Get ready for harvest with these storage tips

With all the time, effort and resources you’ve invested in this year’s crop, it’s important to take a look at your grain storage before harvest to ensure it is ready to keep your crop safe. Here are five tips to consider before storing grain in your bins.  

Inspect and clean up your site: Starting your storage season with a clean and well-maintained site is important. Be sure to remove any debris, cut back grass and weeds and give yourself a clear path to and from your grain bins. This is also a great time to take a walk around your bins and check for any damage like holes, cracks or missing bolts. Ensure that your grain bins are sealed and sound to reduce the chance for moisture or rodent exposure inside your bins. Lastly, take a look inside your grain bin to be sure that you’ve removed any remaining crop from last season so that you don’t contaminate this year’s harvest. 

Maintain your bin accessories: The best time to ensure the accessories, like your u-trough unload, are working is before your bin is full of grain. Test the bin unload, check the motor and the wires that run the motor and check any belts or pulleys to make sure there are no cracks or cuts. Ensure the slide gates on your unload and your hopper bottom bins open and close freely and are in proper working condition. Make sure the remote cap is opening and closing properly and that roof vents are free and clear of any obstructions to allow for proper air flow when conditioning your grain and to aid in maintaining your grain quality. 

Setup your aeration systems: Aeration equipment allows you to condition and, in some cases, dry your grain once it is in storage. Be sure to check that your fans are in good working condition prior to harvest by clearing any debris within the fan housing. Like our bin accessories, you’ll want to check the wiring to your aeration equipment, including both fans and heaters, and repair any damage that may have happened since last harvest. Lastly, if you are running a fan and heater together, ensure that they match the aeration equipment inside of your bins and your bin size. If you have any questions about your fan/heater combo, an AGI dealer can help.  

Check your bin fill equipment: Being able to get your crop off the field is one thing, being able to get your harvest into your bin is another. Be sure to check your augers, conveyors, bucket elevators, portable grain pumps and any other fill equipment you use before you start harvest. Having your fill equipment fail can quickly become the bottle neck of your operation. Ensuring that this equipment is in good condition prior to harvest will help save you time and money.

Check your bin monitoring system: Bin monitoring offers you peace of mind. Having wireless access to your bin monitoring increases the ease in which you can view, control and maintain your stored grain quality. If you have a monitoring system installed in your bins, be sure to check they are functioning properly, prior to filling your bins with grain. If you have bins that are not monitored, you may consider installing a monitoring system prior to harvest. AGI BinManager® allows you to monitor your operations from pre-harvest setup until you are ready to sell your grain.