Safe Storage Moisture Corn and wheat are the grains most often stored in Colorado. Other Crops include grain sorghum, barley, oats, sunflowers, soybeans and rye. Maximum percent moisture levels for safe storage of these grains are shown in Table 1. For poor quality grain, the recommended maximum moisture levels should be 1 percent below that shown in the table. Poor quality includes grain produced in hailed fields or droughty conditions and grain containing a high percentage of broken and cracked kernels due to improper combine adjustment.
More grain is lost because of poor grain temperature management than for any other reason.
Poor temperature management can subsequently affect moisture, which in turn increases problems with Insects and molds. Initial temperatures for grain storage vary because of seasonal harvest periods. For example, wheat harvested in midsummer is stored at 80 to 90 degrees F while corn or sorghum harvested in late fall goes into storage with temperatures at 30 to 60 degrees. Moisture content for safe storage of aerated grain. Managing Dry Grain in Storage.