High quality grain needs to be correctly managed during handling, storage and transporting. The efficiency and profitability of post-harvest operations depends upon the forward planning and management of a complete grain handling system and the maintenance of high quality standards throughout all operations. Malting barley varieties that do not achieve the quality specifications for the malting grade are downgraded to feed and forfeit the malting premium. To help meet the malting specifications and to add value to the barley, quality defects may be reduced or removed by the cleaning, grading or drying of the grain. The quality of the harvested barley can be preserved by correct storage. Maintaining quality is all about retaining viability which is enhanced by storing at an even and cool temperature using aeration. Cleaning and Grading Grain Drying On-farm Storage Aeration Cleaning and grading Cleaning and grading malting barley allows growers to reduce the level of defects in their grain following harvest. This increases the probability of the grain meeting the malting specifications and attracting a premium price. Growers commonly use grading facilities for reducing the level of screenings (small grain). Cleaning is commonly carried out for the removal of weeds and other contaminants, particularly ergot, wheat and pulse seeds and pods. The largest benefit in grading malting barley to manage screenings is gained from reducing the level of screenings from 1 % above the actual malting limit to the malting limit. There is often little or no value in grading grain to below 12 % screenings as the cost of grading increases and more grain is re-delivered as feed. It is important to note that a proportion of malting barley will be lost to the feed grade component during each grading or cleaning operation. Quality attributes such as colour and protein may also be altered during these operations. To calculate the value that can be added to malting barley by reducing the level of screenings (assuming no change in other quality parameters) see Table 1. The table indicates the value of reducing screenings by 1% or more and assumes the screenings are re-delivered as feed barley. It should be noted that in some situations, it may be uneconomical to grade malting barley due to the additional cost and labour required.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 10:01:05 +0000
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