The late warming of the Prairies this year has reduced the likelihood of grain spoilage in bins. However, as temperatures rise, threats to stored grain will increase dramatically.
“Seeding may be delayed in many regions, but that only means farmers will have less time to worry about protecting stored grain from damage once they get moving,” said Blaine Timlick of the Canadian Grain Commission in Winnipeg.
“A lot of damage can occur between mid-May and mid July when you get back to the grain after spraying.”
Read Also
VIDEO: Green Lightning and Nytro Ag win sustainability innovation award
Nytro Ag Corp and Green Lightning recieved an innovation award at Ag in Motion 2025 for the Green Lightning Nitrogen Machine, which converts atmospheric nitrogen into a plant-usable form.
The entomologist said as the temperatures rise outdoors, bins begin to circulate air through convective currents.
The spring sun warms the steel on the outside of the bins, along with the grain against the walls. Air between that grain rises, carrying moisture, drawing cold air at the centre and bottom of the bin outward.
When it reaches the top of the bin, the air is drawn down through the core, condensing on the cold grain in the centre.
This moisture creates habitat for insects and fungi, which then cause cereal to spoil and canola to heat.
“In hopper bottom bins you can quickly have a situation where fungus grows to the point where you open the slide and nothing comes out,” said Timlick.
Alberta agronomist Matt Stanford said the rule of thumb for canola is to keep it below eight percent moisture and 15 C to prevent heating.
The Canola Council of Canada agronomist said the 2008 harvested crop is especially vulnerable to heating due to its higher than average oil content.
“As the oil content rises, the crop becomes more susceptible to spoilage.”
Timlick said oilseed crushers will discount the value of canola based on its heated content. The heated oil is darker than undamaged material, making it more difficult and expensive for crushers to clear when producing marketable oil.
“That cost is represented in the discounted price of the crop,” he said.
For producers who rely on saved seed for planting, there ia a risk to the marketability of the grain and the viability of the seed, say agrologists.
Grains and oilseed that tested well in the fall and winter for germination and vigour can quickly lose their edge if exposed to unstable moisture and temperature in the month before seeding.
Stanford said the larger the bin, the greater the risk of damage through heating and spoilage.
Timlick suggested that rotating 30 percent of the volume of the bin as a preventive measure can stabilize the moisture and temperature of the stored contents.
With 3,000 bushel bins containing between $10,000 and $30,000 worth of product, the risks to inventory are significant.
