An Equal Opportunity University Grain Storage Considerations Sam McNeill Extension Agricultural Engineer UKREC – Princeton, KY x Web:

Grain Storage Systems Conventional bins/silos Horizontal storage

Storage Consideration Topics: 1.Storage capacity & prices in KY 2.Safety considerations 3.Physical and biological considerations 4.Storage management 5.Other resources More bae.uky.edu bae.uky.edu

Grain Storage Capacity in KY

Cash Corn Price: Ohio Valley

BAE How often should I check my grain? 2-weeks until cooled 2-4 weeks during winter Temperature Moisture Insects

BAE When Inspecting Stored Grain Always Work in Pairs !

BAE Grain Inspection Tools PPE – harness / dust masks Portable moisture meter Thermometer Grain/insect probe Bucket /container Psychrometer

BAE Grain Storage Considerations How to minimize spoilage? 1. 1.Control grain moisture 2. 2.Control grain temperature 3. 3.Control grain condition

10/24 UK - BAE Allowable Storage Time (days) MCTemperature % Source: ASABE

BAE Losses Caused by Insects and Molds  Heating  Weight loss  Decreased germination  Mycotoxins  Price discounts

BAE Temperature Influence on Insects Temp. rangeEffect < 32Death in minutes 40 – 60Death in days 66 – 77Sub-optimum 82 – 90Optimum 95Development stops 122Death in minutes Source: P. Fields, USDA 1992

BAE Molds Like a Warm Environment

BAE Molds Like Moisture  Each mold species has its own moisture preference  Molds grow faster as moisture increases

BAE Equilibrium MC for Corn

BAE Safe Storage Conditions for Corn Winter Summer

BAE Safe Storage Moistures

BAE Adjustments to Recommended Storage Moistures Need to lower moisture content if: Low testweight Broken and foreign material Non-aerated storage Pre-harvest mold damage Storage structure

BAE

Storage Tips to Control Risks   Clean grain prior to binning   Operate augers at capacity and slowest speed possible   Check grain moisture going into storage   Screen grain for mycotoxins   S.L.A.M.

BAE Bin Loading   Manage trash and fines Control grain damage by combine Use a spreader to fill the bin Remove fines/trash from the bin center (core)

BAE Manage Trash and Fines

BAE Core after Filling to Remove Light Wheat Kernels

BAE Winter Moisture Migration 75 O F 35 O F

BAE Grain Spoilage from Moisture Migration   Uniform Temperatures Prevent moisture migration Preserves product quality

BAE Stored Grain Temperatures in KY

BAE Aeration Cooling Cycle

BAE Estimated Time for Aeration Cycles (Hours)

BAE Airflow in 30-ft bin with 10 hp fan

BAE Cost of 3 Aeration Cycles Example for 30-ft 10¢/kwh

BAE Five Day Forecast for Jan. 21, 2004 Source: wpsdtv.com Avg. Hi: 46 Lo: 33 5d: 40

BAE Date Hourly Temperatures for Princeton, KY Total fan hours = 70.5

BAE Off-the-shelf Fan Control with Thermostats HOUR METER HEATING THERMOSTAT COOLING THERMOSTAT FAN RELAY Sept Oct Nov

BAE Commercial Fan Controllers opistormax.com agsense.net agridryllc.com

BAE Temperature Cable System 1. Thermocouple sensor cables 2. Cable suspension system 3. Lead wire extension 4. Readout plug 5. Display instrument D A B C A D C B

BAE Automated Insect Monitoring Automated Insect Monitoring

BAE Automated Insect Monitoring

OPIGIMAC Temperature and Insect Monitoring, Aeration Fan Control System

Resources 1.Midwest Plan Service mwps.org mwps.org 2.Agricultural Engineering Departments in Midwest…at UK bae.uky.edubae.uky.edu 3.GEAPS geaps.org geaps.org 4.USDA Grain Lab in KS ars.usda.gov ars.usda.gov 5.GrainNet grainnet.com grainnet.com

BAE Questions ? Sam McNeill Extension Agricultural Engineer University of Kentucky Research and Education Center x 213 Mike Montross Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering x106