ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER AGRONOMY 10 “Having more information means we better understand what we’re holding at the elevator, and we can better manage our orders,” Homick explains. “We can better match the different qualities for different uses, we can blend in some cases, and make sure we mitigate risk for our farmers, for us and for our customers.” Looking at other specific tests that have been added, the wet year of 2018 heralded serious worries about DON toxin in the corn crop. Discussion grew among Great Lakes Grain leadership about testing for it, and Homick says it quickly became very clear that it had to be done at all locations. “We had to understand our risk, and we unfortunately had to place discounts on farmers that year,” he recalls. “But DON can be basically non-existent some years. Last year, there was almost nothing. I think the situation has improved a lot over time because there are better varieties, but the farmers are also definitely doing a better job at management, with fungicide and other practices. Farmers are also becoming very skilled in managing sclerotinia in soybeans. It’s great to see.” Then, around 2021, falling number in wheat entered the spotlight. While it wasn’t (and still isn’t) a grade factor, Homick says customers didn’t want to handle wheat with lower numbers. “It’s been a hot topic since then about what to do,” he notes. “It’s a bigger issue for milling than for making feed, and low falling number is always a concern in a rainy growing season.” He adds that at the elevator level, any grading discount due to sprouting is typically determined Treena Hein Grain testing at elevators Critical tips to maximize your profits As with any quality control mechanism, grain testing at the elevators protects raw material providers (in this case, farmers), distributors (elevators), and end-users (millers, feed mills, and others). The testing process ensures that farmers receive payment accurately for the grain quality they have worked hard to achieve, and it also enables elevators to ensure their feed and food customers consistently receive the quality they need, benefiting everyone in the value chain. The Canadian Grain Commission has established grading process guidelines for every grain, including barley, corn, oats, soybeans, and wheat. These guidelines encompass acceptable testing equipment, the procedures for sampling and testing, and the methods for determining dockage. Grain Farmers of Ontario has hosted webinars in the past to help growers better understand the process. The more familiar farmers are with sampling, testing, and potential factors that can result in being docked, the less stress they will experience and the better they will be prepared to maximize profits. From the elevator perspective, Devin Homick, grain origination and business development team lead at Chatham-based Great Lakes Grain (GLG), provides some history. When he started in the industry about 18 years ago, there were only standard tests at their locations, which include three co-ops with 27 elevators in southwestern Ontario and one in eastern Ontario, Embrun Co-op. These standard tests included physical test weight, dockage, visual inspection, and moisture content; however, the tests have expanded over the years to include glyphosate testing in Identity Preserved soybeans and additional measures.
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