BARLEY Testing Equipment
We have a wide variety of testing equipment available for Barley testing, both in lab and on farm equipment. We can provide solutions for testing moisture, nitrogen, specific weight, mycotoxin, and a host of other areas. If you don’t see what you need or if you’re unsure of your full requirements feel free to contact our team on info@calibrecontrol.com
NITROGEN
Nitrogen quantity in malting barley is a major criterion of its quality, and it needs to be sufficiently high to satisfy market requirements and increase the yield potential of the crop. You can test for nitrogen using near infrared (NIR) analysis. The Perten Inframatic 8800 NIR Grain Analyser and IM9500 Plus Wholegrain NIR Analyser are ideally suited for this.
MOISTURE
Moisture is a critical factor in the weight and overall quality of barley, and in making sure you store it correctly. It is important to accurately measure moisture, and there are various user-friendly devices for this. The Perten AM5200 Grain Moisture Analyser uses deep sample penetration to obtain comprehensive results.
Also, for rapid, on-farm moisture analysis, there is the Perten AM5800 On-farm Moisture Meter, which will analyse moisture levels and specific weight within 20 seconds. It is the most accurate moisture meter on the market.
ALPHA AMYLASE
The alpha-amylase enzyme attacks starch molecules, breaking them down into sugars. It is important to test for alpha-amylase in barley, since this can then have an impact on finished products. A certain amount of alpha-amylase activity is desirable to get the right consistency of dough, and crumb in baked goods.
The falling number test measures this enzyme activity, and there are several instruments that enable you to do this easily and quickly. These include Perten Falling Number 1000 and 1310.
MYCOTOXIN
Mycotoxins are naturally occurring toxins in seeds and grains, including barley, which can be damaging to crop production and have a harmful effect on humans and livestock. There are several different types of mycotoxin fungi, so it is important to be able to identify them accurately in barley.
The fast and convenient way of testing for mycotoxins is with a lateral flow test, using Charm Mycotoxin Strips. These are for use with the Charm E-Z Reader.
SPECIFIC WEIGHT
The specific weight of barley is a standard trading measure. This is an indicator of both its quality and consistency, and so it is important for growers and producers to measure specific weight accurately. There is a range of instruments which measure specific weight, including the Perten Grain Moisture Analyser and Wholegrain NIR Analyser. They also measure essential parameters such as moisture, protein and oil content.
INSPECTION
Overall quality control and inspection of produce is a commercial necessity, and there are various devices for doing this. Tagarno Inspection Systems are ideal for precise grain inspection, providing ultra-magnified views of grain and food samples. For visual quality assessment, there is the CGrain instrument, which analyses single kernels.
