Tips for preventing insect infestation during fall grain storage

[عبد الرحمن الجارحي]

Proper preparation and care before and after you store your grain can prevent insect infestations. Here’s how:

Decide which bin you will use for each crop
How you clean and prepare an empty bin depends on what type of crop you plan to store in it.
Avoid using chemical insecticides, for example, malathion, on bins in which you plan to store canola or flax. These oilseed crops absorb malathion and the residue remains in the seed.
When you plan to store cereal grains, there are several approved insecticides you can use to treat the interiors of empty grain bins.
Clean your bin thoroughly before harvest.
Insects in grain bins feed on debris, dockage and leftover cereal grain.
Clean the bin with high-pressure water or air, a heavy broom and/or a vacuum. Don’t forget to clean aeration systems.
When you add clean grain to the bin ensure the surface is level.
Aeration is more effective when the grain pile is level.
Grain is a very good insulator. If warm grain is stored and left undisturbed, convection currents can develop and cause hot spots and condensation.
Bring the temperature of the grain down to 18°C as soon as possible.
If you lower moisture content below 14.5 % and cool the grain below 18°C you can prevent stored-grain insect pest problems.
Most stored product pests do not feed or reproduce below 18ºC.
Grain bulks that are stored above 14.5 % moisture content can develop heated regions.
Heat encourages fungal growth. Fungi and heat attract insects to stored grain.
Monitor the temperature of stored grain and aerate the grain bulk.
Check the temperature of the bin every 2 weeks. Aerate stored grain as soon as possible after harvest particularly if aeration can reduce the bulk temperature below 18°C.
When the ambient temperature falls below that of the grain bulk (during the early evening, night and early morning), you can use aeration to reduce the temperature of the grain.
Aeration systems preserve stored grain and keep it dry by reducing the temperature of the grain and reducing moisture migration.
Always ensure that temperature fronts have moved fully through the grain bulk prior to stopping the aeration.
If you need to temporarily store grain temporarily, give consideration to:
If grain is stored on the ground, ensure the ground is hard and the site is convex.
Determine if there’s a need to manage grain temperature/moisture in temporary storage and how it will be accomplished.
If grain is stored on the ground, cover the grain as best possible.
If silo bags are used, regularly check and maintain the integrity of the bag.
Move temporarily stored grain into bins as soon as possible.