Grain harvest and conditioning prior to storage is as much of an art as it is a science.  Those of us who have been farming long enough have been exposed to the acronym S.L.A.M: Sanitation, Loading, Aeration & Monitoring.  While all these points are important, the length of storage any grain will endure depends on our practices during harvest, cleaning and binning.

Every year in the Midwest, there will be some corn fields that abruptly turn from green to yellow to brown.  Oftentimes, corn fields that turn abruptly may develop poor stalk quality as the fall progresses.  The degree of decline in stalk quality usually depends on ear size, and the timeframe between this abrupt color change and normal black layer.  Stalk quality may not be the only thing that suffers in these fields, as decreased test weight can also occur. While we have been conducting yield estimates in some areas, these estimates assume 56 lb./bushel test weight.  Test weight is an indicator of yield and grain quality. However, storing grain with low test weights can be more costly and difficult. Light test weight corn is more susceptible to damage during harvest and more prone to stress fracturing during drying.  Stress fractured grain and damaged kernels are known to create storage problems.  Extra care should be exercised during harvest to adjust combines to limit kernel damage while shelling and to remove damaged grain.   When drying grain, take care to properly slow cool (temper) the grain to prevent cracks and brittleness.  The following table illustrates the effect of various drying methods on stress crack formation (Table 1).

While binning corn, clean the grain to remove as many of the remaining fines as possible. While soybeans rarely need drying beyond applying air, employing the same cleaning practices stated above does help with keeping grain in good condition for long periods of storage. 

The ideal final moisture that grain should be dried to depends on the length of time it is expected to be stored.  In general, the longer the storage time, the lower the percent grain moisture. For instance, Iowa State University suggests drying corn to 15% moisture and soybeans to 13% moisture if stored until spring and 2% less moisture content for both, if stored into the summer months. Grain should be cooled to 30-40 degrees to be stored through the winter.  It is also suggested that the center of the bin be cored to remove fines accumulated and that the grain be leveled by half the peak height.  These practices collectively will improve quality as it relates to fines and improve the ability to aerate the bin.    

For more information on grain handling and storage contact your local FS Crop Specialist.