FARMERS across the country are preparing for the potential for a wet harvest, which will mean a higher likelihood of high moisture grain being harvested.
While harvesting grain with moisture levels higher than allowable to deliver into the bulk handling system may allow farmers to get crop off ahead of potentially damaging rain bands storing this product is more difficult than housing lower moisture samples, with increased risk of grain degrading or even going mouldy.
Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) national grain storage extension project coordinator Chris Warrick said now was the time to think of silo and storage set-up to allow them to temporarily store grain at high moisture levels, primarily through the use of aeration cooling systems.
Mr Warrick said silo preparation to allow them to hold high moisture grain was a good option for farmers looking to manage what is likely to be a difficult harvest environment.
"Preparing silos so growers have the option to take grain off the above deliverable moisture content is a tool they can use to manage the difficult logistics of a wet harvest," Mr Warrick said.
He said the best case scenario would be to have dedicated grain drying equipment but he acknowledged this would not be the case for most growers.
"Another management option, and one that can be underutilised by the industry, is aeration cooling," he said. "Growers can use aeration cooling to hold grain, preventing it from going mouldy until it can be dried or blended with dry grain to sell."
Mr Warrick said the most important factor to consider when using aeration cooling to help store wet grain was to match the system with growers' expectations and plans for the grain.
He said different systems had different requirements.
"Drying with aeration requires really high airflow."
"Growers will need 15 litres of air per second per tonne or more to carry the moisture out of the grain.
"On the other hand aeration cooling only requires 2-4 litres of air per second per tonne and can be retro-fitted to cone bottom silos, sheds or bunker sites.
But while implementing the system was one thing, he said farmers also needed to be aware of the need of more constant monitoring than with in specification grain.
"If you are going to store grain with higher moisture, make sure you're monitoring it regularly," Mr Warrick said.
"Smell the air, check the temperatures, and ensure it is cooling down, not heating up."
"When using aeration cooling fans to hold higher moisture grain, growers will need to run fans continuously whenever ambient conditions are under 85 per cent relative humidity, regardless of temperature.
"Without constant air-flow, higher moisture grain is likely to heat, sweat and turn mouldy. "
Given the likelihood of busy harvest with frequent delays Mr Warrick said current enforced lay-offs now with saturated ground presented the ideal opportunity to tinker with silo set-ups to ensure they are right prior to receiving grain.
"I'd advise growers put actions in place to make this easier now - making sure they can monitor their systems easily and ensure the air running through the grain is meeting expectations."
He also said farmers would need to implement harvest priorities, ensuring the most important crops came off first.
For instance Mr Warrick said if growers were planning to retain seed from this harvest, they should be prioritising these crops to maintain the seed's quality.
"Give priority to seed to be used for cropping, get it in the silo and store it at a low moisture content and in cool temperatures," he said.
"This will ensure a high germination percentage and greater seedling vigour can be maintained through to sowing in 2023.
Mr Warrick said ideally seed should be stored in silos with aeration cooling, with an alternative being to harvest during the cooler parts of the day as grain will hold that cooler temperature during storage.