Check hay and straw for heating

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Reports of hay shed fires this week in southern Ontario are a stark reminder to continue to monitor hay and straw after it has gone in to storage.

This year’s wheat harvest is proving challenging due to wet conditions, and that was before the tail end of Hurricane Beryl dumped between 4 and 7 inches of rain this week on the province.

Many farmers are reporting that the straw is capital-T tough during combining of the wheat crop and that is translating to tough straw. Straw that is put up too wet or too high in moisture can heat even weeks after baling, so much so that it spontaneously combusts in storage.

Similar to what happened in the spring of 2023, bales that were thought to be dry went in to storage and quickly turned in to a fire hazard nightmare for many. Based on feedback from forage specialists, it’s thought that stalk moisture was the culprit last spring — hay that field-tested showed a false low of actual moisture because of how much was still in the stems.

Straw coming off the fields now is sure to be less dry than ideal. If added dry-down time isn’t possible, farmers will need to be extra vigilant with check moisture and temperature once it goes in to storage. For anyone who put up straw in the last week to 10 days, this is your reminder to go probe bales. Large squares are considered dry at 12 to 14 per cent moisture.

If bales test damp or are heating, be sure to call for assistance before moving any bales, as the introduction of oxygen can be what ignites the fire. More details on dealing with hay/straw fires in storage is on Field Crop News here.

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