The Canadian Grain Commission’s tolerances for fusarium in most classes of western Canadian wheats will be tightened starting Aug. 1.
The commission, following recommendations from the Western Standards Committee at its April 13 meeting, will tighten the limits on fusarium for all classes of wheat except Canada Western Red Winter (CWRW) and General Purpose, for which tolerances will be tightened Aug. 1 next year, and Canada Western Extra Strong (CWES), which will remain unchanged.
“The new tolerances are designed to meet market needs but also to be fair to producers when fusarium is a grading factor in their wheat,” committee chairman and CGC chief commissioner Elwin Hermanson said in a release Tuesday.
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CGC research, has found previous tolerances didn’t accurately predict the average level of deoxynivalenol (DON) that could be present in wheats.
DON is a toxin produced by fusarium in the heads of infected grain. “Over the years, due to a variety of factors, the relationship between fusarium damage and deoxynivalenol has changed,” the commission said Tuesday.
The new maximum fusarium tolerances “will ensure that Canadian wheat will be able to meet export and domestic requirements” for DON, the commission said.
According to the CGC, the committee also reviewed and “strongly supported” a proposal to change the grade structure of the Canada Western Red Winter (CWRW) wheat class starting Aug. 1, 2011. That would include minimum protein specifications for grades No. 1 and 2 — and the creation of a grade No. 3.
Changing the grade schedule for winter wheat would help “enhance the marketability of this class as milling wheat, domestically and abroad,” and would help growers provide a “consistent, high-quality product that is competitive with other hard red winter wheats.”
