W3 - Lecture 1 - Cereal Quality/Grain quality

Quality - the suitability of the crop product for the end purpose for which it is intended

is rewarded/ penalised in line with published criteria

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

• sweet and sound • acceptable moisture content • absence of impurities • well-filled

• 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)

• Moisture Content • Hectolitre weight • Protein Content • Sprouting (Hagberg falling no.) • Screenings

Depending on the market some, or all, of the quality parameters can influence price

• 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%

16%

14.5%

26%

Moisture Content too high

• 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%)

for a tonne of grain the drying cost is Euro 20- 30 the cost of the weight loss is Euro 20-25

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

small grain, dirt, weed seeds

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)

• 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)

bushel wt. = kg/hl x 0.8

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 = bushel wt. x 1.25

• Wheat – higher Hl. Wt. - 75 • Barley – medium Hl. Wt. – 66 • Oats - lower Hl Wt. – 50 • Water = 100 (kg/ Hectolitre)

• European Union ( Intervention ) • Irish Grain Trade

• 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.