By Ashley Ammeter, Whole Farm Specialist, Manitoba Crop Alliance

With challenging harvest conditions throughout the province this fall, many farmers are in the same boat of having to put a little extra consideration into managing grain drying and storage. If you’re looking for reliable information on grain drying, temperature and moisture management, preventing insect pests and staying safe around stored grain, I’ve pulled together a collection of resources to get you started!

• Manitoba Agriculture – Grain Drying Cost Calculator: This calculator from Manitoba Agriculture will create a grain drying cost report based on information you enter about your operation, such as crop, grain moisture content, dryer type and capacity, fuel type and air temperature.
• Manitoba Crop Alliance – Harvesting and Storage of Grain Corn (page 117-124 in Field Corn Production in Manitoba): This production guide covers all aspects of grain corn production: from hybrid selection and fertility to managing weeds, diseases and insects. The chapter on harvesting and storge contains information on drying, storage and preventing spoilage in grain corn.
• PAMI – Comprehensive Natural-Air-Grain-Drying (NAD) Factsheet: A reference guide for grain storage, including information on safe storage time and moisture content targets for several crops (including wheat, barley and flax), management strategies for controlling temperature and moisture, and how to use airflow resistance charts.
• PAMI – Equilibrium Moisture Content Charts for Grain Storage Management: The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) is the moisture content that grain will reach over time, based on the outside air’s temperature and relative humidity, as well as the type of grain. These EMC charts provide a useful guideline for determining the air temperature and relative humidity ranges that will effectively dry grain when you run a NAD fan.
• PAMI – Using Supplemental Heat to Manage Grain in the Bin: Supplemental heat is the practice of adding a heater to a fan typically used for natural air drying, and can be an effective way to improve your ability to dry grain. This resource from PAMI provides answers to some frequently asked questions about supplemental heat.
• North Dakota State University (NDSU) – Drying and Storage Resources: NDSU has a large library of resources on grain drying and storage. They cover everything from fan selection and energy efficiency to helpful advice on drying wheat, barley, corn and sunflowers.
• Real Agriculture – The Agronomists, Ep 212: Drying Grain with Lorne Grieger and Shaw Schill: This video discusses important considerations for drying and storing grain, including how crop quality, drying capacity, supplemental heat, and harvest logistics influence grain management decisions.
• Canadian Grain Commission – Manage Stored Grain: A collection of resources from the Canadian Grain Commission covering best management practices for managing stored grain, from monitoring grain condition to identifying grain insect pests to preventing ochratoxin A in stored grain.
• Canadian Agricultural Safety Association – BeGrainSafe Resources: When you’re focused on managing stored grain, it’s also important to keep safety in mind. The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association has toolbox talk guides, articles, a free online safety course and other resources to help you stay safe when handling and managing grain storage.

Whether you’re dealing with tough or damp grain, exploring your grain drying options or looking for resources on managing your stored grain, I hope these resources help connect you with practical information that allows you to dig deeper into grain drying and storage!