As harvest approaches, it’s important to review basic strategies to maintain the quality of stored grain. Here, we outline four strategies to help maintain post-harvest quality, help protect stored grains from insects, and what to look for when monitoring bins post-harvest. 1. CLEANING: Old grain inside and outside grain bins are likely to be contaminated with insects. Full floor aeration often has insects living under the floor as well. Eliminate your chances of immediate infestation of the new crop and make sure your bins are thoroughly cleaned. After cleaning the bin, consider spraying the bin with a pesticide. 2. DRYING: Storage moisture contents for aerated grain for different lengths of storage time
When to inspect:
Outdoor or grain temperature exceeds 50 degrees: every 7-14 days
Outdoor or grain temperature less than 30 degrees: once every 3-4 weeks
Wet grain tends to heat up even during cold weather. Insect infestations can also impact grain temp with the possibility of raising temperatures to as high as 110 degrees. Check for insects by:
Extracting them from the grain
Examining kernels for damage
Looking for webbing
Detecting off-odors
INFORMATION CONTINUED... The following tables show the relationship between grain moisture, storage temperature and storage time:
Approximate allowable storage time for cereal grains
Approximate allowable storage time for soybeans
If you have any questions regarding your operations grain storage strategy feel free to contact your merchandiser