Official Grain Grading Guide
Chickpeas: Determination of dockage
Definitions
Dockage is assessed and recorded to the nearest 0.1%.
Dockage is defined under the Canada Grain Act as “any material intermixed with a parcel of grain, other than kernels of grain of a standard of quality fixed by or under this Act for a grade of that grain that must and can be separated from the parcel of grain before that grade can be assigned to the grain”. Dockage is removed by following the cleaning procedure described in this chapter.
The sample as it arrives is referred to as the uncleaned or dirty sample. Its weight is the gross weight of the sample. Dockage is assessed on the gross weight of the sample.
Dockage not reported
Important: Dockage is not reported for
- Chickpeas, Sample CW (class) Account Fireburnt
- Chickpeas, Sample Salvage
- Chickpeas, Sample Condemned
- Unofficial samples declared as processed
Normal cleaning procedure
Important: Wear gloves and a mask to handle any samples that you suspect may contain hazardous substances.
- Using a Boerner-type divider, divide the uncleaned sample to obtain a representative portion.
- Official samples shall be at least 1 kg.
- Unofficial samples shall be at least 1 kg.
- Choose the hand sieve for the class of chickpeas that will achieve maximum removal of dockage material with minimum loss of chickpeas:
- Kabuli:
numberNo. 18 round-hole sieve (large seeded)
numberNo. 12 slotted sieve (medium seeded)
No. 14 slotted sieve
No. 16 slotted sieve
- Desi:
numberNo. 12 slotted sieve
- Kabuli:
- Sieve the sample, using approximately 250 grams at a time, over the appropriate sieve to remove all readily removable material.
- Handpick all coarse vegetable matter such as pods, stems, straw, thistle tops from the sieved sample.
- Handpick all grasshoppers, other insects and insect parts from the sieved sample.
Composition of dockage
All material removed by sieving or handpicking or both, as defined in the Normal cleaning procedure.
Optional analysis
Where a shipper requests special cleaning of a carlot of grain at a terminal elevator, and the elevator manager agrees, dockage material will be analyzed for the presence of grain. The percentage and grade of any grain contained in the dockage will be reported.
Procedure
- Analyze the official sample.
- Record the following on inspection records:
- The percentage by gross weight to the nearest 0.1% and the grade of chickpeas.
- The percentage by gross weight to the nearest 0.1% and the grade of grain separable from dockage.
- The percentage of dockage.
Example:
95.0% Chickpeas, numberNo. 1 Canada Western Desi
4.0% Domestic Mustard Seed, numberNo. 1 Canada Oriental
1.0% dockage
Sizing
Upon written request, samples of chickpeas may be analyzed for size. Sizing procedures are as follows:
Procedure
- Using a Boerner-type divider, divide the clean sample to obtain a representative portion of between 250 – 300 grams.
- Pour the representative sample onto the left-hand side of the hand sieve.
- Move the sieve from left to right 20 times, using a sifting motion. One time is one complete motion from center, to one side, to the other side and back to the center. The total distance from left to right is 20 cm or about 8 inches.
- Determine the amount remaining on top of the sieve. Passing your hand along the underside of the sieve may be necessary in order to dislodge all the seeds.
Report the percent by weight of the seeds remaining on top of the sieve.
Note: The size of sieve must be clearly indicated on the written request. Generally, sizing would be done using one of the following hand sieves – numberNo. 8, 9 or 10 mm round hole, however, the analysis can be done on any sieve size as requested.