Abstract: A method and apparatus for grading items such as roots and tubers in which a succession of items are conveyed one after the other in a U-shaped channel of a conveyor. As each item passes a measuring station a grading characteristic of the item is measured and compared with a predetermined value. The items are transferred from the conveyor to addressing stations based on the compared grading characteristics of the items. The grading characteristics of each item is measured by measuring the orthogonal projection of each item onto the conveyor, and the conveyor is formed by successive transverse conveyor elements, each item having an orthogonal projection extending over at least three adjacent conveyor elements. The items are transferred from the conveyor by displacing the at least three conveyor elements either to lift the item off the conveyor or to allow the items to drop below the conveyor. The conveyor can be a linear conveyor or a loop conveyor.