As the temperature starts to rise, it is a critical time to keep stored corn and soybeans in good condition.
Charles Hurburgh, Iowa State University grain quality specialist and professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, says grain was generally of good quality when it was put into the bin last fall.
“There were some pockets of wet corn,” he says.
However, the low humidity last fall meant the grain dried down. Other signs of quality, such as test weight, were also good, he says.
Heading into winter, Hurburgh says there were some piles outside at elevators, and the rains in November and December were likely damaging.
“It won’t take long for them to blend it off,” he says.
Since most grain stored on the farm is in protected storage, it should be in good shape.
However, he says now is the time for farmers to be watching the grain as the temperature increases.
Hurburgh says if the grain temperature rises 3 degrees without running the fans, there is likely something wrong inside the bin. That means farmers should keep records on grain temperature.
“If you have electronic grain monitor equipment in the bin, you have the records,” he says.
A musty smell might be present in the first air that comes out of the bin. Another sign of grain quality issues could be if there is condensation on the roof of the grain bin.
Hurburgh says the larger the grain bin, the more likely there might be problems with keeping the grain in good condition.
First, it is harder to get the fines out of the larger bins after filling. And it is harder to monitor the entire bin, as there might be pockets of quality issues.
Hurburgh says farmers should aerate the grain when the dew point is low, if they can. If there are quality issues, aerate the grain as soon as possible.
He says it is in the farmer’s economic interest to maintain the grain in good condition. With the size of the 2015 crop, some of the crop will need to store longer than one year.
In addition, ethanol plants have a tighter margin, and with a larger grain supply, they will likely be tougher on grain quality. Hurburgh says damaged or lower-quality grain affects ethanol yields.
On the bean side, generally beans are stored at a lower moisture level than the recommendations. Therefore, Hurburgh says there are usually fewer problems with beans in storage.
However, once there is a quality issue inside the bin, it can quickly spread.
For the original story by Iowa Farmer Today, click here.