This Farmnote is one of a series on the management of grain stored on farms. Grain stored on farms for seed or livestock feed is an important investment. Protecting the grain from insect attack can be regarded as an exercise in income protection. Even light infestations of weevils can drastically reduce the germination of grain. Weevils contaminate and eat food intended for your livestock.
Grain can lose a lot of weight through a heavy infestation.
Protecting the grain from moisture preserves the value of the grain. Cereals in store are a community of living organisms made up of the grain itself, insects, mites, bacteria and fungi. While the grain stays dry and cool, most of these living organisms remain in a suspended state or at a low level of activity. If the grain reaches moisture levels higher than the recommended 12 per cent these organisms become active. Bacteria invade the grain, fungal growth proliferates, insects and mites breed more rapidly and produce even more water, all of which ruin your investment.