By SUSAN BLOWER
Indiana Correspondent 

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Wide market swings in recent years have made the decision of when to sell grain crucial, leading more farmers to store grain on their own farms.

Dirk Maier, grain storage specialist with Kansas State University, said that the stakes are high for farmers who are storing large quantities of grain on their farms as never before.

"Bins are larger. Five-hundred thousand bushels of soybeans at $5 per bushel is $5 million," Maier said.

He emphasized the need to manage grain storage with care.

Maier, a former professor with Purdue University, said that Purdue and Kansas State offer the same best-management practices to maximize on-farm grain quality.

Known as S.L.A.M., the management practices can be summarized as sanitation, loading, aeration, and monitoring. (www.ces.purdue.edu)

•Remove vegetation and maintain weed-free facility

•Clean handling equipment after harvest

•Remove all grain spills

•Clean storage structures after emptying

•Clean grain before binning

•Seal unloading auger, auger tube opening, and side door openings before harvest

•Establish a written sanitation schedule

•Disinfect storage bins inside and out before refilling

•Expand the use of combination and slow-drying methods

•Minimize grain transfer operations by optimizing handling and storage systems

•Operate augers and elevators at capacity and slowest possible speeds

•Only store grain in aerated structures (bins, silos, tanks, flats)

•Use a spreader to fill the bin

•Core the fines from the center of the grain

•Level peaked grain soon after harvest

•Record grain moistures going into storage

•Screen for mycotoxins

•Cool dried grain uniformly to 30-35 degrees by mid-December

•Move cooling front completely through and out of the grain mass

•Maintain low grain temperatures as long as possible

•Avoid re-warming dry grain with fans during spring and summer

•Run fans judiciously or install automatic fan controllers

•Install adequate exhaust vents and avoid condensation on inside

•Seal fans when off to prevent early warm-up

•Probe top grain layer with thermometer to ensure cooling front has exited

•Install a new temperature monitoring system

•Acquire and use grain sampling equipment (triers, probes, traps, sieves)

•Check stored grain regularly for temperature, moisture, insects, and molds

•Check binned grain every 3-4 weeks during cold months

•Check binned grain every 1-2 weeks during warm months

•Repair leaky roofs, seals, joints, and holes

•Never enter bin with flowing grain or after partial unloading