NDGI to Participate in Pulsed NMR Pilot Study

In September of 1999 the Federal Grain Inspection Service approved use of the Pulsed Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Instrument. Previous instruments used to test the oil content of sunflower seeds required that the seeds be air oven-dried for a minimum of three hours and then cooled back to room temperature taking an additional two to three hours. This procedure meant that customers requesting the oil content on sunflower seed could expect under ideal conditions an overnight turn around time. The advantage of the Pulsed NMR over the older Oxford 4000 and Mach-III machines is the instrument's ability to test the oil content of an undried sample of seeds allowing for nearly immediate test results.

While use of the Pulsed NMR was approved two years ago, no significant data had been collected on the accuracy of the instrument to test the undried samples. Up to this point the same time consuming method of drying and then allowing the temperature of the seeds to stabilize to room temperature has been utilized.

A pilot program began in September of 2001 to collect data with the hope of approving a method that will allow the inspection lab to run an oil test on a sample as it arrives to the lab. Such a procedure could greatly reduce the turn around time for test results to the customer.

North Dakota Grain Inspection Service, Inc.'s Fargo lab will be participating in the pilot study initiated by the Technical Services Division of the Federal Grain Inspection Service. Other officially licensed labs included in the study are: Kansas Grain Inspection Service of Topeka, Grand Forks Grain Inspection of Grand Forks and Grain Inspection Inc. of Jamestown.

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