Any broken canola that remains in the sample after cleaning and is otherwise sound is considered to be sound.

In assessing colour, consider

• The amount and degree of discolouration of the whole seed, such as from weathering
• The amount of rime (seeds densely and completely covered by rime are assessed as Damage)
• The proportion of crushed seeds which are only pale green or slightly immature and therefore not assessed as distinctly green

Note: Whole seeds that are green may be as a result of thin seed coats of certain canola varieties. Whole green seeds of these varieties are not indicators of elevated chlorophyll levels and therefore are not considered distinctly green or assessed as part of colour evaluation. Only seeds which are distinctly green throughout when crushed are assessed as distinctly green.

▲ Important: Where colour is the grade determinant, use the description under Degree of soundness in the Primary grade determinants table to assign the grade.

Conspicuous admixture refers to seeds that remain in the sample after cleaning and are easily distinguished from canola without the use of magnification, including

• Domestic seeds such as flaxseed, yellow mustard, whole shrunken or broken kernels of other grains
• Weed seeds such as cow cockle, lamb’s-quarters, cleavers, smartweed, ball mustard and pigweed.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—10 g     Optimum—25 g     Export—25 g

▲ Important: Wear gloves and a mask to handle any sample that is suspected of containing contaminated grain.

Contaminated is defined in the “Canada Grain Act” as; “Contaminated means, in respect of grain, containing any substance in sufficient quantity that the grain is unfit for consumption by persons or animals or is adulterated within the meaning of the regulations made pursuant to sections B.01.046(1), B.15.001 and B.15.002(1) of the Food and Drugs Act.”

Samples deemed to be contaminated by the Grain Research Laboratory in consultation with the Chief Grain Inspector for Canada are graded Canola, Sample Condemned.

Damage in canola includes seeds that are

• Distinctly shrunken or shriveled
• Badly discoloured from mould
• Completely and densely covered with rime
• Excessively weathered, sprouted, tan coloured, distinctly green, heated, insect damaged or otherwise damaged

Total damage is the total of damaged crushed seeds and any visually damaged uncrushed seeds.

Representative portion for analysis of uncrushed visually damaged seed.

Minimum—5 g     Optimum—10 g     Export—10 g

Procedures

1. Divide the sample to the appropriate representative portion.
2. Handpick the representative portion for visually damaged seeds.
3. Determine the percentage concentration by weight.

Note: See distinctly green and heated for procedures to be followed in assessing these types of damage.

Distinctly green tolerances are applied to crushed seeds which are a distinct green throughout. Pale green or immature seeds are taken into account in the evaluation of colour. See Colour.

Number of crushes (100-seed strips) for analysis

Minimum—5     Optimum—10     Export—10

Procedures

1. Prepare and crush the appropriate number of strips from the cleaned sample.
2. A crush is made with one pass of the roller under firm pressure.
3. Determine the percentage of distinctly green seeds.

• Hard earth pellets are pellets that do not crumble under light pressure. See Stones.
• Soft earth pellets are pellets that crumble under light pressure. See Soft earth pellets.

Ergot is a plant disease producing elongated fungus bodies with a purplish-black exterior, a purplish-white to off white interior, and a relatively smooth surface texture.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—500 g

▲ Important: Wear gloves and a mask to handle any samples that you suspect may contain excreta.

There is a separate tolerance for insect excreta in canola.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—working sample     Optimum—working sample     Export—working sample

Fertilizer pellets are typically either small, round and white or irregular shaped and pink or red. Fertilizer pellets are not considered a hazardous substance however there is no visible means of assuring that material resembling fertilizer pellets is not some other contaminant.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—working sample     Optimum—working sample     Export—working sample

Procedures

• Handpick any fertilizer pellets and determine the concentration basis the net working sample.
• Fertilizer pellets are assessed as stones when the concentration does not exceed 1.0% of the net sample weight.
• Samples containing fertilizer pellets in excess of 1.0% of the net sample weight are graded Canola, Held IP Suspect Contaminated Grain.

Note: Canadian Grain Commission personnel should refer to ISO national work instruction “Suspect Contaminated Grain, Handling Procedures” for procedures to be followed when handling samples containing fertilizer pellets.

Samples that show any evidence of being charred or scorched by fire are considered fireburnt. Evidence includes odour, pieces of charred wood, and so on. Fireburnt seeds pop when crushed.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—500 g     Optimum— working sample     Export— working sample

Procedures

Samples considered fireburnt are graded Canola, Sample Canada, Account Fireburnt

Foreign material in canola includes anything that is not canola, such as stones, ergot, sclerotinia, conspicuous admixture and inconspicuous admixture.

See Distinctly green.

Heated refers only to seeds that are distinctly or badly binburnt. Heated seeds may have a heated odour.

Crushed seeds may be

• Black—badly binburnt
• Dark chocolate brown—distinctly heated
• Light tan
  • light tan seeds without a heated odour are assessed as damaged
  • light tan seeds with a heated odour are assessed as heated
  • light tan seeds in combination with dark brown or black seeds, with or without a heated odour, are assessed as heated

Number of crushes (100-seed strips) for analysis

Minimum—5 (10 when any indication of heating is detected)     Optimum—10     Export—10

Procedures

1. Prepare and examine the appropriate number of strips from the cleaned sample.
2. A crush is made with one pass of the roller under firm pressure.
3. Examine the crushed seeds for evidence of heating.
4. Where any heated seeds are found in the initial 5 strips or a heated odour is detected a minimum of 10 strips must be analyzed.
5. Determine the percentage of heated seeds.

Inconspicuous admixture is defined as seeds of common wild mustard, domestic oriental mustard and domestic brown mustard that are not readily distinguishable from canola.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—1 g     Optimum—5 g     Export—5 g

Procedures

To determine the percentage by weight of inconspicuous admixture, analyse the sample with the aid of a microscope.

▲ Important: Wear gloves and a mask to handle any samples that you suspect may contain excreta.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—500 g

There is no numeric tolerance for odour. Consider

• The basic quality of the sample
• The type and degree of the odour
• The presence of visible residue causing the odour

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—working sample     Optimum— working sample     Export— working sample

Rime is the lining of the pod adhered to the seed. Seeds that are completely and densely covered with white rime are classed as damaged in any grade. Seeds with light rime sparsely covering the seed coat are

• Classed as sound if not otherwise damaged
• Considered in the evaluation of colour. See Colour

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—5 g     Optimum—25 g     Export—25 g

Procedures

See Damage.

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a fungus producing hard masses of fungal tissue, called sclerotia. The sclerotia vary in size and shape, have a course surface texture, vary in exterior color from dark black to gray to white and have a pure white interior.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—100 g     Optimum—500 g     Export—500 g

Soft earth pellets are

• Earth pellets that crumble into fine dust under light pressure, using a finger only—if they do not crumble, they are considered Stones
• Any non-toxic material of similar consistency

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—working sample     Optimum— working sample     Export— working sample

Procedures

1. Handpick soft earth pellets from a representative portion of the cleaned sample.
2. Soft earth pellets are removed as dockage. See Composition of dockage.

Sprouted canola is defined as those seeds having a ruptured seed coat in combination with either a rootlet that protrudes beyond the normal contour of the seed or distinct swelling of the seed.  Seeds having a ruptured seed coat that are otherwise sound are only considered sprouted when found in combination with seeds meeting the definition of sprouted.

Representative portion for analysis of uncrushed visually damaged seed.

Minimum—5 g     Optimum—10 g     Export—10 g

Procedures

1. Divide the sample to the appropriate representative portion.
2. Handpick the representative portion for sprouted seeds.
3. Determine the percentage by weight.

Note: Sprouted canola is included in “Total Damage” for grade assessment.

Staghead or white rust is a fungal disease of canola. It affects the flowering parts of the plant, resulting in distorted antler-like structures that are often covered by white or grey powdery spores. For grading, staghead bodies are considered Conspicuous admixture.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—10 g     Optimum—25 g     Export—25 g

Stones are hard shale, coal, hard earth pellets, and any other non toxic materials of similar consistency. Fertilizer pellets are assessed as stones when constituting 1.0% or less of the net sample weight. (See Fertilizer pellets for specific procedures to be followed when samples contain fertilizer pellets.)

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—500 g     Optimum—1000 g     Export—1000 g

Procedures

1. Handpick stones from a representative portion of the cleaned sample.
2. Determine stone concentration in the net sample.

• In western Canada samples of grain containing stones in excess of “basic grade” tolerances, up to 2.5% are graded Canola, Rejected “basic grade” Account Stones. The “basic grade” refers to a grade established in the Canada Grain Regulations (grades listed in the first column in grade determinant tables) that would have been assigned to the sample if it contained no stones.
• In eastern Canada samples of grain containing stones in excess of grade tolerances are degraded to lower grades. Samples containing stones in excess of the tolerance of the lowest grade established by regulation up to 2.5% are graded Canola, Sample Canada Account Stones.
• In western and eastern Canada grain containing more than 2.5% stones is graded Canola, Sample Salvage.

Examples: Western Canada

Excerpt from grade determinant tables for Canola, Canada (CAN)

Basic grade:....................... Canola, No. 2 Canada

Reason for basic grade:...... 4.0% Distinctly Green

Examples: Eastern Canada

Excerpt from grade determinant tables for Canola, Canada (CAN)

Basic grade:....................... Canola, No. 2 Canada

Reason for basic grade:...... 4.0% Distinctly Green

Treated seed

Treated seed is grain that has been coated with an agricultural chemical for agronomic purposes. These seed dressings contain a dye to render the treated seed visually conspicuous. The colour of the dye varies depending upon the type of treatment and the type of grain. The current Canadian colour standards for pesticide seed treatments are: cereals–pink or red, canola–baby blue or green. Seed treated with an inoculant may have a green stain. The coatings or stains may appear greasy or powdery and surface area distribution ranges from tiny flecks to complete coverage.

Other chemical substances

Other chemical substances refers to any chemical residues either adhering to the kernel or remaining in the sample and to samples having a chemical odour of any kind.

▲ Important: Wear gloves and a mask to handle any samples that you suspect may contain contaminated grain.

Representative portion for analysis

Minimum—working sample     Optimum—working sample     Export—working sample

If a sample is suspected of being coated with a pesticide, desiccant, inoculant or if the sample contains evidence of any foreign chemical substance other than fertilizer pellets, the sample shall be graded Canola, Held IP Suspect Contaminated Grain.

Note: Canadian Grain Commission personnel should refer to ISO national work instruction “Suspect Contaminated Grain, Handling Procedures” for specific procedures to be followed when handling samples suspected of containing treated seed or other chemical substances.