Grain stores play an essential role in farms. Therefore, bins should be constructed from high quality materials and the right management strategies should be used to make sure that stored produce remains in good condition. It is essential to dry grains before storing them and monitor their moisture content when they are in storage. It is also possible to dry grains after storing them in bins.
At the beginning of planting season, most farmers concentrate on planting crops. However, they should not fail to monitor the produce they have stored. This applies especially to people who have stored corn that has moisture content of 16 percent or higher. Through grain bin monitoring, farmers can keep stored produce in the best condition.
One of the ways to monitor grains is to sample cereal in the bin to check for signs of spoilage and determine its moisture content. You should check for signs of spoilage at the surface of the bin and up to six feet deep using a grain probe. When ambient temperatures are about 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the relative humidity is less than 75 percent, you should run the fans continuously.
To store your farm produce through the summer season, do not warm it above sixty degrees Fahrenheit. You should also ensure that the headspace has adequate ventilation during the night to prevent condensation from taking place at the surface. Condensation can cause crusting or spoilage of grains. You should cool all the produce to keep it from condensing.
If temperatures are not controlled, stored farm produce can go bad. Kernel is a good insulator and it therefore cools unevenly when the outside temperatures drop. Air that is near the walls of a bin cools down and settles towards the bottom of the structure, creating convection currents in the process.
The air then rises up through the warm grain and picks up moisture in the form of water vapor. It continues moving towards the cooler grain close to the surface, where the moisture condenses and causes the grains to spoil. You can monitor cereal temperature effectively by aerating bins regularly or by turning grains.
If you have stored your farm produce with a moisture content that is higher than the grade requirements, it can give rise to an environment that is favorable to insect infestation and fungal growth. You can know the amount of moisture that stored grains have by taking samples from bins each month after storing the produce if you will not aerate or turn it. Take samples from several areas in the bin and place them in a plastic container before you test them.
As farmers think about drying or aerating their produce, they should also think about the physical characteristics if the grains. Some factors like grain class affect the static pressure and in turn, this affects the fan requirements for effective aeration. Typically, as static pressure rises, the time required to effectively aerate grains also changes. Farmers can seek advice from the suppliers who sold the aeration system to them to know the amount of time it takes to aerate or dry the produce they have stored.
At the beginning of planting season, most farmers concentrate on planting crops. However, they should not fail to monitor the produce they have stored. This applies especially to people who have stored corn that has moisture content of 16 percent or higher. Through grain bin monitoring, farmers can keep stored produce in the best condition.
One of the ways to monitor grains is to sample cereal in the bin to check for signs of spoilage and determine its moisture content. You should check for signs of spoilage at the surface of the bin and up to six feet deep using a grain probe. When ambient temperatures are about 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the relative humidity is less than 75 percent, you should run the fans continuously.
To store your farm produce through the summer season, do not warm it above sixty degrees Fahrenheit. You should also ensure that the headspace has adequate ventilation during the night to prevent condensation from taking place at the surface. Condensation can cause crusting or spoilage of grains. You should cool all the produce to keep it from condensing.
If temperatures are not controlled, stored farm produce can go bad. Kernel is a good insulator and it therefore cools unevenly when the outside temperatures drop. Air that is near the walls of a bin cools down and settles towards the bottom of the structure, creating convection currents in the process.
The air then rises up through the warm grain and picks up moisture in the form of water vapor. It continues moving towards the cooler grain close to the surface, where the moisture condenses and causes the grains to spoil. You can monitor cereal temperature effectively by aerating bins regularly or by turning grains.
If you have stored your farm produce with a moisture content that is higher than the grade requirements, it can give rise to an environment that is favorable to insect infestation and fungal growth. You can know the amount of moisture that stored grains have by taking samples from bins each month after storing the produce if you will not aerate or turn it. Take samples from several areas in the bin and place them in a plastic container before you test them.
As farmers think about drying or aerating their produce, they should also think about the physical characteristics if the grains. Some factors like grain class affect the static pressure and in turn, this affects the fan requirements for effective aeration. Typically, as static pressure rises, the time required to effectively aerate grains also changes. Farmers can seek advice from the suppliers who sold the aeration system to them to know the amount of time it takes to aerate or dry the produce they have stored.
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