Distinctly Green and Colour

The seed must be distinctly green throughout the entire seed to be considered distinctly green (use your Colour Guide to compare the colour). Crushed seeds which are pale green (lime) or slightly immature and seeds with a degree of discolouration are assessed in the evaluation of colour and are not considered "distinctly green". 

Read the Canola Watch article Grading for Green: Two Limes Don’t Make a Green

• No. 1 Canola can contain up to 2% distinctly green seed (20 seeds per 1,000). 
• No. 2 Canola can contain up to 6% distinctly green seed (60 seeds per 1,000). 
• No. 3 Canola can contain up to 20% distinctly green seed (200 seeds per 1,000). 

Heated

Heated seeds refer to crushed seeds that are black (badly binburnt), dark brown (distinctly heated), and light tan seeds emitting a heated odour or a combination of these. On the Colour Guide, light tan seeds (without a heated odour) are lighter than distinctly heated but darker than sound canola and are graded as damage. 

Did you know? Just one heated seed significantly reduces the value of your canola. A maximum of 0.1% heated seed is permitted for No. 1 Canola (1 seed per 1,000).
 

• No. 2 Canola can contain up to 0.5% heated seed (5 seeds per 1,000). 
   
• No. 3 Canola can contain up to 2% heated seed (20 seeds per 1,000). 

Damage (DMG) 

• No. 1 Canola can contain up to 5% damaged canola (50 seeds per 1,000). Damage includes seeds that are distinctly shrunken or shriveled; badly discoloured from mould or completely covered with rime; and excessively weathered, sprouted, tan colour, distinctly green, heated, insect or otherwise damaged. Damage is the total of damaged crushed seeds and any visually damaged uncrushed seeds.
• No. 2 Canola can contain up to 12% damaged seed (120 seeds per 1,000). 
• No. 3 Canola can contain up to 25% damaged seed (250 seeds per 1,000). 

Sprouting

Sprouted canola is a quality factor and is assessed as Total Damage. The Canadian Grain Commission defines sprouted canola as those seeds with a ruptured seed coat in combination with either a sprout that extends beyond the normal contour of the seed (seeds 1 and 2 below) or distinct swelling (seeds 3 and 4). Seeds like 5 and 6 should only be considered sprouted when found in combination with seeds meeting the definition of sprouted. 

(Photo is property of Canadian Grain Commission.)