Updated grain sampling guide from HGCA

Research and development company HGCA has published an updated grain sampling guide. The guide consolidates information from a range of existing publications into one publication, highlighting the best practices from across the supply chain.
 

The new guide, which has been endorsed by industry organisations including AIC, MAGB, nabim, NFU, NFUS, Red Tractor Assurance, TASCC and UFU, covers recent developments in protocols as well as the essentials of when to sample and how to do it. 
 

“For growers, knowing the quality of your grain is essential so that you can store it then sell it effectively, and get the best return for your work,” says  Jonathan Tipples, HGCA chairman,. “But the new guide is not just for growers. It has been drawn up with support across the supply chain, so it sets a benchmark for good sampling practice from the field to the weighbridge,” he added. 

The right equipment is crucial for grain sampling

The new guide highlights four key points for sampling grain. The first is to know the harvested quality so that growers can dry and cool the grain as necessary and identify potential buyers.

Protecting the harvested quality is the second stage. Stored well, grain quality should not deteriorate but store managers need to be on the look-out for any early signs of spoilage or infestation.
 

Thirdly, when grain leaves the farm, it is important to get a sample of what is loaded onto the lorry. This provides a record of what has been sold and can show that the grain meets specifications. In addition, farm assurance schemes often require this type of sample to be retained to ensure traceability in the supply chain.
 

The final stage for sampling is at commercial intake where buyers use automated equipment to take samples from lorries as they come in. These samples are used to confirm that the grain meets the specification and also to inform decisions about further processing.  

Taking a representative sample

HGCA has also updated its poster ‘Inspecting grain for defects and impurities.’ Guide and poster available here.
 

Come and see HGCA’s interactive grain sampling display at this year’s UK Grain event on 6 November!

 

HGCA investment aims to help update nutrient management recommendations

HGCA is investing £700,000 in research to help update nutrient management recommendations.

Commencing this autumn and focusing on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and sulphur (S), the four research projects are being conducted by ADAS in collaboration with 12 industry partners who will contribute a further £250,000 in funding.

James Holmes, research manager for crop nutrition at HGCA, said, “The Fertiliser Manual (RB209) is a crucial source of information. But as farming practices move on, it is essential that nutrient management recommendations keep pace with change. This new work will play a valuable role in updating nutrient management information.”

The first project extends current research to help growers maintain an appropriate level of P in the soil.

Holmes said, “In the last 30 years, fewer fields have received P treatment as growers take ‘P holidays’. This, together with the increasing cost of P fertilisers and environmental pressures, has stimulated a lot of debate on the management of P.

“Recent research has shown how P management may need to be adapted in certain soils and has confirmed that growers running down soil P to below Olsen P Index 2 could be approaching a ‘cliff edge’ of P deficiency and risk not achieving optimum yields, especially when conditions are less than ideal.”

The new research will refine understanding of critical soil P levels and how to satisfy crop demand across a range of soil types, which could include applying ‘fresh P’ during the season.

“The use of fresh P applications is particularly interesting and HGCA work has already demonstrated that fresh P fertiliser can be effective in raising winter wheat and oilseed rape yields in plots below Olsen P Index 2. Further P-response trials will be conducted on farms to calculate when fresh P applications could be beneficial,” commented Holmes.

Two further projects will focus on the management of N.

Holmes said, “Current recommendations for N management are based on averages which fail to adequately reflect the diversity in soil types and the large variations in actual field nutrient requirements. There is also increasing evidence that N is being under-applied on some farms.”

In the first N project, a series of on-farm trials will be set up to test a novel ‘strip trial’ approach, where a standard N rate is applied along with 50kg/ha more and 50kg/ha less applied N to alternate tramlines.

“We are supporting this work with soil analysis and helping growers to set up strip trials. We will help develop a robust data set to produce a better picture of N variability and the proportion of fields that require more or less N fertiliser than predicted by RB209," said Allison Grundy, GrowHow, one of the project’s industry partners.

The second N project will look at the N requirements for winter barley.

Holmes added, “RB209 recommendations for winter barley have not been updated for around 30 years and varieties have changed significantly over that period.

“This project will review N management data and conduct experiments on application rate and timing for two-row, six-row and hybrid winter barley varieties.”

The final project takes a look at S management.

“The recent HGCA ‘yield plateau’ work found that many winter wheat and oilseed rape crops may not be receiving enough S and this could be limiting yield," said Holmes.

“This new research will extend S-response trials, as well as quantify the S supply from applications of manures and biosolids.

Dr Pete Berry, principal research scientist at ADAS, concluded, “The nutrient research projects have been designed with RB209 in mind. The projects, which will deliver findings over the next five years, will be made available to Defra to assist with future revisions of RB209.”

More information...

English: Looking the winter barley. Drive by the winter barley to make sure it's still there. Probably looking for slug damage, it's been wet and warm enough! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

09/08/2013: FPT Industrial presents its new president for Latin America; HGCA invests in feed research; growing crops in the desert

FPT Industrial Latin America has appointed José Luís Gonçalves as its new president. Gonçalves takes on the responsibility of maintaining and accelerating the company’s growth in the region, with particular focus on Brazil.

“My aim is to consolidate FPT Industrial’s operation and further develop the recent growth of the business in Latin America,” said Gonçalves. “After Europe, Latin America is the most pivotal market for the company and we foresee great potential for development in this area.”
Read more...

HGCA is contributing £650k into research which will investigate better ways to measure the nutritional value of grain and oilseeds. The research would benefit growers and feed processors by examining the effects of feed quality on animal performance and developing quicker tests for nutritional quality.

Dr Martin Grantley-Smith, head of business development at HGCA said, "HGCA is investing in this suite of projects to help ensure grain of certain quality goes to the most suitable end use. This will cut down on waste for the benefit of the whole supply chain."
Read more...

Cable News Network (CNN), USA, recently reported on research conducted by scientists in Qatar, that suggests saltwater can be used to help grow crops. 

Conceived in Norway, the Sahara Forest Project facility was launched back in November. Boasting environmentally-friendly technologies, the project utilises Qatar's supplies - an abundance of heat and seawater - and converts them into a range of valuable resources.

Read more...

English: A Field of Oilseed Rape. The bright yellow flowers of Oilseed Rape have become a common sight in arable areas in the spring. As well as providing vegetable oil, this crop makes a good 'break crop', improving the soil for wheat or barley in the following years. Oilseed Rape cannot be grown frequently in any field due to the build up of diseases in the soil. This may change however if farmers are allowed to plant disease resistant genetically engineered crops. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Shedding new light on specific weight

New analysis of HGCA data has shown late ripening wheat varieties tend to have lower specific weights but higher yields.

The research, prompted by the quality of last year’s harvest, looked at data from 1994 to 2012 from Recommended List trials and the AHDB/HGCA Cereal Quality Survey. It examined the effect of weather, varietal traits and region on final specific weight.

“One of the most interesting findings is that later ripening varieties tend to have lower specific weights but higher yields,” according to Dr Ellie Marshall, research and knowledge transfer manager at HGCA. “Crucially, the difference between the specific weight achieved in Recommended List trials and commercial crops is much greater in later ripening varieties.”

In recent years, there has been a shift to more late ripening varieties and this has been matched by more being grown on-farm. The main reason for the shift is that these varieties tend to have higher yields which is one of the main factors growers look for in their crops.

“The research shows that the specific weight problems of 2012 are likely to have been exacerbated by late maturity but we can’t forget that the weather was the most important factor. Growers should consider having a range of maturities in order to achieve both consistent yields and quality in each season,” explains Dr Marshall.
2012 was undoubtedly an exceptional year.  From 2007 to 2011, the specific weights of Recommended List trial samples closely mirrored those in AHDB/HGCA Cereal Quality Survey of commercial samples. 

In 2012, the average specific weight for Recommended List samples fell just short of 72kg/hl, while crops in the Cereal Quality Survey were even further behind at 69 kg/hl. This is attributed to the far more robust fungicide programme used for the Recommended List in comparison to many commercial farms. However, even with robust treatments, specific weight was still considerably lower in 2012 indicating that the weather played a key role.

“April 2012 was wet and gloomy which slowed plant development and reduced grain number.  These conditions returned during the growth and grain filling months of June and July which saw higher than average rainfall coupled with low light levels, particularly in June.  These combined to produce lower specific weights and a delayed harvest in many parts of the country,” according to Dr. Marshall.

The research also looked at regional differences in the specific weights of commercial crops. The most striking finding was that in 2012, the South West and Midlands had the lowest specific weights of about 68 kg/hl, whereas in previous seasons, specific weights in these regions were among the highest in the UK.

Average specific weights in other parts of the UK were very similar to one another at around 70k g/hl, this was even the case in Scotland which typically has lower specific weights. 

The research has not yet shown whether variety choice, weather or other factors were the main cause of these regional variations.

For the longer-term, HGCA has set up a network of weather stations to help researchers look in greater detail at how weather influences crop development. More information on regional and varietal differences will also come out of HGCA’s Cropping Systems Platform project which will have four UK sites for the 2013/2014 growing season.

Download the full report here.

Wheat in the Hulah valley, 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

HGCA announces £250k investment to add value to arable products

HGCA is investing UK£250,000 to develop market opportunities in the global chemical market for existing arable by-products and co-products.

The University of Reading, Berkshire, UK and Rothamsted Research, Hertfordshire, UK, have been awarded UK£235,000 to develop a process for the production of ferulic acid from wheat bran.

Dr. Dimitris Charalampopoulos, who will be leading the research said, "Plant materials are rich in ferulic acid which can be converted into vanillin. This can be used to add flavour to a variety of products or as an active agent in a range of personal care formulations, such as sun creams and anti-ageing skin care products."

Currently, ferulic acid is mainly produced commercially from the residues generated during the production of rice bran oil. However, wheat bran has great potential as a UK source because it contains relatively high concentrations of the acid.

It is estimated that around one million tonnes of wheat bran is produced annually in the UK and that this could equate to a potential ferulic acid production of up to 5,000 tonnes.

The proposed research will generate the technical know-how for the development of a scalable, cost-effective and efficient process for ferulic acid production.

A further UK£15,000 has been awarded to NNFCC to conduct a 3-month techno-economic feasibility study to investigate the potential for a Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) plant in the UK.

PLA has gained a foothold in the global plastics supply chain in recent years and is used in many applications from compostable packaging to durable automotive plastics. The global biopolymer market is growing substantially, with anticipated growth of 13 percent by 2020 in the EU alone. In 2012, the added value bio-based productivity in the UK was worth about £4.1 billion.

"As PLA is a versatile bio-based molecule with a low carbon footprint, it is increasing its market share. This work will help assess the opportunity for UK PLA production so that we can be in a strong position to build a vertical supply chain – from field to finished product," stated Dr. John Williams, who will be leading the work at NNFCC.

Harley Stoddart, HGCA research and knowledge transfer manager, concluded, "HGCA is investing in this work to help add economic value to lower quality products from conventional milling by developing an economically sustainable supply of renewable raw materials which can be used within the chemical industry. By increasing the options for products that have lower value in the food and feed markets, HGCA hopes that associated values will increase, bringing benefits to both the grower and the processor."

Wheat bran (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

nabim announces finalists in the search for the 2013 UK champion milling wheat grower

nabim, supported by HGCA, announced the three farmer finalists for the 2013 Milling Wheat Challenge at the Cereals Event on Wednesday June 12, 2013. Now in its fourth year, the aim of the Challenge is to find the country's best milling wheat grower.

The 2013 finalists are:

·      Stephen Craggs, East Close Farm, Sedgefield, Stockton-on-Tees

·      James Loder-Symonds, Denne Hill Farm, Womenswold, Canterbury, Kent

·      Nick & David Philp, Church Farm, Waltham St Lawrence, Reading, Berks.

Martin Savage, nabim's trade policy manager, said the standard of the entries remains very high and the judges had a tough job selecting the finalists.  "Each of these growers farm significant areas with wheat as their main crop. All three are forward-thinking, very technically competent and consistently grow quality crops of bread-making wheats."

The Challenge has become established as a formal recognition by Britain's flour millers of how the country's best growers combine attention to detail with end-customer awareness and business acumen to create a win: win for the whole wheat chain.

Savage added, “UK flour millers are committed to UK wheat and to the farmers who grow it because more than 80 percent of the wheat we mill comes from UK farmers. We work closely with plant breeders and others in the chain to ensure there is a good supply of top quality milling wheat. The Milling Wheat Challenge is very important to nabim because we want to support and encourage farmers to grow the wheat our bread-making customers require.”

“High yields are often said to be the future of wheat growing, but our overriding message to growers of any wheat for milling is that yields must be matched by quality and manufacturing functionality.  Bakers and other food manufacturers set very high specifications so it is important that all milling wheat is grown to the highest standards of both quality and food safety. "

"Growing quality wheat consistently is a difficult task which requires best practice in agronomy, storage and delivery to meet the exacting standards of the milling trade; our finalists all demonstrate very strong management in these areas. Harvest 2012 proved very difficult for both farmers and millers since low specific weights produced a range of significant issues. All parts of the grain supply chain worked hard to minimise these".

Judging of the three finalists will take place at the end of June when visits will be made to their farms. Detailed discussions will take place with the growers themselves, their crops will be walked and inspections made of any storage facilities.

The judges for 2013 are Martin Savage from nabim, Pat Thornton, HGCA arable business manager  and Mark Ireland, a Lincolnshire farmer and “Farmers Weekly Arable Farmer of the Year 2009”.

The finalists, together with leaders from the UK wheat supply chain, will be invited to a celebration dinner hosted by nabim at the Ritz Hotel in London where the winning grower will be announced.

Left to right: Ray Craggs and Stephen Craggs of East Close Farm, Sedgefield and Nick and David Philp from Church Farm in Reading. The third finalist who unfortunately was not able to attend on the day is
James Loder-Symonds of Denne Hill Farm, Kent.

17/01/13: HGCA reports online and a novel use for puffed wheat

For those interested in growing crop, presentations from the recent HGCA SRUC Workshops are available to download here. With topics including, disease threats in cereals and disease management in barley, there's lots of great information to sift through.

Evey wondered how to make beer from Sugar Puffs? Well wonder no more. This article on the Guardian shows you how it's done. The idea isn't as crazy as it might sound. Although barley is the most commonly used cereal for beer making, wheat beer is growing in popularity. So why not try puffed wheat, aka, Sugar Puffs next time you get brewing.
Read more...

English: wheat beer Deutsch: Weizenbier (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2/10/12: Effects of rising grain prices; HGCA winter wheat; Romer Labs

Hello, 

• Rising grain prices have knock on effect on the food industry.  The Northern Irish chicken processing company, Moy Park has announced pre-tax profits of £4.8m for 2011, a drop of £25m.  "We've had to spend £70m extra on rising raw material costs, which has slashed this year's profit," Chief executive Nigel Dunlop told the BBC.  Listen to a podcast of the BBC interview here.

• There's some exciting news from Romer Labs.  The company has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of the food safety and GMO businesses of Strategic Diagnostics Inc. The deal accelerates Romer Labs’ move into food pathogen detection and augments its product and service range, making it a complete supplier for food safety solutions.  SDIX Food Safety Business includes RapidChek^® lateral flow test strips with proprietary enrichment media, the patented RapidChek^® SELECT phage-based enrichment systems and RapidChek^® CONFIRM immunomagnetic confirmation tools. These products are approved for the detection of pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria and E. Coli in a variety of food, feed and environmental samples. More information...

• The HGCA has released reports of the winter wheat harvest results.  Read more...

Chickens (Photo credit: Allie's.Dad)

14/08/12: Muyang R&D institute; USDA revise maize production; mycotoxin sampling advice from HGCA; new FFI website

Hello, 

• Muyang R&D institute opened after 'structural readjustment'.  Read more...

• USDA revises its US maize production figures down to 274Mt from 329Mt in July.This represents a 27 percent fall in production from the June figure of 375Mt.  More information...

• Accurate sampling essential to determine extent of on-farm mycotoxins.  Grain samples used for mycotoxin testing can only ever be as good as the sampling procedure used, warns HGCA.  Download worksheet and farmers guide here. 

• The Flour Fortification Initiative launches a new website.  The revamped site is designed to help viewers find resources for planning, implementing, and monitoring flour fortification programmes with ease.  Click here to view.

Description unavailable (Photo credit: pennstatelive)

Video: Group 1 & 2 wheat varieties

Hello,

The July/August 2012 issue of GFMT is in its final stages of preparation.  Today the editorial team have been working on article about meeting milling wheat specifications.  This video by HGCA on Group 1 and 2 wheat varieties at Cereals 2012 has proved a useful resource when researching the topic.