Whole seed neal~infrared (NIR) analyzers are capable of high, speed compositional analysis of oilseed commodities. This study compared the PerCon Inframatic 8144 (Perten Instruments, North America Inc., Ren~ NV), the Tecator Infratec 1225 (Tecator AB, Hoganas, Sweden) and the NIR-Systems 6500 (NIR Systems, Inc, Silver Spring, MD) analyzers for measurement of oil, protein, chlorophyll and glucosinolates in intact canola seed of composite samples from the Grain Research Laboratory's (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) 8nnual Western Canada Harvest Surveys (1985-1989) for assembly of calibration and prediction sets. No significant differences were found between the three instruments for oil [standard error of prediction (SEP 0.43-0.55%)], protein (SEP 0.35-0.42%) and gheosinolates (SEP 2.4-3.8 mM/g). Neither the Tecator nor the PerCon instruments were effective for determining chlorophylL By combining oil content and fatty acid composition data to give an estimate of the total level of each fatty acid in the sample, high correlations were obtained for total saturates, linolenic acid, and linoleic acid although the RPD (ratio of the S.E. of prediction to the S.D. of the original data) values were not high enough to enable routine use of the method to predict results.

Samples of frost‐damaged rapeseed from the 1982 Western Canadian Crop were tested for oil content, protein content, fat acidity, chlorophyll content, fatty acid composition, glucosinolate content, conductivity and germination. These quality factors were related to two frost‐related damage factors, green seeds and external “frost‐damage,” used in the Canadian grain grading system. The green seed factor was positively correlated with chlorophyll, free fatty acids and conductivity, and a negative correlation was found with linolenic acid, iodine value and germination. The frost‐damage factor was positively correlated with conductivity, free fatty acids and palmitic acid and negatively correlated with linolenic acid, iodine value, oil content and germination. The effects of frost damage were explained by assuming that the seed maturation process was halted due to freezing.

Changes in the quality of frost-damaged canola seeds (Brassica napus L. and B. campestris L.) from 21 bins in Manitoba were studied on four occasions (Rounds 1 to 4) during October 1982 to April 1983. Twenty-two quality parameters were assessed on seed samples obtained at two bin depths on each sampling occasion. Generally, quality of seeds in official grades 2CR, 3CR and Sample Canada Account Damaged because of frost, did not decline during storage. Laboratory studies with jars of frost-damaged seeds stored at 6–12% MC and 5–25 °C for 49 days indicated that smell was a more rapid indicator of incipient deterioration than visible mold. Results from bin and laboratory studies showed that storage of frost-affected seeds, which had been binned dry, was influenced primarily by factors associated with seed immaturity rather than by development of spoilage molds. Heating was detected during Round 1 in six nonaerated bins. Spoilage and heating problems in frost-damaged canola are most likely to occur during the first weeks of storage but can be prevented and controlled by aeration and careful bin management.Key words: Brassica napus L., B. campestris L., seed quality, frost damage, storability