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Barley screenings

4.2%

The percentage of small, thin grain that falls through the 2.2 mm sieve, measured by load. In malting barley it is a gatekeeper trait — plump, retained grain earns the malt premium; too many screenings drops the whole load to a feed price.

Worked example · % through 2.2 mm sieve · lower better
Malt max 7% 3.8 4.5 4.2 4.4 Load 1 Load 2 Avg Load 3
% through 2.2 mm sieve · lower better
The benchmark

Malting barley receival standards typically cap screenings (grain through a 2.2 mm slotted sieve) at about 7%; loads above the limit are downgraded to feed.

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What it signals

Screenings rise sharply when the crop runs out of moisture during grain-fill, so they read the finish of the season directly. Watching them by load lets you segregate malt-spec parcels from feed and protect the premium tonnes.

Data required to calculate
Screenings by load%Retention on 2.5 mm sieve%Tonnes per loadt

Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses, and keeps the figure current automatically.

How to improve it
01

Sow on time and choose varieties that fill grain before the heat arrives.

02

Set stocking of nitrogen and moisture to avoid a pinched, stressed finish.

03

Segregate loads at harvest so malt-spec grain isn’t averaged down by feed.

Questions & answers

What is barley screenings?

The percentage of small, thin grain that falls through the 2.2 mm sieve, measured by load. In malting barley it is a gatekeeper trait — plump, retained grain earns the malt premium; too many screenings drops the whole load to a feed price.

What data do you need to calculate barley screenings?

You need: Screenings by load (%), Retention on 2.5 mm sieve (%), Tonnes per load (t). Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses and keeps the figure current automatically.

What is a good barley screenings benchmark?

Malting barley receival standards typically cap screenings (grain through a 2.2 mm slotted sieve) at about 7%; loads above the limit are downgraded to feed.

How do you improve barley screenings?

Sow on time and choose varieties that fill grain before the heat arrives. Set stocking of nitrogen and moisture to avoid a pinched, stressed finish. Segregate loads at harvest so malt-spec grain isn’t averaged down by feed.

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