Read answers to your top agronomic questions. Download the 2023 Product Agronomy Research (PAR) Report HERE.

Back to Articles

Safely Moving and Storing Grain in 2024

BY Dairyland Seed Agronomy Team

With corn harvest winding down in a good percentage of the Dairyland Seed footprint, we are starting to discuss what worked well and what did not. What products or practices we want to keep the same, and what changes we want to make or try something different. With all those decisions taking place, one of the next major projects, and concerns is storing and or moving this grain that you and your team worked so hard to produce. This stored grain is a management and transportation issue, but it is also a SAFETY issue.

From a management perspective fines or BKFM (broken kernel foreign material) can lead to spoilage. Fines are the result of cracked or broken kernels with bits or pieces of that kernel coming off. Fines can be more of an issue with lighter test weight grain or grain that did not mature properly. Generally, fines tend to be located more in the center of a bin than the outer portions of the bin. This is due to the fact that kernels fall to the outer portions of the bin and the fines fall to the center of the bin. In addition, it is more difficult to push air or to aerate fines than it is corn kernels. Fines also take on moisture at a quicker rate than kernels making these pockets or areas of fines more prone to heating and/or spoilage.

Having more fines may lead to heating and/or spoilage and can also lead to more bridging of grain. Bridged grain is not only a management concern, but also becomes a transportation and SAFETY concern. Because bridged grain doesn’t flow like grain typically flows, it tends to slow down how much grain we can move as quickly as we normally do. Bridged grain becomes a SAFETY concern when we try to break the bridge. Once that grain starts to move, it moves quickly. Flowing grain can trap a standing person in 4 to 5 seconds and totally cover that person in 20 to 22 seconds. (Which is about the time it took you to read the last two sentences.)

Leveling out and coring these bins is a great way to alleviate or lessen the chance of these fines becoming hot spots or bridge areas. Feeding your cored areas as soon as you can, or selling grain into the market, is a great way to manage these areas. The bigger the bin and the amount of grain in the bin, the more loads you will need to move to remove those fines. If possible, when coring bins, have another gate open other than the main sump gate. By having another gate open other than the main sump and farther away from the main sump allows you to reduce the amount of fines of BKFM in loads, and/or potential dockage.


 

Brian Weller
Brian Weller
Western Region
507.456.3034
Rod Moran
Rod Moran
Western Region
507.456.3034
Dan Ritter
Dan Ritter
Central Region
219.863.0583
Chad Staudinger
Chad Staudinger
Northern Region
608.220.9249
Mark Gibson
Mark Gibson
Eastern Region
260.330.8968
Amanda Goffnett
Amanda Goffnett
Eastern Region
989.400.3793
Ryan Mueller
Ryan Mueller
Eastern Region
989.400.3793
Enjoying our Agronomy Updates? Suggestions for topics you'd like us to weigh in on? Drop us an email at dairylandseed@dairylandseed.com. We'd love to hear from you!
Subscribe for more insights delivered straight to your inbox.
You may also like...
  • Fall Anhydrous Ammonia Applications
    Fall is a crucial time for anhydrous ammonia application, but understanding how soil conditions, particularly moisture levels, impact nitrogen (N) retention is essential for farmers and agricultural professionals. Applying ammonia when soil moisture is insufficient can lead to significant nitrogen loss, impacting crop nutrition and farm profitability.
    Read more
  • Time Saved or a Step Ahead for Spring Planting Season
    One of the most difficult parts of any business is accepting the things that you cannot control but finding ways to manage around it. In agriculture we definitely do not control the weather, and trying to manage around it is an ever-changing proposition. The 2024 growing season has definitely giving us multiple opportunities to manage around.
    Read more
  • Increase Your SCN Knowledge, Test Your Soils!
    To improve soybean product performance on your farm, there may be free options in your geography that allows you to test for Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) to accomplish this task. These free options are funded by Soybean Growers Boards or Council or other entities.
    Read more
Find Your Rep