The average size of a new grain bin in Western Canada has grown dramatically in recent years. 1,650 bushel flat-bottom bins, while still needed in some cases, are turning into relics of the past. “Right now, the average bin going up is around 25,000 bushels,” says Lorne Grieger of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI),… Read more »
Category: Crop Storage
Medical 3D imaging technology adapted to monitor moisture in grain bins
A medical imaging technology developed at the University of Manitoba for breast cancer detection has been adapted for a new application: monitoring grain in storage. The GrainViz system uses a series of electromagnetic antennas mounted around the inside of a grain bin, which generate a real-time 3D image of the contents of the bin. “You… Read more »
Corn School: Could 2017 be another vomitoxin year?
A late-maturing crop, difficult environmental conditions, significant insect pressure and potential for late-season leaf disease…although too early to tell – this growing list of factors could lead to another year of high vomitoxin levels in the Ontario corn crop. In this episode of RealAgriculture Corn School, OMAFRA plant pathologist Albert Tenuta takes a look at the… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, Jan 25: Wheat Dormancy, Peaola, and Traveling N
Will bare fields and warm weather cause wheat to break dormancy? And if so, could we be looking at a wheat price rally for 2017? That’s where we start with Wheat Pete’s Word, and from there Peter Johnson takes us on a wild agronomy ride that covers strip-tilling dry beans into hay ground, what to… Read more »
BeGrainSafe Sees Official Launch at Manitoba AgDays
The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is officially launching BeGrainSafe, its new grain safety program. The official launch of the program will be at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon this week from January 17 to 19, 2017. “Ag Days has time and again shown commitment to farm safety. This launch gives CASA the opportunity to showcase the… Read more »
GSI Bin Sweep Adds Durability To Keep Grain Flowing
Looking to avoid downtime when uploading grain? Tired of shovelling grain away from the bin wall that the sweep can’t reach? These are two headaches GSI wants to remedy with its new grain bin direct gear drive (DGD) power sweep. The company showed off the DGD power sweep last month at the Farm Progress Show in… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word — Sept 29: Punky Corn Cobs, Yield Monitor Highs, & Orange Gas Warnings
Yes, we’re a day late with Wheat Pete’s Word, but it was so worth it because we broke a record for most questions in a week! Well, OK, that’s not quite true, but it was so close — so hats off to you, dear listeners and readers, we really do appreciate all the interactions and… Read more »
Beef School: Ep.1 — Supercharge Forage With Silage Inoculants
Do you inoculate your silage? If not, you could be losing out on added digestibility or leaving the bunk or silo open to added spoilage. In this very first episode of the Beef School, we meet with Dr. Tim McAllister, principal research scientist, ruminant nutrition & microbiology, with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, to learn more… Read more »
GSI Dryers Get Hi-Tech Retrofit
If you are looking to upgrade your farm’s drying capabilities for 2016 you can always buy the latest model dryer – or just go retro. Real Agriculture caught up with GSI’s Conditioning Applications Manager Gary Woodruff at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky to discuss what’s new in the company’s grain storage and… Read more »
Wheat School: Preventing and Managing an Insect Problem in the Bin
15 degrees Celsius or cooler. That’s where temperatures should be at in stored grain to prevent an insect infestation. “The key is if you can get your grain temperature down to plus-15 as quickly as possible, any bugs that are in there will not be feeding and will not be reproducing,” explains Blaine Timlick, stored products… Read more »
Under the Microscope: It’s Re-Test Time! Plus, Which Seed is Already in Short Supply
The hangover of 2014’s long, drawn out, wet harvest has already taken a toll on seed supplies of certain crop types for 2015, says Holly Gelech, Biovision Seed Lab’s business development manager. The full fallout, however, has likely not been realized. “Farmers did a great job this fall getting seed samples in early,” says Gelech,… Read more »
Corn School: Harvest & Storage Procedures for Low Test Weight, High Moisture Corn
31-33% moisture: that’s when corn reaches physiological maturity, or black layering, according to Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). But, harvesting corn above 28% can result in damage to the grain, difficult marketing and the burdens of attempting to dry in storage. This late in the season, stalk quality may make the… Read more »
Corn School: Conserving Corn Quality through the Moving-Drying-Storage Journey
Do you know what quality impact moving corn through your handling, drying and storage set up has? It can be significant, but if you’re not sampling (and sampling properly) at several points in the process, you can’t know for sure. What’s more, a good chunk of damage, either through too hot/too fast drying or moisture… Read more »
Wet Wheat? Tips for Maximizing Quality Through Drying
Wet weather during harvest has forced farmers across Western Canada and the Northern U.S. to take the crop off the field at moisture levels that are much higher than ideal for storage. While wheat is considered dry enough for long-term storage at around 13 percent moisture, in some cases, wheat has been harvested at moisture levels above… Read more »
Hot Demand for Grain Drying Equipment Causing Headaches
A Manitoba farm group is concerned harvested grain could spoil due to rules preventing producers from using new grain dryers until they have been inspected. Wet weather over the last few weeks has forced farmers across much of Western Canada to harvest their crops at moisture levels that are higher than ideal for storage. As a… Read more »