With bigger bins and more of them, crop producers are faced with new grain storage issues as they store increasing amounts of grain for ethanol plants and other local processing, sometimes storing grain for a full year. A team of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field and campus specialists, formed as part of the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative, is working to meet the informational needs farmers have related to grain storage.

DON'T LET GOOD GRAIN GO BAD: Crop producers are faced with new grain storage issues as they store increasing amounts of grain for local processing, sometimes storing grain for a full year.

The ISU Extension team recently released three Web-based training modules covering key aspects of grain drying and storage. Greg Brenneman and Shawn Shouse, agricultural engineering specialists with ISU Extension, are the online course instructors. The modules, each one is 20-minutes long, cover these topics:
•Aeration of stored grain
•Energy efficiency and drying capacity gains from dryeration
•Fan performance and sizing

They can be viewed or downloaded at the ISU Extension website.

"Higher grain yields and increased local demand have been good for farmers, but also have created a situation where we need to think more about maintaining grain quality on a much larger scale," says Greg Brenneman, ISU Extension ag engineering specialist and grain storage team member. "Our team is creating Web training modules so farmers can better understand large-scale grain drying and storage, and we're connecting them with decision-making tools so they can best manage their grain."

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Future modules are planned to cover inventory management and shrink, toxins and food safety factors, and preseason preparations for grain storage. Educational modules, publications and decision tools are available on the team's website.

Ag Decision Maker farm storage cost analysis tools:
The grain storage team recently updated two Ag Decision Maker grain drying and storage economics tools, the "Estimated Costs of Crop Production in Iowa – 2014" decision tool, a comparison of drying systems calculator, and the "Grain Storage Alternatives: An Economic Comparison" spreadsheet. These spreadsheets and the "Monthly Cost for Storing Grain" publication are available on the grain storage team website as well as ISU's Ag Decision Maker website.

Check stored grain in bins now to catch any problems that might be developing
Corn came out of fields wetter than usual last fall in Iowa, and in some cases it wasn't dried down to levels safe enough for storage into spring or summer. This winter Wallaces Farmer magazine has heard several reports of corn already beginning to spoil in the bin. Elevator managers say farmers are delivering more loads with higher-than-usual grain moisture content.

"Check your stored grain once every two weeks during winter"
By checking stored corn and soybeans regularly, emerging problems can be caught before spoilage. If you see or smell trouble, take action immediately. Aerate, move or feed the grain. "Assume your grain is 2% wetter than you think it is," says Hurburgh, "because this year it probably is." Also, keep in mind the likelihood of fungi and mold growth in grain will increase as grain moisture, temperature and storage time increase.

While technologies will check the condition of grain at the touch of a button, farmers should still check the grain themselves. Turn on fans and smell the first air coming out to detect any musty odors, indicating molds are developing. This is usually a two-person operation; you must smell the first air exiting the grain.

Check grain surface for crusting, wet areas, mold and insects. Check grain temperature and moisture content. "In bin" electronic sensors can be used to monitor these properties continuously. If you detect possible problems or smell musty odors, probe the grain mass to check for "hot spots." For more information, visit the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative website.