You will be surprised to know that all around the world, several billion metric tons of grain are produced per year. Some of the most widely produced grains in the world include corn, wheat, and milled rice. In addition to these, oats, barley, and rye are among the most common crops that are stored in grain bins. Farmers grow these crops because their demand is quite high. However, it is essential to understand that growing these crops is not easy. Farmers have to face a lot of challenges both when growing these crops as well as after harvesting them. For instance, one of the most difficult challenges is, keeping moisture away from grain. If a farmer is not able to control moisture, his/her grain harvest can get partially or fully ruined.
In this blog, we will tell you some effective ways that can help you keep moisture away from grain harvest. What are those ways? Let’s find out.
Let The Grain Dry
Many farmers make one common mistake with moisture and grain, which is they do not give enough time to grain to dry. You need to understand that after harvest, grain is still a live seed, which means it is filled with mold and insects. If you store such grain quickly, the insects present in the grain will pollute the storage area. You can avoid this problem by simply allowing your grain to dry once it is removed from the field.
Sanitizing Is Crucial
While drying the grain is essential, you should not forget that sanitization both before and during the harvest process is also important. Before placing the grain in the storage area, the area needs to be properly inspected for the presence of any type of rodent. The aim should be to keep the storage area in top condition, which also includes keeping the close by vegetation cut and immediately cleaning up spilled grains.
Proper Loading Process
You should be careful when loading grains. One of your chief priorities during this process should be to minimize broken kernels. Also, getting rid of foreign elements is necessary. Proper loading of of grains into bins is required because wrong loading process can lead to poor initial quality. That is why you need to pay special attention to broken kernels as that can bring down aeration, which is known for increasing moisture and causing spoilage as a consequence.
Ventilation
You need to be aware of factors that increase humidity and give rise to moisture and you should also be aware of factors that bring down moisture. You can easily bring down moisture by ensuring proper ventilation. Some factors might be out of your control that contribute toward moisture, but you can negate those factors by maintaining solid ventilation to keep the grain bins dry. It does not matter whether you depend on natural ventilation or intentional ventilation. Both can play a key role in stopping hot air from forming moisture in the grain.
Apart from these, aeration, understanding seasonality, monitoring target temperatures, and keeping detailed records are important for securing grain bins from moisture. While doing the aforesaid things are great, you should also use grain bin moisture control package from Farm Shop MFG. This package contains everything you need to effectively deal with the threat of moisture.
