Crop storage


Ensure grain is protected against pests in storage


• Treating grain helps maintain quality • Be accurate when dosing crops in store • Ensuring your grain is dry and cool


W


ith all the investment that goes into grow- ing cereal crops, now


is the time to ensure that pests don’t jeopardise grain quality and yield while it is in storage. “If your grain is rejected due to pest damage in store, this could result in a substantial cost of up to £50 per metric tonne,” says Richard Jenner, from grain sup- ply partner, Openfi eld. “It doesn’t take too many loads costing over £25 per metric tonne to erode the contract value overall.” While grain store cleaning


ahead of harvest is crucial, some growers are now taking an ex-


tra precautionary step and treating grain as it comes into store, to en- sure it retains quality, says Ken Black, rural hygiene manager for Bayer.


Food chain


K-Obiol ULV6 from Bayer and distributed by Lodi UK is one of the few insecticides approved


for use in malting and brewing by the British Beer and Pub As- sociation (BBPA). It will also be accepted in milling wheat that goes directly into the food chain.


“Treating the harvested crop as it comes into the store after it has been cleaned and dried, is an extra insurance measure, en- suring every grain is protected against pest damage, especially


for those farmers that are stor- ing their grain for longer, as it will remain protected for up to 12 months.”


One farmer who has found continued on page 24


Winning the battle against grain store pests


Grain store pests can be split into two categories – primary and sec- ondary – and a different meth- od of combating each is required. Primary pests have the abil- ity to attack whole unbroken grains, while secondary pests at- tack only damaged grain, dust and milled products. It’s impor- tant to be aware of both to en- sure the correct control meas- ures are used.


Traditionally the most dam- aging pest to stored grain is the grain weevil, with the females burrowing into the grain, laying their eggs and the larvae then eating their way out – hollowing the kernels out so they are in ef- fect more like ‘Rice Crispies’ in


appearance than quality, salea- ble grain. The saw-toothed grain beetle is now the most common prima- ry insect pest of grain stores in the UK. The beetles can cause the grain to heat if infestations are heavy, which in turn leads to moulding and even sprout- ing and both the quality and the weight of the grain may be reduced.


Secondary pests like grain


mites can be just as destructive because they can build up very quickly and damage the grain by feeding on the germ – the embryo part of the seed, tainting the pro- duce with allergens and spread- ing fungal spores.


OCTOBER 2017 • MIDLAND FARMER 23


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