New standard and guide samples for soybeans and wheat

News Release

At its meeting on November 5, 2015, the Western Standards Committee recommended new standard and guide samples for soybeans and wheat for the 2015-16 crop year, effective November 18, 2015. As well, the committee received updates on grading studies being conducted by the Canadian Grain Commission.

Standard samples

• Soybeans, No. 1 Canada Yellow
• Wheat, No. 1 Canada Western Amber Durum
• Wheat, No. 2 Canada Western Amber Durum
• Wheat, No. 3 Canada Western Amber Durum
• Wheat, No. 1 Canada Western Red Spring
• Wheat, No. 2  Canada Western Red Spring

Frost/heat stress guide samples

• Wheat, No. 1 Canada Western Amber Durum, Frost/Heat Stress
• Wheat, No. 2 Canada Western Red Spring, Frost/Heat Stress

Mildew guide samples

• Wheat, No. 1 Canada Western Amber Durum, Mildew
• Wheat, No. 2 Canada Western Amber Durum, Mildew
• Wheat, No. 3 Canada Western Amber Durum, Mildew
• Wheat, No. 1 Canada Western Red Spring, Mildew
• Wheat, No. 2 Canada Western Red Spring, Mildew
• Wheat, No. 3 Canada Western Red Spring, Mildew

Standard samples and standard prints previously adopted for other grades and grains will continue to be used.

Mildew study update

The committee received an update on a mildew study that the Canadian Grain Commission began in the fall of 2014. At the time, a large number of Canada Western Red Spring and Canada Western Amber Durum wheat samples had mildew damage as the main grading factor. These samples came to the Canadian Grain Commission from producers via the Harvest Sample Program.

Based on study results from 2014-15, the Western Standards Committee recommended adjusting standards and guide samples to reflect more mildew. The second year of the study will determine if mildew standards and guides can be modified further. The Canadian Grain Commission will report back to the Western Standards Committee at its spring meeting.

Frost damage study begins

The Western Standards Committee recommended the Canadian Grain Commission pursue research into current frost damage standards and guides for Canada Western Red Spring wheat. Using samples from the 2015 Harvest Sample Program, the study will determine if current standards and guides accurately reflect the effect frost damage has on the milling performance of wheat and on bread and noodle quality. The Canadian Grain Commission will report back to the Western Standards Committee at its spring meeting.

Quick facts

• The Western Standards Committee meets twice a year to recommend specifications for grades of grain, and to select and recommend standard and guide samples to the Canadian Grain Commission. Members represent different sectors of the grain industry and include producers, grain processors, and exporters.
• Standard samples, standard prints and guide samples are grading tools that the Canadian Grain Commission prepares each year. Members of the Western Standards Committee examine these tools and recommend their use.
• Each year, as part of the Harvest Sample Program, producers send the Canadian Grain Commission samples of their crops. In exchange, producers receive a free grade and quality information. The Canadian Grain Commission uses producer samples to test the quality of the annual crop, producing crop quality data which is shared with the industry. As well, harvest samples contribute to scientific research into grading issues. We also use these samples to study end-use functionality, that is, how the physical and chemical components of grain affect the final product made from that grain.

Associated links

• Wheat grading factors in Official Grain Grading Guide, Chapter 4
• Western Standards Committee

Contacts

Randy Dennis
Chief Grain Inspector for Canada
Canadian Grain Commission
204-983-2780
randy.dennis@grainscanada.gc.ca

Canadian Grain Commission

The Canadian Grain Commission is the federal agency responsible for establishing and maintaining Canada’s grain quality standards. Its programs result in shipments of grain that consistently meet contract specifications for quality, safety and quantity. The Canadian Grain Commission regulates the grain industry to protect producers’ rights and ensure the integrity of grain transactions.

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