Did you sell any $4 corn? Maybe not as much as you would have liked to, so now it's time to think about successfully preparing it for storage. This is a reminder that stored grain insect pests and many storage molds are active as long as the grain temperature is above 50º (F), and that insect and mold activity increases as temperatures increase. Too often, we get calls for assistance when grain is being moved from the farm to the elevator or terminal and a spoilage or insect problem is then found. There are few options for problems discovered when it's time to move the grain. Unfortunately, the best time to deal with stored grain pests and storage molds is before they infest the grain.

Advance preparation is always better than trying to correct a problem after it develops.  If action is taken now, we still have time to correct some of the stored grain problems and to prepare bins and other storage for the new crop harvest.

Strategies for managing stored grain include some very basic, common sense practices:

Sanitation

• NEVER put new grain on top of old.
• Prior to harvest and putting grain into storage, thoroughly clean inside the bin and consider an empty bin insecticide treatment.
• Clean up spilled grain around bins, mow weeds, and apply an insecticide perimeter treatment.
• Clean out augers and other grain-handling equipment.

Harvest

• Eliminate crop debris during harvest or clean the grain as it goes into the bin.
• Avoid binning moldy or chaffy grain.
• Set the combine for minimal damage to grain.

Protection

• Spray approved insecticides inside the empty bin, including under the drying floor.
• Spray around the outside of bins to prevent infestation from these areas.
• Apply protectant insecticide to grain that will be stored more than a few months.
• Consider, at least, treatment of the first and last few loads to create top and bottom barriers.
• Use "No Pest" strips in bin head spaces to prevent insect entry at the top of the grain.

Remediation

• Check grain often for signs of insect or mold activity. Use a grain probe and check the surface. Draw grain off the bottom for examination. Place traps to help monitor for insect activity.
• If licensed to do so, fumigate as infestations develop. Remove moldy grain before the problem gets out of control.
• Reapply topside insecticide barriers any time this layer is disturbed.
• Market infested grain early, as contracts allow, before serious damage develops.

Contact your FS Member Company .