In a new project, researchers led by Dr. Jim Helm of Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development (AAFRD) are using the samples to build a database of dozens of feed barley quality traits. Using sophisticated equipment known as Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) to scan grain samples, a full analysis of grain quality traits can be made in a matter of minutes.
"The technology will provide an objective and reliable analysis making it possible for farmers to be paid for quality," says Helm, head of research at the Field Crop Development Centre in Lacombe. "Producers will be able to market grain according to its quality strengths. For example, if the sample has high protein, high lysine, or high digestible energy content that fits a specific feed ration, that quality can be reflected in the grain value."
Helm explains more about the project and the challenge of getting paid for feed quality in the new June edition of Western Grains Research Magazine, available on the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) Web site: www.westerngrains.com. Western Canadian wheat and barley growers are major investors in wheat and barley breeding research through the Wheat and Barley Check-off Funds, administered by WGRF. The Research Magazine offers "Ideas and issues for farmer research investors."
NIRS has been used extensively for decades to analyze grain samples for breeding and research purposes, but it has not been used commercially to its full potential, says Helm. The project, to be completed over the next three years, could enable farmers to take grain samples to elevators or feed mills equipped with NIRS scanners to obtain a full quality profile of samples.
Traditionally feed grain values have been based on general physical characteristics such as bushel weight, kernel plumpness and colour. Based on this approach, the difference in value between a light feed barley and a heavy feed barley can be as high as $10 per tonne. But that difference in value doesn't reflect the true feed value of the grain, says Helm.
"If we take barley off in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, can we assume it has exactly the same protein content?" he asks. "Of course not. For example, in our analysis we've seen crude protein levels in barley range from 6.6 to 19 percent. But the problem is, these grains are often priced by book value."
A better measure of feed quality could substantially benefit growers, he says.
"For example, hog producers can look at the NIRS analysis and see that a high quality grain means a considerable saving in ration formulation costs. Therefore, they may pay up to $50 more per tonne and still be dollars ahead."
The June edition of Western Grains Research Magazine also includes two other feature stories - one on the potential for value-added products extracted from barley, and a second on the role of Certified Seed royalties in research.
Western Grains Research Foundation is funded and directed by Western crop producers, and allocates approximately $4 to $5 million annually to research through the Wheat and Barley Check-off Funds and a separate $9 million Endowment Fund.
