Managing Dry Grain Storage
2016
- UW-Madison Biological Systems Engineering
Project Media
A great deal of resources and effort are invested in growing, harvesting, drying and transporting grain crops. Managing the dry grain in storage is important to protect that investment. The quality of grain cannot be improved during storage but if not properly managed, grain quality can deteriorate quickly. The majority of grain losses are caused by living things such as fungi, mold, insects and rodents. The grain temperature and moisture can provide a haven for living things or aid in preventing problems.
There are six main causes of grain storage problems: grain is too warm, grain is too wet, too much foreign matter and fines, uneven grain temperatures in bin, storage bins not cleaned before harvest, and grain not checked often enough during storage.