HYGIENE, MAINTENANCE AND AERATION: GET HARVEST READY
After you’ve toiled all season to ensure the health of your grain, the last thing you want is to load it straight into a grain silo where the risk of insect infestation and contamination is high. The first grain harvested of the season is often at a heightened risk of contamination, as a result of early insect infestation. This is a result of the grain residue that remains in empty stores and grain handling equipment.
It’s crucially important then that all grain residue is removed from handling equipment, augers and silos, to ensure a clean and pest-free start to the new-season.
Where should I be cleaning?
Pests can be found wherever grain residue lies. However, some of the most common places pests are found include empty grain silos and grain bins, aeration trenches, augers and other handling equipment, field and chaser bins, spilt grain around silos, stockfeed grain and seed grain.
When should I be cleaning?
The best time to clean your grain silos and grain handling equipment is before they become infested. As the old saying goes, prevention really is the best cure.
As insects become less mobile during the winter months, cleaning should take place around July/August, to pre-emptively reduce the insect numbers before they begin to breed and become more mobile.
How to clean grain silos?
After the sweep has done two laps, shovel and sweep the grain into the auger sumps while the auger is off. Empty the auger when out of the silo. If you’re concerned about any residual grain in the auger pipe, air can be blown down the auger.
Additionally, a washdown will remove grain and dust left in any crevices and harder-to-reach place. Cleaning and washing on a warm, dry day will help the grain silo dry quickly to avoid rust.
Optimums aeration trenches are easy to clean. One person can lift up all the aeration covers, however, it’s important to remember when you’re re-laying the aeration covers, the pattern is tab up, tab down, tab up, tab down.
Tips for maintaining grain silos and handling equipment:
Keeping your grain silos clean is crucially important, but there are many other things you can do while your silo is empty pre-harvest, to ensure the health of your grain in the months to come.
A quick inspection and some maintenance of the areas below will pay off greatly:
● Foam rubber: Check the foam rubber on the inside/outside doors, the roof vent, fan cover, auger covers and roof lid to ensure they are sealing properly and tightly.
● Electrical cord: Make sure the electrical cord is rolled up, and the sweep motor cover is shut completely.
● Hydraulic hoses: Hydraulic hoses must all be done up tightly, ensuring there are no leaks.
● Auger bearings: After taking the back cover off the auger, you can check the shaft is central, and apply a small amount of grease to the bearing if needed. While you’re there, you can also inspect hydraulic rotary joints and hoses. Check the hanger bearing on the sweep, and the auger transition to ensure both are true, and the height of the auger transition is correct. Lastly, make sure that the drive end looks true and tight.
Using chemicals and dryacide:
Chemicals should be used as a back-up plan to the good hygiene and aeration practices listed above. If you are going down this route, the dryacide should be applied to kill insects and prevent them from breeding in the silo following a thorough clean; ensuring all residual grain and dust is removed.
Diatomaceous earth is a non-toxic powder that kills stored grain insects via dehydration. It gets into every nook and cranny in the silo, and prevents grain sticking to paints and sealants. To apply, place the dryacide on the aeration trench covers, assure the roof vent and lid are open, and turn the aeration fans on for a short period of time. This will spread the powder through the silo.
Chemical options for insect protection when filling the silo include:
● Pirimiphos- methyl,
● Fenitrothion.
● Protector® Chlorpyrifox- methyl,
● Reldan Plus IGR® Chlorpyrifox- methyl and S-methoprene,
● K-Obiol® Deltamethrin + Piperonyl Butoxide,
● Conserve PlusTM Spinosad + S-Methoprene eg
If you would like to know more about grain silo hygiene, or the practices to protect your grain, get in touch with our team.