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Harvesting, Drying,
Handling, and Storing
Identity Preserved
Grains and Oilseeds
Bill Casady
Missouri Commercial Agriculture
Crop Production Engineer
Agricultural Engineering Extension
Seed Storage and Risk
Characteristics of Quality Seed
Factors that Affect Seed Quality
How to Maximize & Maintain Quality
Grain Quality and
Storage Characteristics of
Grains and Oil Seeds
High quality seed stores well
High quality seed has high value
Seed that stores well has less risk
Grain Quality and
the paradox of value and risk
High quality seed stores well
High quality seed has high value
Seed that stores well has less risk
High Quality Grain has less risk!
Specialty Crops and
Value and Risk
Specialty crops can have higher value
Specialty crops are held to a high standard
Higher standards increase risk
Specialty Crops and
Value and Risk
Specialty crops can have higher value
Specialty crops are held to a high standard
Higher standards increase risk
Specialty crops increase risk!
Specialty Crops and
Value and Risk
Specialty crops can have higher value
Specialty crops are held to a high standard
Higher standards increase risk
Specialty crops must have
very high quality!
Quality Grain
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Whole / undamaged seeds
Little or no foreign material
Little or no disease or insect activity
A healthy and safe grain mass is
dry, cool, and uniform.
Quality Grain
A healthy and safe grain mass is
dry, cool, and uniform.
Factors Affecting Grain Quality
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Crop Health
Harvest Preparation and Timeliness
Harvest Moisture Contents
Combine Settings
Seed Handling
Prompt Drying
Good Drying Practices
Regular and Frequent Inspection.
Crop Health

Development of high quality seed
depends on
–
–
–
–
adequate soil moisture
proper fertility
moderate temperatures
disease and insect-free fields.
Pre-Harvest Tips for
Specialty Grains

Clean and sanitize all
seed handling facilities
–
–
–
–
bins
augers
pits
bin site
Pre-Harvest Tips for
Specialty Grains

Perform combine maintenance
– Replace worn augers
– Eliminate sharp edges

Inspect grain handling equipment
– Replace worn augers
– Change pulleys – slow augers
– Adjust grain spreaders
Harvest Decisions
Harvesting Tips for
Specialty Grains

Minimize Breakage and Fines
– Use minimum rotor speeds
– Adjust rotor speed and clearance as
conditions change
– Adjust fan to get a clean sample
Harvesting Tips for
Specialty Soybeans

Harvest only weed-free areas
–Volunteer corn
–Weeds can cause green stains
–Nightshade causes purple stains
Harvesting Tips for
Specialty Soybeans
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Harvest at optimum moisture
content at midday
–Early morning – too wet
–Late afternoon – overdry
–Evening – poor separation
Harvesting Tips for
Specialty Soybeans
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Use a well-maintained flexible
floating small grain platform
–poorly adjusted or poorly
functioning platforms
Losses as high as 10-15%
 Increase soil intake – dirty sample
 Cause excessive shattering

Harvesting Tips for
Specialty Soybeans
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A loss of 10% can be significant
–
–
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Assume 40 bu soybeans
Assume market price is $6.00
40 x 10% x $6.00 = $24/ac
Harvesting Tips for
Specialty Soybeans
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Inspect knife sections
- replace as necessary
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Adjust reel speed
- 25% faster than ground speed
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Adjust reel position
- axis about 6” - 12 inches ahead of cutterbar
Harvesting Tips for
Specialty Soybeans
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Keep fields level
- drilled soybean is easier to harvest
- avoid wet fields
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Don’t hurry
- uneven or jagged stubble? …. reduce speed
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Set the combine by the book
- make adjustments throughout the day !
Drying Tips for
Specialty Grains
Dry in-field as long as possible
 Use low temperature drying to
maximize quality
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– < 110 F High oil, High oleic,
– < 125 F High amylose
– < 140 F High starch, Waxy, Non-GMO
Drying Tips for
Specialty Soybeans
Field Dry to 13 – 14%
 Prevent Moisture Migration
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– Aerate immediately to cool
– Aerate seasonally as needed to
35 – 40 F for winter storage
–Warm slightly in the spring
Management Tips for
Specialty Grains
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Preserve identity
– Develop an identity preservation
plan
– Update handling equipment for easy
and complete cleanout
– Schedule harvest of identity
preserved crops first
Management Tips for
Specialty Grains
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Minimize impact and mechanical
damage during handling
– Use large low-speed augers
– Keep augers at full capacity
– Replace worn augers
Management Tips for
Specialty Grains
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Maximize Airflow Potential
– Clean grain to reduce fines
– Level grain to uniform depth
Management Tips for
Specialty Grains
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Aerate Grain Periodically
– Approximately monthly
– Cool grain by 10 – 15 degrees F
during each aeration cycle
Soybean Moisture
Characteristics
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Soybean contains about 18% oil
– water can only be held in the other
82% of mass
– relatively hygroscopic
- relatively more susceptible to overdrying and re-wetting
Soybean Moisture
Characteristics
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Soybean moisture changes rapidly
in the field after maturity
– 60% - 50% in about 16 days
– 50% - 10% in about 10 days
– Daily ranges …… 16% - 9%
Moisture Content
Soybean Equilibrium
Moisture Content
17.00%
16.00%
15.00%
14.00%
13.00%
12.00%
11.00%
10.00%
9.00%
8.00%
Soybean
Corn
50%
60%
70%
Relative Humidity
80%
Drying Practices
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Dry grain and oilseeds immediately
–Storage life is reduced quickly
until grain is dried
–Remaining storage life is a
function of the percent of storage
life already used.
Allowable Storage Time for Corn
(days)
Grain Moisture, %
Temp 15 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
35 ---- 670 265 112 74 49 37 30 25
45 650 385 150 64 42 28 21 17 14
55 360 215 86 36 24 16 12 10 8
7
6
60 270 165 65 28 18 12 9
7
5
4
65 200 125 49 21 14 9
5
4
3
70 152 93 37 16 10 7
84 53 17
9
5
4
3
2
2
80
Allowable Storage Time for Corn
(days)
Grain Moisture, %
Temp 15 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
35 ---- 670 265 112 74 49 37 30 25
45 650 385 150 64 42 28 21 17 14
55 360 215 86 36 24 16 12 10 8
7
6
60 270 165 65 28 18 12 9
7
5
4
65 200 125 49 21 14 9
5
4
3
70 152 93 37 16 10 7
84 53 17
9
5
4
3
2
2
80
Allowable Storage Time
for Soybean (days)
Temp
40
45
50
55
60
70
80
14
16
18
20
22
230
140
75
40
12
175
95
40
19
9
134
65
23
12
7
100
40
15
9
4
76
27
11
7
3
41
14
6
3
2
25
8
2
1
0
Dry Grain Quickly

An Example
– Grain is harvested at 24% moisture content and
the initial temperature of the grain is 80 F.
Allowable Storage Time for Corn
(days)
Grain Moisture, %
Temp 15 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
35 ---- 670 265 112 74 49 37 30 25
45 650 385 150 64 42 28 21 17 14
55 360 215 86 36 24 16 12 10 8
7
6
60 270 165 65 28 18 12 9
7
5
4
65 200 125 49 21 14 9
5
4
3
70 152 93 37 16 10 7
84 53 17
9
5
4
3
2
2
80
Dry Grain Quickly
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An Example
– Grain is harvested at 24% moisture content and
the initial temperature of the grain is 80 F.
– Storage life of the grain is 4 days before the
grain is spoiled (Dry matter loss = 1%)
Dry Grain Quickly

An Example
– Grain is harvested at 24% moisture content and
the initial temperature of the grain is 80 F.
– Storage life of the grain is 4 days before the
grain is spoiled (Dry matter loss = 1%)
– The grain or any part of the grain that remains
at these initial conditions for 2 days has used up
50 % of it’s storage life. (3 days = 75%, etc.)
Dry Grain Quickly
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An Example
– 50 % of storage life remaining
– If the grain is dried to 16% and cooled to 55 F,
the total expected storage life is 215 days.
Allowable Storage Time for Corn
(days)
Grain Moisture, %
Temp 15 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
35 ---- 670 265 112 74 49 37 30 25
45 650 385 150 64 42 28 21 17 14
55 360 215 86 36 24 16 12 10 8
7
6
60 270 165 65 28 18 12 9
7
5
4
65 200 125 49 21 14 9
5
4
3
70 152 93 37 16 10 7
84 53 17
9
5
4
3
2
2
80
Dry Grain Quickly

An Example
– 50 % of storage life remaining
– If the grain is dried to 16% and cooled to 55 F,
the total expected storage life is 215 days.
– 50% of 215 days is about 107 days
Drying Practices
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Dry grain immediately
Maximize airflow
Dry shallow depths of grain
Use heat carefully
Do not over-dry grain
Aerate stored grain seasonally to minimize
moisture migration.
Inspect Grain Often
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Inspect grain weekly
– musty odors
– warming
– crusted grain at the surface
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Aerate immediately if a problem is detected
Continue aeration until the problem is
resolved.
Respect the Hazards of
Spoiled Grain
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Dust and Mold Spores
– damages delicate lung tissues
– favors growth of tuberculosis and bronchitis
– dust can ignite and explode
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Ventilate the work area
Wear a dust mask
Use the services of a professional fumigator
Respect the Hazards of
Spoiled Grain
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Watch for crusted grain
– know the history of the bin
– bridged grain is like a trap
– vertical masses of caked grain crush victims
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Break up grain with a long wooden pole
Work from the top of the bin
Avoid overhead power lines.
Respect the Hazards of
Spoiled Grain
Respect the Hazards of
Spoiled Grain
Respect for Flowing Grain
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An 8-inch auger can move 52 cubic feet/min
An average person is only 7 cubic feet
You’re covered in 8 seconds
Respect the Hazards of
Flowing Grain
Grain Management Summary
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Store only high quality grain
Clean and sanitize grain handling equipment
Harvest in a timely manner !< 28% MC
Optimize combine settings
Clean the grain - distribute evenly
Start drying quickly with lots of air
Use heat carefully and dry in shallow layers
Inspect and aerate as needed.
Resources
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AE – 4728
: Specialty Corn and Soybean Fact Sheets
: Department of Ag and consumer economics
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MU publications G1290, G1300, G1305,
G1310, Safety G1969, Ext Manual 165
MWPS – 13
MWPS – 29