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CBH Group
CBH Group

Visual analysis

Visual Analysis (VA), sampling technology provides consistent and objective measurement of grain defects and weed seeds in wheat, barley and oats.
VA technology

CBH is introducing visual analysis sampling technology, to selected sites for the 2025/26 harvest.

The VA technology has been designed to help improve the speed, consistency and accuracy of grain sampling and replaces some of the visual assessments usually done by samplers for wheat, barley and oats.

The machine takes photos of everything in a half-litre sample of grain, then uses machine learning models to identify weed seeds and grain quality defects.

The models have been trained by experienced and qualified samplers and have been extensively fine-tuned and tested to produce consistent results that can be repeated time after time. 

The results are reported in line with receival standards and images are sent for the grower to view in the CDF app, in real time.

CBH completed two successful harvest trials of the technology, using it at two sites in 2023/24 and 14 sites in 2024/25. It is being introduced to about half of the sites in 2025/26.

Images of the grain defects and weed seeds detected by the VA technology will be available for the grower/delivered to review on their CDF app in real time. 

To see which tests are completed by VA, please go to the Receival standards | CBH Group.

VA results are aligned to Grain Trade Australia’s Visual Recognition Standards Guide, which supports Western Australian grain receival standards.

Receival sites using automated sampling

Harvest casual samplers have received additional training to operate the machine. This includes troubleshooting, if necessary.

Remote technical support is available for all sites and there are dedicated team members at six support hubs across the network – in Corrigin, Lake Grace, Katanning, Cranbrook, Ravensthorpe and Esperance. These support hubs hold spare machines and parts and will also audit samples collected from VA sites to validate performance.

Dispute options are available if you are not satisfied with a result from the VA. These can be seen on the Feedback and disputes | CBH Group page.

In addition, growers can always contact the following groups the Grower Service Centre or their Local Area or Zone Manager for support.

  • How does the Visual Analysis (VA) technology work
    • The VA technology takes photos of the grain then uses machine learning models to identify weed seeds and grain quality defects in barley, wheat and oat samples.
    • The models have been trained by experienced and qualified samplers and have been extensively fine-tuned and tested to produce consistent results that can be repeated time after time. 
    • The machine analyses a half litre of grain, which is twenty times the current method for many defect categories. The results are then scaled to the current receival standards. 
    • The machine will identify weed seeds and defects in the sample and evidence of these will be shared with growers in real time via the CDF app.
  • What does the VA technology test?

    These tests are completed by VA. Receival standards are available on the CBH website.

    Any tests not completed by VA will be completed by the samplers.

     Wheat Barley  Oats 
     Type 7A seeds  Type 2 seeds  Pulses
     Type 7B seeds  Dry green barley  Whole snail shells
     Whole snail shells  Snail shells  Type 1 seeds
     Field fungi  Heavily discoloured  Septoria affected
     Sprouted  Spotted/field fungi affected  Heavily discoloured oats
     Pink grains only  Germ end staining  Spotted/mould affected
     Head scab/white grain disorder  Pink fungal stained barley  Type 4 seeds
     Stained grain only  Distorted kernels  Type 2 seeds
     Dry green or sappy  Type 7A seeds  Groats
     Distorted wheat  Type 7B seeds  Type 3 seeds
     Severely damaged  Type 6 seeds  
       Skinned and broken  
       Cleaved barley  
  • Is this machine going to pick up more defects than a sampler?
    • The technology will only identify what it has been trained on, in line with what an experienced sampler should identify. 
    • The machine has been calibrated to align with Grain Trade Australia’s Visual Recognition Standards Guide, which is the standard that our manual samplers are trained to meet.
    • The increased sampling rate will reduce the sub-sampling variability that growers are familiar with when smaller sub-samples are tested.
  • What options are available if a grower doesn’t use the CDF app?
    • Growers are encouraged to use the CDF app. This will allow viewing of images of defects and foreign material captured by the VA machine in real time.
    • Using a paper CDF is still an option but growers will not be able to view the images in real time.
  • How will the sites with VA technology be supported
    • Corrigin, Lake Grace, Katanning, Cranbrook, Ravensthorpe and Esperance will have support hubs for the pilot, including holding spare machines and parts, auditing samples collected from VA sites as a base for support teams.
    • The supplier is also on call seven days a week during harvest.
  • Who developed the technology?
    • CBH has partnered with local technology specialists, Deimos, to develop the new, custom-built machines over the past five years. 
    • CBH and Deimos have established a 50:50 joint venture company, named Acova, to refine and commercialise the technology.

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