Safflower seed: Determination of dockage

Definitions

Dockage is assessed and recorded to the nearest 0.1%.

Dockage is defined under the Canada Grain Act as “any material intermixed with a parcel of grain, other than kernels of grain of a standard of quality fixed by or under this Act for a grade of that grain, that must and can be separated from the parcel of grain before that grade can be assigned to the grain”. Dockage is removed by following the cleaning procedures described in this section of the guide.

The sample as it arrives is referred to as the uncleaned or dirty sample. Its weight is the gross weight of the sample. Dockage is assessed on the gross weight of the sample.

Dockage not reported

Normal cleaning procedures

1. Set up the Carter dockage tester as follows:

   Feed control	# 7
   Air control	# 7
   Riddle	none
   Top sieve	blank
   Centre sieve	none
   Bottom sieve	none
   Sieve cleaner control	-

2. Using a Boerner-type divider, divide the uncleaned sample to obtain a representative portion.
   • Official samples shall be at least 1 kg.
   • Unofficial samples shall be at least 1 kg.
3. Sieve portions of approximately 250 grams at a time.
4. Sift the sample over a numberNo. 15 round-hole sieve nested over a numberNo. 6 slotted sieve or a numberNo. 6 buckwheat sieve or both, with a blank sieve on the bottom.
5. Turn on the Carter dockage tester.
6. Pour into the hopper the part of the sample that has passed through the numberNo. 15 round-hole sieve.
7. From the material remaining on the top of the numberNo. 15 round-hole sieve, handpick all whole or broken safflower seeds and return them to the cleaned sample.
8. Determine dockage, using the list that follows, under Composition of dockage.

Composition of dockage

• Material removed by the numberNo. 15 round-hole sieve, except sound whole safflower seeds
• Material removed by the numberNo. 6 slotted, the numberNo. 6 buckwheat sieve, or both
• Material removed by aspiration, except sound whole safflower seeds
• Soft earth pellets handpicked from the clean sample constituting up to 2.5% of the sample by weight—if the percentage of soft earth pellets is 2.5% or more, soft earth pellets becomes a grading factor.

Commercially clean

Samples exiting primary elevators defined as commercially clean may contain up to 2.5% by weight of dockage.

Optional analysis

Where a shipper requests special cleaning of a carlot of grain at a terminal elevator, and the elevator manager agrees, dockage material will be analyzed for the presence of grain. The percentage and grade of any grain contained in the dockage will be reported.