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The NDSU Extension weekly podcast In the Pod: Soybean Updates delivers timely insights and expert advice on soybean production.
You're listening to In The Pod, soybean updates, a weekly trek into the latest soybean information from NDSU Extension. No news flash that China isn't buying soybeans from The US. We're basically stuck with them. On top of this, we had good wheat and corn harvests. Farmers will need to store a lot of crop. Ken Hellevang, NDSU Extension ag engineer, has critical information about alternative storage. Ken, why is moisture so important when storing crops?
Ken Hellevang:Well, when we're talking about storing grain, we need to be thinking about how long we're gonna store it, what temperatures we're gonna be storing that grain at, and that's gonna dictate what is the permissible moisture content that we'll be storing the grain. So even though soybeans, for example, might have a market moisture of 13, That's fine if we're talking very short term storage. Anything that's gonna go into the warmer temperatures of spring or even summer really needs to be down at 11 to 12% moisture. Same thing is true with corn. For looking at market moisture, 15 and a half, although a lot of places are now looking at 14. The reason for that is a lot of that corn ends up going into warmer environments. And if we're looking at storing corn into spring and summer, that too needs to be down at that 13 to 14% moisture range. We get any warmer than that, and we're looking at very short allowable storage times, mold growth, those kinds of issues.
Bruce Sundeen:What kind of buildings can crops be stored in?
Ken Hellevang:I don't think that many buildings that are storing machinery and and farm shops aren't gonna end up holding grain. But if we do have a pole building that we're gonna put grain in, it's critical that we make sure that that is designed and constructed to handle the pressures that the grain is gonna provide. It needs to keep the moisture out, and we need to have an aeration system so that we can control the grain temperature.
Bruce Sundeen:What are the pros and cons of using bags?
Ken Hellevang:Ag bags are becoming very common as an alternative storage. They work well. It does require machinery to fill the bag, but there are some key points to making sure that the grain is dry going into the bag. The bag does not prevent mold growth. It does not prevent insects. So we're doing that with the moisture content of the grain going in. We can't aerate that grain. It needs to be cool going into the bag. We wanna run the bags north south so we get even morning sun and afternoon sun. If we run the bags east west, the winter sun warms the south side, the cool north side becomes a condensation point, and we'll potentially see spoiled grain along the north side. We need to think of how we're gonna unload those bags. Some guys have tried pneumatic conveyors, grain vacs, for example, That can suck the bag around you. So be careful that we don't trap ourselves in that bag.
Bruce Sundeen:Ken, what about piling the crop?
Ken Hellevang:With a grain pile, we need to be on an elevated area. We need to think of the water draining away. Just a small pile with one inch rain, we have thousands of gallons of water coming off. So we need to think of not only under the pile, but getting the water away from the pile. Normally, we're talking about an aeration system so we can control the temperature. Most of the systems will be in a suction system that helps hold the cover on the pile and will cool the grain down. But to accomplish that, we need ductwork on the ground in suction, and then we need to run tubes under the cover over the top of the pile as a way to get air in. It's critical that we put a cover on those piles. Uncovered piles will have spoilage in the top couple feet at least. That becomes a huge financial loss. So if we're piling grain, anything more than a couple weeks needs to have a cover on it. That is going to give us the opportunity to manage that pile, keep it dry, and increase our success in storing the grain.
Bruce Sundeen:Thanks, Ken. Our guest has been Ken Hellevang, NDSU Extension ag engineer. You're listening to In The Pod, Soybean Updates, a weekly trek into the latest soybean information from NDSU Extension supported by the North Dakota Soybean Council.