The Advantages of On-farm Grain Testing
On-farm grain testing is a way for farmers to improve their quality control, develop marketing strategies and maximise their returns.
Now is an ideal time for farmers to adopt this approach, as technological advances means that on-farm grain testing is fast, convenient and easy to do.
Supporting Quality Control With On-farm Grain Testing
In the farming calendar, harvest has a high importance. For farmers, the quality of their crop is vital for ensuring a good yield, and maximising their profits.
Grain testing is a vital aspect of food production, and grain quality can have an impact throughout the food chain, from producers and suppliers through to retailers and consumers
Grain needs to meet certain standards, and to meet these, farmers must harvest crops carefully, store them in optimum conditions, and measure their yields accurately.
There are various parameters that farmers can test grain for:
Moisture
Weight
Protein and oil content.
Different customers for grain have specific requirements and quality standards. For example, distillers and brewers require strict quality control of barley at maltings.
On-farm Testing for Better Grain Marketing
Farmers are finding that good, accurate grain testing is financially worthwhile.
Storage conditions will have a big influence on the quality of grain, and what farmers can expect suppliers to pay for their yields. Moisture is a critical factor in grain storage, weight and overall quality.
By doing their own on-farm grain testing, farmers can ensure that they provide a consistent environment for grain, controlling temperature and humidity levels.
Having access to technology that gives accurate readings on moisture, protein and specific weight in only minutes provides farmers with a useful tool for optimising grain storage conditions.
By consistently achieving industry standards through expert testing and storage, farmers can market their grain yields more effectively.
Different buyers will be looking for particular qualities in grain. For example, if wheat has a stable protein content of a certain percentage, it will be ideal for milling.
By testing grain, farmers can determine which batches will be best suited to specific markets. And they can adjust their production to appeal to these markets.
For larger farms, modern grain-testing technology makes this kind of accurate marketing far more achievable, because testing is easy to carry out, the results are rapid, and they are reliable.
Avoiding Unnecessary Costs
Reliable testing helps farmers avoid unnecessary costs. Transporting grain is another expense, and more so if then the shipment is given reduced value on arrival, or worse, if it is returned.
By putting in place reliable analysis procedures much earlier in the process, farmers can save themselves money, as well as ensure the quality of their product.
Improving Industry Standards
On-farm grain testing can help drive up quality across the entire industry. The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) is encouraging farmers to take their own grain samples.
This is partly in response to health concerns from Covid-19, but also with the aim of standardising approaches to the drawing and collecting of samples.
Technology like the Perten Wholegrain Analyser can take this further, giving farmers the capability to both take and test grain samples on-farm.
State of the art grain testing methods involve near infrared reflectance (NIR) analysis. This is based on the naturally occurring electromagnetic spectrum and it tests for the main constituents in grains.
As a grain-testing method, it provides rapid analysis, with reliable and precise results and does not require adding any chemicals as part of the test.
NIR analysis is a spectroscopic technique, directing near infrared light onto a grain sample.
A calibration process modifies this light according to the makeup of the grain sample, to provide useful information about its composition.
For grain analysis, the type of NIR process is known as reflectance. Light reflects back from the grain sample, which allows for analysis of the sample’s absorbent qualities.
NIR penetrates deep into the sample to analyse its internal makeup, but it does not affect the sample in any way. It is a non-destructive method of analysis.
Calibration converts the readings of an NIR instrument into readable data, and a good NIR grain-testing instrument will perform well across the relevant infrared wavelength to ensure results are accurate.
NIR spectroscopy can then test for critical properties in grain such as moisture, protein, oil content and weight.
NIR measurement technology uses highly accurate, predictive equations based on very large databases as the basis for its calibrations. This makes NIR a very accurate method, , at 1.5 times the variability of the reference method it is calibrated against.
User-friendly Testing Technology
Perten instruments are leading edge tools for grain analysis. They represent a significant advance in analyser technology, and they are built to be portable and highly functional for on-farm use.
But while the technology driving the wholegrain analyser is advanced, the device itself is designed to be user-friendly.
The Wholegrain Analyser has a large colour touch-screen for easy access to intuitive menus for operating the instrument and reading the results of its analysis.
The entire process is rapid and secure. The user selects the type of grain for analysis and pours it into the funnel on the device. There is no need for any manual settings or adjustments.
The analyser is standardised to a true wavelength scale, and recalibrates itself automatically when analysing a specific sample.
Its monochromator, which separates the light beams into individual wavelengths, is manufactured from a single block of metal, to ensure its robustness and accuracy. It is less sensitive to vibration, and has a superior lifespan to other instruments.
Bring Grain Testing Back to the Farm
Farmers can benefit from taking control of their own grain analysis, ensuring an expert, advanced level of quality control much earlier in the supply chain.
This then has a positive impact on their marketing and their profitability.
Modern NIR instruments effectively bring lab-testing capability on-farm, for rapid, accurate and convenient grain-testing.
For more information about on-farm grain testing equipment, please call us on +44 (0) 1925 860 401, email info@calibrecontrol.com, or fill in our online contact form.