

T

Test weight (TWT)

Test weight is the weight of a known volume of grain expressed in kilograms per hectolitre. For procedures, see Chapter 1 of this guide, Test weight.

Treated seed and other chemical substances

Treated seed

Treated seed is grain that has been adulterated with an agricultural chemical for agronomic purposes. The types of agricultural chemicals used to treat seed include pesticides, fungicides and inoculants. 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 standard for pesticide and fungicide seed treatments for cereal (including corn) is red or pink. The colour standard for pesticide and fungicide seed treatments for canola is blue; however, green has also been used. Pulse crop (including soybeans) pesticide and fungicide seed treatments are typically blue or green. The coatings or stains may appear greasy or powdery and the surface area covered may range 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

Procedures

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 Buckwheat, Held IP Suspect Contaminated Grain.

V

Variety (VAR)

Any variety of buckwheat registered for production in Canada is eligible for the grade of number 1 Canada.