ASK THE AGRONOMIST BLOG

For growers looking for the right time and price to sell corn this year, bin storage might be their best option to keep the grain safe and in good condition. But certain measures must be taken before, during and after unloading at the bin. Our experts shed light on a few timely steps to take before storing grain this fall.  

Step 1: Start clean. Earlier this fall, we reviewed tips to prep your grain bins for harvest. Our first recommendation was to clean your grain bins, augers and other grain-handling equipment to ensure they are free from old seed, traces of insects and mold. If you haven’t done so, be sure to safely remove old grain from bins or equipment. In bins, consider using a vacuum system, broom or even washing out the inside of the bin. We also recommended fumigating grain bins or applying an insecticide after cleaning to prevent pests or pathogens from infecting new grain. During this time, it’s also an important practice to check bins and equipment for any signs of wear and tear or cracks, gaps or leaks. Once all bins and equipment are clean and properly inspected, and any fumigation or insecticide treatments have been given the proper amount of time (based on label instructions) to settle, you’re ready to move on to the next steps.

Step 2: Consider the desired shelf life of the stored grain. It’s important to consider how long you intend to store the grain to understand the best management practices for keeping it safe in the bin. Growers need to take into account moisture levels of corn going into the bin and temperatures in the bin to determine what is called allowable storage time, or AST. View this chart provided by the South Dakota State University Extension that features allowable storage time for grains based on grain temperature and moisture content.

Step 3: Avoid storing wet corn when possible. Proper drying is critical for quality grain storage. Storing high-moisture corn can exacerbate or increase the incidence of molds and greatly affect grain quality. Consider a grain dryer to help get the seed to around a 16% moisture level or less for extended storage. If you must store wet corn, understand that it will have a much shorter shelf life in the bin as it is more prone to spoilage.

Step 4: Check the seed quality before unloading. Aside from moisture level, growers need to consider how other seed quality issues might impact their stored grain.

“It’s best practice to allow only your best quality seed in your bins,” says Tom Larson, Stine corn technical agronomist. “Lesser quality grain, such as smaller, immature kernels, will not have as long a shelf life in the bin. You also want to avoid storing grain that’s been visibly impacted by other environmental stressors such as drought, insect and disease pressure.”

Step 5: Keep it dry and cool in the bin. Maintaining the quality of your seed during storage is key to getting the best bang for your buck at the elevator. Experts at the South Dakota State University Extension say grain temperature is key to long-term storage. Their advice — keep it cool.

“Use fans to cool grain down to 20-30°F to store over winter. As long as grain is not stored at temps lower than 20°F, there is rarely need to run fans to ‘warm’ grain in the spring," says South Dakota State University Extension experts. 

Aeration in the bin is critical to achieving proper temperature levels and moisture content throughout storage. Ensure all aeration fans are in working order. Grain spreaders can also be used to help evenly distribute and help aerate corn in bins, as well as regular “coring” to ensure the grain in the center gets moving and doesn’t spoil during storage.

Step 6: Regularly check bins. It’s easy to let time get away from you in the winter months but frequently checking the quality of your grain in the bin should be a regular item on your checklist.

“The last thing you want to see in stored grain is crusting on the top,” says Larson. “This means you’re having moisture issues in the bin, which can greatly impact seed quality and yield when you’re ready to take it to the elevator. Frequent checking to ensure proper aeration and temperature levels remain consistent is a must when storing grain. It should never go overlooked.”

Step 7: Keep safety top of mind. This step is perhaps the most critical of all. There were no fewer than 29 grain storage and handling-related entrapments in 2021, and no fewer than 56 fatal and non-fatal cases involving agricultural confined spaces, according to a 2021 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities report. Grain entrapment and engulfment are serious matters and happen too frequently. Check out our tips for staying safe in and around grain bins.

For more information on grain bin storage and safety, consult your local Stine sales representative or agronomist.

Last week, we covered harvest updates from Stine Regions 9, 14, 20, 24 and 36. These regions span from our southern territories, including Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, all the way up to Wisconsin and North Dakota. This week’s edition covers Regions 4, 13, 15 and 17, which largely encompass parts of the Midwest and an area of the East Coast. But first, let’s look at the national crop progress report.

National update
According to the Oct. 11, 2022, crop progress report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, 31% of the nation’s corn crop is harvested. Corn conditions are listed as 11% excellent, 43% good; 26% fair; 12% poor and 8% very poor. Soybean harvest is 44% completed, with 10% of soybeans listed in excellent condition, 47% good, 28% fair, 10% poor and 5% very poor.

As promised, here are the harvest updates from our regional sales agronomists in Regions 4, 13, 15 and 17.

Dustin Ellis, regional sales agronomist, Region 4 (central Iowa)
“Harvest in my area has been going really well this year. We are 60% done with soybeans and just getting a start on corn. Yields have been very good, considering the dry conditions all year in most of my area. The 10-day forecast looks favorable, so farmers should be able to keep rolling.”

Kevin Krabel, Region 13 (central Illinois)
“Growers are taking advantage of great weather in Region 13! The only thing slowing them down is some soybeans and corn that are not quite ready yet. Bean yields have been great thus far in the late group 2 and early-mid group 3 varieties.  Stine 28EC32, 31EB02, 33EE12 and 34EA12 have been impressive. Not a ton of corn has been shelled yet, but yields have been better than anyone expected, considering how dry we were in June.”

Paige Harris, Region 15 (northern Wisconsin, Michigan and New York)
“Region 15 has had perfect harvest weather so far. More than 75% of the soybeans look to be done in the region. Corn harvest has just kicked, but the later planted fields seem to be a little green yet. Yields appear to be all over the map with different planting dates and some places getting adequate rain and some not this summer. We look forward to the second half of this harvest season and wish all the best!”

Brad Roberts, Region 17 (southern Indiana)
“Harvest has finally gotten a good start across all the southern half of Indiana. Many growers report soybean yields ranging from the upper 50’s to over 80 bushels per acre. Stine 31EB02, 36EB32 and 39EC22 are some of the top yielders across the region. Corn has gotten off to a slower start because of the later planting in much of the region. Yields are still better than average for most growers. Stine 9746-20, 9808E-20 and 9752-32 are some of the top performers for our customers who have harvested corn so far.”

For information on harvest results in your region or to discuss next year’s product lineup, reach out to your local Stine sales rep or regional sales agronomist.

It’s time for our annual harvest roundup report. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service notes that the 18 states that harvested 93% of the 2021 corn acreage are reporting that 20% of corn is harvested. The 18 states that harvested 96% of the 2021 soybean acreage are reporting that 22% of the soybean harvest is complete. Here are local updates from our regional sales agronomists across the country.

Aaron Stockton, Region 9 (Oklahoma, northern Texas, southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri)
“Most of Region 9 has been caught in the grips of drought for the majority of the growing season. However, there are some areas in the northern portions of the region, closer to Kansas City, that have had some decent corn yields. Stine^® 9817-30, 9816-20 and 9752-32 have been very competitive in these areas. We are also seeing the new 9818-32 do very well in the few plots we had it in.  We’re excited to see what this new hybrid will do for our customers moving forward. We had a tremendous amount of corn get chopped for silage this year due to the dry weather and are now seeing a few soybean fields being baled for hay. I would say we are in the short rows of corn harvest, and bean harvest is just barely getting started.”

Kevin Ryan, Region 14 (Arkansas and Louisiana)
“Corn and rice harvest is nearly complete at 95% harvested. We’re getting a good jump now on soybeans with cotton to follow. Some areas farther south are almost done with harvest.

“Corn yields may be down 10% to 20% in many areas due to heat and moisture stress. Also, different hybrids are showing some significant differences this year, including 9808E-20, 9808E-G and 9814-20, and some new hybrids look very good. Key this year was correct placement by soil type and irrigation. Make sure you talk to your Stine (independent sales representative (ISR) or agronomist on placement for 2023. 

“Stine has an outstanding lineup of Enlist^® E3^® soybeans for the Mid-South and South, ranging from a 4.0 to 5.8 maturity. Yields have been outstanding from early to full season so far. Many growers experienced dicamba drift on their soybeans multiple times. Although dicamba drift symptoms were evident across the South and are a serious concern, our Enlist yields are very, very good. In most cases, they are out-yielding competitive trait packages in all maturities. Explore the yield advantages of Stine Enlist E3 soybeans — they’re there!”

Darin Petty, Region 20 (southwest Iowa, northwest Missouri, northeast Kansas)
“Corn silage and high moisture corn are wrapped up for the most part. Corn yields are all over the board depending on rainfall this year. Beans are starting to come out now and doing OK for the areas that were in drought most of the growing season. We’ll hopefully get better updates soon.”

Derek Dreier, Region 24 (Wisconsin)
“Soybean harvest kicked off in parts of Wisconsin. Early yield results have been excellent! Stine 15EE32, 17EE32 and 19EC12 are three Enlist E3 varieties that have stuck out so far. Corn silage harvest is wrapping up for 2022. We’ve worked on gathering samples for analysis, and a number of hybrids have tested very well. A few of these would include 9436-11, 9752-32, 9814-20 and our new 92-day 9320-20. All of these have shown both high quality and tonnage scores.”

Michelle Nelson, Region 36 (North Dakota)
“Combining is in full swing in North Dakota! Out west, they were able to start soybeans last week. The eastern part of the state is just getting going. Despite the late planting season, everything is looking better than expected so far. Corn harvest will follow in the upcoming weeks.”

For information on harvest results in your region or to discuss next year’s product lineup, reach out to your local Stine sales rep or regional sales agronomist.