“Before storing canola, it’s absolutely essential that the bins are clean and malathion-free,” says Ian Epp, agronomy specialist and market access lead at the Canola Council of Canada. “Any bin that has been treated with malathion at any point this growing season should not be used to store canola this year.”

Malathion residue can linger in bins for months after treatment and can be transferred from the bin to canola seed, putting marketability at risk. Canola found with malathion residues is unacceptable for export customers and can damage Canada’s reputation as a trusted supplier of high-quality canola.

Moisture and temperature are the two biggest factors in grain spoilage. Making sure grain that goes into the bin has been dried to an optimum moisture level as well as checking bins frequently to monitor temperature and identify any issues early will reduce the chances of spoilage.

“When it comes time to store cereals, one of the best things a grower can do for their grain is to ensure that it’s dry and kept cool — well below 10 C,” says Krista Zuzak, director of crop protection and production for Cereals Canada.

Watch for OTA development

Ochratoxin A (OTA), is a potent, naturally occurring mycotoxin that can form on stored cereal grains in high moisture conditions. OTA is produced by a naturally occurring soil fungus; however, unlike deoxynivalenol (also known as DON or vomitoxin), which is formed by fusarium infections in the field, OTA forms exclusively in storage.

“OTA can be a risk to market access as countries can have different maximum allowable limits of OTA in grain,” says Zuzak. “Make sure to monitor this regularly throughout the storage season and to remove a minimum of one-third of bins if there’s a detectable temperature rise. Not doing so risks the development of OTA.”

Preventing even the smallest pockets of OTA-contaminated cereals during storage is the only way to protect the health of consumers and avoid product recalls. By taking steps to prevent the formation of OTA in stored grain, farmers can protect their investments and help keep markets open for all.

Moisture can also affect the development of OTA as droplets of water condensing on grain allows the fungus to grow. Cooling grain as quickly as possible and keeping it cool can help reduce the production of condensation in storage.

No matter the crop that’s in the bin, Keep it Clean recommends checking bins frequently and following these best management practices for safe storage:

• Keep bins and grain handling equipment clean.
• Thoroughly clean dust and debris between grain lots.
• Ensure crops are harvested or dried to a safe level for storage.
• Do not blend tough/damp grain with dry grain on farm — it’s too risky.
• Cool the grain quickly to well below 10 C to achieve uniform, cold temperatures throughout the bulk, ideally well below zero.
• Monitor bins regularly. Move at least one-third of the grain out of the bin with any detectable temperature rise.
• Condition grain as soon as possible in the spring, when ambient temperatures allow for drying.

By keeping an eye on your bins and taking these steps to maintain the quality of your stored canola and cereals grains, you can protect the stored crops’ marketability and your investment.

“Keep it Clean’s goal is to make risk mitigation easy for farmers,” says Zuzak. “Not only does following its guides help protect farmers’ investments, but it helps keep markets open for all Canadian growers and maintains our reputation of being a world-class supplier of grain to countries around the world.”

The post Take these steps to protect the quality of your stored cereal grains and canola appeared first on Grainews.

Charley Sprenger, a research project lead at Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) in Portage la Prairie, Man., offered some tips on how to prevent canola spoilage during Canola Week 2021 last December.

The best conditions for long-term storage of canola are eight per cent moisture and temperatures less than 15 C, Sprenger said. Dry and cool canola can be stored safely longer, so “it’s really key that both temperature and moisture be monitored and controlled to prevent spoilage, and the larger the volume of stored grain, the higher the risk.”

One of the ways to control moisture levels inside the bin is through natural air drying with aeration fans, which Sprenger said works well as long as there is sufficient airflow and the ambient air has the capacity to dry. Warmer air is generally better at drying grain, and airflow is important because this is what moves moisture out of the grain mass.

“The temperature is really what removes the moisture from the canola and the airflow rate is what removes the moisture from the bin, so we want to make sure these are balanced,” said Sprenger.

Adding supplemental heat to a natural air drying system can be an efficient and effective way to dry stored grain, if done correctly. “Sometimes the ambient conditions just aren’t favourable for natural air drying, but we can add heat to an in-bin system to improve this capacity to dry.”

Farmers can find helpful information from PAMI on grain drying and storage at https://pami.ca/publications/, including the following seven tips for using supplemental heat with natural air drying.

Use a proper heater

Only use a heater that is certified by the Canadian Safety Association designed for use with grain storage fans. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installation and operation. 

Ensure adequate airflow

When using supplemental heat with natural air drying to dry grain, the airflow rate must be at least 0.75 cubic feet per minute per bushel or there is a risk of overheating the grain. Low airflow rates also won’t be as effective at removing moisture from the bin. PAMI has some guidelines for measuring airflow rates at https://pami.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Airflow-Resistance-Charts-for-Grain-Storage-Management.pdf.

Don’t overheat grain

Do not exceed an inlet (after heater) temperature of 30 C during drying as this increases the risk of grain overheating. Airflow rates of 0.75 to one cubic feet per minute per bushel can keep up with moderate drying rates, but not with high drying rates associated with high temperatures above 30 C. 

Limit air temperature increases to 15 C or less

Higher temperatures inside the bins will reduce heat transfer efficiency within the pile and can cause the grain to overheat. They also increase the chances of the canola freezing and sticking to the inside walls of the bin.

Maintain consistent air temperature

When possible, try to maintain a consistent air temperature inside the bin during drying. Thermostatic controllers will help with this and can also minimize day-to-night variations in temperature inside the bin. 

Be cautious when it’s cold

If you’re using higher temperature settings of supplemental heat when it’s very cold outside, this can lead to condensation and grain to freeze along the inside walls of the bin. This can be avoided by limiting temperatures and reducing the drying rate of natural air drying and supplemental heat when it’s frigid outdoors.

Monitor grain condition

Monitor grain condition during drying by using in-bin cables and/or taking samples. This reduces the risk of overheating and will indicate when the canola is dry.

The post How to condition canola with natural air drying and supplemental heat appeared first on Grainews.