Quality can deteriorate within days of grain being put in a bin, but less than half of Prairie farmers are using aeration to protect their harvest
You’ve seeded, grown and harvested your crop. But the job is not over.
“Maintaining the grain quality is the final part of the process and what we want to do is maintain the best quality inside that bin, preserving your investment,” said Derek Johnson, sales manager with Ag Growth International (AGI) in Nobleford. “Because there’s more grain this fall, more farmers require storage since grain is not moving. Commodity prices have softened and on-farm grain storage has become more critical.”
A 2009 study by the Canola Council of Canada found only about 35 per cent of producers are using aeration to preserve their canola. That number hasn’t changed much and it’s a similar situation for grain storage, Johnson said at a recent grain storage seminar hosted by UFA.
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Not having aeration is risky, he said.
Grain harvested at 25 C with a moisture level of 18 to 19 per cent can begin to deteriorate in as little as six days, he said. Even when harvested at 20 C and 16 to 17 per cent moisture, producers only have 40 to 60 days of safe storage without aeration, he said.
“Aeration is very much a technical practice and it just requires some education and experience,” said Johnson. “Once a farmer has used an aeration system inside his bin, he realizes that it provides the flexibility so that he can properly store his grain until it can be dried or properly cooled down.”
The best time to aerate is right after grain is put in the bin. Most Prairie farmers turn on the fans once the bin is filled and run them up to a week to cool the grain. They may also turn their fans on in the spring to ensure bins are kept cool.
The key factors are airflow (measured in cubic feet per metre per bushel of grain) and static pressure (the resistance to airflow created in a bin full of grain).
“Resistance varies based on the commodity that we’re storing as well as the height and diameter of the bin,” said Johnson.
A smaller seed, such as canola, has a higher static pressure than larger ones, such as wheat or barley. As well, a five-ring bin will have lower static pressure than a 12-ring one. It’s key to have the right size of fan for the diameter and height of the bin, as well as the crop being stored. Aeration fans with varying levels of horsepower can be installed, based on bin diameter and height, as well as the type of commodity stored.
There are a number of different aeration systems, but all are designed to distribute airflow throughout the bin, said Johnson.
The cost is worth it, he said.
Johnson used an example of 5,000 bushels of canola at $10.47 per bushel that cost $23,300 to produce — leaving a profit of $29,050. An aeration system would run about $3,450 and it would cost $112 to run it for two weeks, he said.
He also recommends purchasing bin monitors in order to keep watch on temperature and moisture levels in a bin.
