A sprouted wheat kernel, in which the sprout is visibly still within the contour of the germ, is classified as “regular sprouted.” (GrainsCanada.gc.ca)

Grain grading guide to tighten definition of ‘severely’ sprouted wheat

More changes, clarifications on deck for Aug. 1

Reading Time: 3 minutes A laboratory review of the end-use quality of sprouted wheat will lead to changes in how wheat is graded starting Aug. 1 this year. The Canadian Grain Commission on Tuesday announced changes in store effective Aug. 1 for how Canadian wheat is graded, along with a list of clarifications and new housekeeping rules for the […] Read more

Wet harvests hurt U.S., Canadian spring wheat quality

Wet harvests hurt U.S., Canadian spring wheat quality

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Excessively wet conditions in the northern U.S. Plains and Canadian Prairies have hurt the quality of the region’s spring and durum wheat crops, potentially tightening supplies of top grades of the grains, handlers and agronomists said. Rains and heavy dew have slowed the harvest and, worse, caused mature, un-harvested wheat kernels […] Read more


Testing for falling number. (Canadian Grain Commission photo)

Grain grading revamp may add falling number, DON as factors

Reading Time: 3 minutes Two significant grain specs that aren’t yet factors for a crop’s official grade are now under consideration to join that official list. The Canadian Grain Commission on Monday put out a call for “grain sector stakeholders” to submit their views before May 10 on a proposal for falling number and deoxynivalenol (DON) to both become […] Read more

(Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Oat prices move higher to spur farmer selling

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Prairie oat prices are ticking upward as buyers try to coax farmers into a slow market — but prices, most notably in Saskatchewan, may need to move further before that happens. “Prices are below expectations, and in some instances quality is below what the market is willing to accept at this point,” […] Read more


(Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Oat prices remain under pressure

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada –– Oat prices continue having trouble breaking through key resistance figures as harvest winds down across the Prairies. “They’re (prices) below what farmers like… having trouble breaking that $3 a bushel level in Manitoba and $2.50 in Saskatchewan,” said Ryan McKnight of Linear Grain at Carman, Man. So far, he said, very few […] Read more

Rain in Sask., Man. stalls harvest, causes crop damage

Rain in Sask., Man. stalls harvest, causes crop damage

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Rain in Manitoba and Saskatchewan has stalled harvest and caused crop damage, but moving forward, conditions should improve, two industry specialists predict. Shannon Friesen, a regional crops specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Moose Jaw, said recent rains have delayed harvest and stalled maturity in some crops. Producers have found peas and canola […] Read more


grain grading in a lab at Cigi

Grain grading, and the science behind falling number

The test is an effective way to determine sprout damage in wheat

Reading Time: 3 minutes Pre-harvest sprouting or germination of wheat triggered by wet weather during the end stage of new-crop maturity can lead to poor end-product quality. The falling number test is one effective and objective way to determine the extent of sprout damage in a wheat sample. “Farmers are especially interested in falling number when they come to […] Read more