How to manage the stored grain while reducing losses?

When the producers are harvesting grains, it is the best time to review good grain storage practices, ensuring you can maintain quality. This includes using appropriate production and harvesting methods, maintaining farming equipment such as grain temp guard drying systems, using grain storage fan automation, and storing grains in a way that not only prevents pest infestations but also maximizes the quality and quantity of the harvested grain. Avoid moisture migration, changes in temperature, mold contamination, changes in humidity levels, etc. through proper handling techniques.

When harvested grains are stored, the producers should focus majorly on protecting the grains from the harsh weather conditions, self-heating, rodents, pests, molds, mycotoxins, cracking of grains, pesticide residues, and similar such damage that may lead to a reduction in the profits.

Here we are discussing how to store the grains after harvesting them to reduce the losses.

1. Sanitization of the bin and the areas surrounding it.

It is necessary for the producers to make sure to clean and dry out your grain storage structure, any equipment used for handling grains (conveyors, trucks, wagons,), as well as the ground surrounding the storage bin is sanitized properly. Cleanup is most effective when completed in early spring or immediately after emptying the storage bins so that unnecessary residue is not left during the warm months of July through September. Even small amounts of mold or insect-infested may harm the grain and can contaminate a bin full of newly harvested grain. This cleaning and sanitization activity will also allow making necessary arrangements for repairs such as sealing cracks and holes, removing old corn from every spot of the grain bin, checking infestation, and treating with fumigation, if required for the enhanced protection and safety of the grains that are to be harvested.

2. Cleaning the storage bin

It is of utmost importance to keep the surrounding areas clean, as this encourages rodents and insects. The outside area around the bin needs sweeping or vacuuming for grain dust that could be covering their hiding spots. Debris should also not be left on top of floors, walls, ceilings because it can provide foodstuffs and shelter from which these pests may grow in number without our knowledge. The best way to make out if the bin is entirely clean can be done when you cannot find out what was stored earlier in the storage bin, as such, there should be no debris, dust, etc. of the previously saved stalk.

3. Assessing the structure of the bin

The bin is one of the most important tools in a farm's arsenal. It can either be the producer’s ally or worst enemy, so make sure to take care of it before refilling it with the grains. The perforated floor of the storage bin should be removed to check for any insect infestations for clearing out last season’s debris and preventing the repeating of the nightmare. If there are any leaks from roofing or ground water coming into the base near the stored grain, then it is extremely necessary that such issues must also be addressed at the earliest to prevent damage to the grains. Otherwise, not only bacteria but also mold may grow on and can spoil the grains. Apart from this, there is a need to keep a regular check on the seals of the doors and hatches.

4. Residual Bin Spray

Properly preparing the grain storage bins for filling the harvested grain is one of the best ways to avoid pests and rodents, who are highly active in warmer months of the year. When using residual bin sprays in the bin, it is necessary that it must be applied at least two or three weeks before new grains are poured into the clean and swept-out bin. It is recommended to make sure that the bin is made thoroughly clean with the residual bin sprayer first so that no debris of any residue could be able to damage the stored grains.

5. Cleaning harvested grain

Running grain harvested with a clean and properly adjusted combine through a grain cleaner will help manage insects, as well as enable proper aeration. Grain that is not whole or has many broken kernels should be carefully cleaned to avoid weight loss during drying and storage. Cleaning the whole grain helps in managing insects and can also help properly aerate the mass. Grain stores more uniformly with fine materials present so it doesn't dry out too quickly or become infested by bugs.

6. Loading the cleaned, harvested grain

The process of loading refers to preparing a grain mass by creating several basic properties that lead to long life. The grain should be clean and dry, uniform without foreign material, or stored in an aerated weatherproof structure.

The above points are the general principles that the producers should follow religiously even before the grains are harvested. The storage bins and the harvested grains should be prepared, and handled carefully befort the grains are put in the storage bins.