But livestock farmers can capitalize on diversity by feeding drought-stressed grain to livestock and marketing higher quality grain. Corn stressed by drought will generally have lower test weights and will be docked when marketed, but it is still a good feed source and will often have a higher protein content than average corn. Focus on Quality Reduced quality is practically assured and should be the focus of harvest management for drought-stricken areas. Since healthy weeds seem to grow under a variety of weather, weeds may also become a factor, leaving higher amounts of green plant tissue in the sample. Air Flow Increased efforts to maximize sample quality and cleanliness will pay off both in drying and storage as well as marketing.
Foreign matter restricts airflow during drying and also later on during aeration.
Reduce trouble in the center of the bin by screening out fines and spreading grain evenly. Just like electricity, airflow seeks the path of least resistance. Grain at the top doesn't dry until the grain below it is dry. Store only high quality grain.