The recommended maximum moisture content for one year of safe storage of soybeans in Georgia is 11 percent in north Georgia and 10 percent below the fall line. Note that this is the maximum moisture content to be found anywhere in the storage bin and is not the average for all the beans in the bin. The two principal factors involved in the safe storage of soybeans are moisture content and temperature. The amount of moisture in soybeans determines whether or not mold damage will occur. The higher the moisture and the temperature, the faster the mold growth and the more rapid the spoilage of soybeans.
Insect damage is also less in dry, stored soybeans.
Low temperatures offset the effects of high moisture, particularly as it affects the development of molds and insects. Cooling is one of the greatest benefits gained from moving and turning soybeans in elevators. This can be accomplished more effectively by aeration which cools soybeans so that damp soybeans can be held in storage for weeks or even months. In all practical soybean drying systems, air is used as a medium for removing moisture as it is evaporated. Evaporation of the moisture requires heat energy that is normally supplied by the air forced through the soybeans.