Purdue News
Purdue News
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November 10, 2000 Temporary grain storage not a long-term solutionWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Tons of excess corn and soybeans are stuffed in empty barns, machinery sheds, livestock buildings and the like in Indiana. Now that farmers have found a place for their grain, the real work of preserving the crop begins, says a Purdue University grain storage expert. Keeping grain in buildings other than ventilated bins requires regular inspections for moisture, mold, pests and structural weaknesses, says Dirk Maier, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service agricultural engineer. Often, grain stored in makeshift facilities must be sent to market earlier, he says. "It is generally not recommended you carry grain into the next spring in structures that are not aerated and cannot be cooled," Maier says. "You need to monitor the grain on a weekly basis." A bumper crop is stretching Hoosier farmers' storage capacity. Many farmers are packing grain into any unused space they can find. In some cases they've been forced to pile their crop in large mounds outside. A whopping corn harvest is chiefly responsible for the grain glut. Thursday (11/9), the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated the Indiana corn crop at 815.9 million bushels – a 9 percent increase from 1999. Indiana soybean yields are projected at 260.4 million bushels – up 20 percent from a year ago. Maier says moisture content is another concern when storing corn in a temporary facility. "If a farmer is planning to carry grain into the springtime, the moisture should not have been more than 14 percent when it was stored, or 13 percent if carrying it into the next summer," he says. "There's always a concern with fine materials, unevenness of moisture, self-heating and moisture condensation." As a general rule, Maier suggests moving grain out of temporary storage before the end of February. Farmers can check moisture levels by inserting a long metal rod into grain piles, Maier says. They also can monitor temperatures by attaching a thermometer to the rod. A vacuum-assisted probe is recommended when collecting samples from depths unreachable with metal rods. "You can probe and feel how the rod moves through the grain, and whether it stops or slides through," Maier says. "If the rod isn't sliding, it may be an indication of a crusting layer building up on the grain. You also can feel the probe and tell if the grain is cool or warm." Moldy grain indicates a moisture problem. Other possible signs include condensation on the storage building's roof and walls, and snow melt on the building in cold, overcast weather. Cross-ventilation can help control moisture buildup on the grain's surface, Maier says. Temporary storage facilities should be kept as clean as possible and checked for evidence of bird and rodent infestation. Safety is important when inspecting – and storing – grain. "It is very dangerous to go into these structures and walk on top of the grain. We don't recommend doing it," Maier says. "A lot of people don't pay enough attention to properly setting up these buildings for grain. They often don't hold as much grain as you think. I just saw one building where the walls had busted out and the grain was lying on the ground." More information about short-term grain storage can be found in Purdue Grain Quality Task Force Fact Sheet 38, "Temporary Grain Storage Considerations." The fact sheet is available through county Extension offices or online. Source: Dirk Maier, (765) 494-1175; maier@purdue.edu Writer: Steve Leer, (765) 494-8415; sleer@aes.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu Related Web site:
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