W3 - Lecture 1 - Cereal Quality/Grain quality Flashcards
define quality
Quality - the suitability of the crop product for the end purpose for which it is intended
what is producers of grain quality be rewarded/ penalised in line with?
is rewarded/ penalised in line with
published criteria
secondary characteristics
it is a secondary characteristic; not
quantifiably determined by price but, on account of a poor quality level, may cause the produce to be rejected or the market niche to be lost
General grain quality criteria (4)
- sweet and sound
- acceptable moisture content
- absence of impurities
- well-filled
- sweet and sound (4)
- Grain should be free from objectionable smells and pest infestation;
- Grain not overheated ( drying method)
- free from ergot and other injurious material
- Grain free from animal faeces (rodents)
Key Grain Quality Parameters (5)
- Moisture Content
- Hectolitre weight
- Protein Content
- Sprouting (Hagberg falling no.)
- Screenings
does all or some of the grain quality parameters influence price?
Depending on the market some, or all, of the quality parameters can influence price
- Moisture Content (4)
- moisture content will determine the capacity to handle and store grain without loss or damage.
- maximum for safe storage is 16%
- maximum for intervention is 14.5%
- maximum for safe threshing is 26%
what is the max moisture content % for safe storage
16%
what is the max moisture content % for intervention
14.5%
what is the max moisture content % for safe threshing
26%
what is one reason why producers may be get penalised
Moisture Content too high
Moisture Content - grain drying and weight loss problems ( 2 )
- actual water loss, as grain is dried from 20% down to 15% = 5.88%
- invisible loss, includes dust, respiration etc. and = 11.9%
total loss is 6.88 to 7.78% (7.3%)
how much is it to dry a Tonne of grain
how much is the cost of the weight loss
for a tonne of grain the drying cost is Euro 20- 30
the cost of the weight loss is Euro 20-25
Irish Grain trading standards for
Green Grain – moisture content - Feed Wheat and Feed Barley
(current- 2023-2024)
Moisture Content % Euro/Tonne
15.0 +15.00
16.0 +12.00
17.0 +9.00
18.0 +6.00
19.0 +3.00
20.0 Base Price
21.0 -3.00
22.0 -6.00
23.0 -9.00
24.0 -12.00
25.0 -15.00
examples of impurities
small grain, dirt, weed seeds
screenings:
Screenings : Small poorly filled grain
100 grams of grain shaken in a sieve for 2 minutes
2.0 mm sieve for wheat
2.25 mm sieve for barley (malting)
- Well-filled Grain ()5
- Specific weight indicates, primarily the degree of fill of the grain
- It is the weight of a given volume of grain, viz. of a 100 litres volume of grain
- Hectolitre weight in kilograms
- Determined by specific weight apparatus -
Hectolitre weight = bushel wt. x 1.25 - (bushel wt. = kg/hl x 0.8)
what is the equation for bushel weight
bushel wt. = kg/hl x 0.8
what does specific weight indicate
what is specific weight
Specific weight indicates, primarily the degree of fill of the grain
It is the weight of a given volume of grain, viz. of a 100 litres volume of grain
equation for hectolitre weight
Hectolitre weight = bushel wt. x 1.25
what are Hectolitre Weights for
- Wheat,
-Barley and
-Oats
- water
- Wheat – higher Hl. Wt. - 75
- Barley – medium Hl. Wt. – 66
- Oats - lower Hl Wt. – 50
- Water = 100 (kg/ Hectolitre)
name the 2 Hectolitre weight standards
- European Union ( Intervention )
- Irish Grain Trade
Hectolitre weight standards
1. European Union ( Intervention )
- For barley base price is at 64 kg/hl with no bonuses for grain of higher quality
- For wheat base price is at 76 kg/hl ; from 76 kg/hl to 72 kg/hl a 0.5% reduction in price for each kg.
