Kris Kohl, Ph.D., P.E., Ag Engineering Specialist
The corn is planted and growing fast. Soon we will be thinking about harvest out of our bins. While the price for corn is not as high now as it was earlier in the year, it is time to clean out the bins.
We had a 45 percent increase in grain entrapment cases in 2022 over 2021 and all of them involved grain that was going out of condition and not flowing. There is a growing number of farmers that are trying to store 17 percent to 19 percent moisture corn that does not get the big docks when it is delivered in good condition to ethanol plants. We should have all corn below 15 percent when stored past April.
This wetter corn is a ticking time bomb that is ready to explode. If it gets above 60 degrees, the mold and bacteria can start to grow at rates where one bacterium can double every 20 minutes, which will be over 1 million in just 7 hours. The by-products of spoilage is heat and water, which will accelerate the whole process. Stored corn should be checked weekly during the summer by smelling it. A fresh grain smell is what is desired. A moldy smell is the beginning of spoilage, and a sour smell is the indication of a big problem. Be very careful to remove this kind of grain without becoming covered in grain in clumps and bridging. Get help from neighbors or professionals that deal with these situations so that we don’t end up with a lost life.
After the bins are empty, clean them out completely with a leaf blower, so that there are no places for the grain insects to lay their eggs. Grain insects will lay eggs in the grain that will hatch and spread into the new grain in the fall.
Check under the floors to make sure there is at least 8 inches of free air space in the plenum that is not restricting the airflow. In normal bins, this is cleaned about once in 10 years.
Any rust on the bins should be removed and painted with a zinc-based paint to prevent further damage.