—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 4,1978
136
Proper grain storage depends on temperature , moisture
NEWARK, Del. - This year
grain yields are up and more
grain will be going into
storage following harvest.
Many farmers added drying
and storage facilities this
year and they’ll have a lot of
concern about how well this
grain holds up in storage.
Corn that is to be sold by
Spring should be dried to 14.5
per cent before going into the
bin. Corn that will be held
into the Summer or longer
should be dried to 13 per cent
moisture. Since soybeans
contain oil, they have to be
stored at lower moistures -
14 per cent or below for
short-term storage and 11
per cent for storage into
Summer.
After gram is placed m
storage, it should be kept
cool with aearation.
Aearation is a process of
keeping dry gram at nearly
the same temperature as the
outside air to prevent
moisture migration m the
bm. During aeration a small
amount of air - 1/10 to 1/5
cfm (cubic feet per minute)
per bushel - is continuously
pulled down through the
gram and exhausted at the
bottom of the storage bin to
equalize temperatures in the
gram mass.
Proper aeration reduces
the risk of stored grain
“going out of condition”
from moisture migration,
mold growth, and insect
infestation. Aeration,
however, will not protect
grain that is not dried to a
safe level before being
stored, cautions Williams.
Dried grain placed in
storage in the Fall should be
cooled down to 40 degrees
Fahrenheit by Winter. Begin
cooling warm grain as soon
as it goes mto storage. Run
the aeration fans con
tinuously until the grain
temperature is down to 70
degrees F. in September.
The train temperature can
be checked by holding a
thermometer in the exhaust
air stream. This is also a
good place to smell the gram
condition. Musty odors in
dicate spoilage.
An air flow’ of 1/10 cfm per ivtnhw 50 degrees F. by the
bushel will take about a end ot November, and 40
week of continuous running degrees F. by the end of
to change the grain tem- December. Then maintain
perature. One cfm per the 40 degree F. temperature
bushel will take 15 hours of through March. Do not
continuous running to operate fans for extended
change the grain tem- periods when the outside
perature. temperature is below 30
degrees F. or the grain may
-Continue to cool the gram freeze. Frozen grain can
into winter. Cool to 60 cause problems m the
degrees F. by the end of Spring.
Cedar Crest FFA initiation held
LEBANON - The Cedar opportunity to demonstrate
Crest FFA had a very active their marksmanship at a
week recently. The week trapshoot later in the week,
started with the initiation of The trapshoot was held at
the greenhands held at the the Palmyra Sportsman’s
Ammon Peiffer residence. Club in Palmyra. Cedar
The greenhands were Crest competed against the
required to go through a Annville FFA and won for
course specially designed to the third year in a row in the
test their bravery. The annual event. Paul Miller
initiation was concluded was the high scorer with 16
with food and fellowship in hits and was followed closely
the Peiffer’s home. by Lester Heinaman and
The members also had an Gary Reist with 15 hits each.
Good News
Grain Farmers
Plain and Fancy Ag Enterprises Inc. Capacity is now 200,000 bu. and Truck
has increased the size of its Tamaqua ing Services are also available.
Grain Operation. This increase means If we can be of service to you, see us
greater ease of operation for you. Unload at RD 3, Tamaqua. PA 18252 or call
time is now 2.500 bu./hr.. Storage us at 717/386-4597.
ENT inc
After the gram is cooled
down to the recommended
average monthly tem
perature, check its condition
once a week by running the
fans for about 20 minutes. To leam more about the
This permits you to check design and operation of
the temnerature, smell for aeration equipment contact
signs of spoilage, and bring your county agent.
fresh air into the bin. It is
best to do this when the
relative humidity is below 75
percent.
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