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Title: TEMPERATURE MONITORING AND AERATION STRATEGIES FOR STORED WHEAT IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS

Author
item Casada, Mark
item Arthur, Franklin
item Akdogan, Hulya

Submitted to: ASAE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/28/2002
Publication Date: 7/28/2002
Citation: Casada, M.E., Arthur, F.H., and Akdogan, H.P. 2002. Temperature Monitoring and Aeration Strategies for Stored Wheat in the Central Plains. ASAE Paper No. 026116. St. Joseph, MI. ASAE.

Interpretive Summary: Aeration is a well-known and proven Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tool for controlling insects and other risks in stored grain, but has not been widely applied immediately after harvest to small grains in warm climates such as in the central plains states of the U.S. In this study an additional summer aeration treatment of wheat was compared to aerating only in autumn and to no aeration. The additional summer aeration treatment produced improved temperatures during the summer months that should reduce insect activity as compared to aeration only in autumn. However, aeration during summer months was dependent on humidity conditions as well as temperature, which indicated that more complex control strategies would be needed in summer than in autumn. The non-aerated grain stayed too warm for safe storage and required fumigation treatment to prevent insect damage. Both aeration strategies afforded desirable cool temperatures in autumn and winter that should minimize insect activity. Summer aeration of stored wheat can be used by stored grain managers to reduce the risk of insect damage without resorting to chemical pesticides.

Technical Abstract: Two aeration strategies were compared to non-aeration in field tests of stored wheat in Kansas. An additional summer aeration cycle before the usual two autumn cycles produced better temperatures for insect control in the grain. Both aeration strategies yielded much better temperatures for insect control than did the naturally cooled, non-aerated bin (ca. 3,500 bu bin). In two years of tests with wheat aerated with low airflow rates in summer immediately after harvest, there were sufficient hours with air temperatures below 24°C (75°F) to cool the grain with an airflow rate of 0.11 m^3/min-t (0.1 cfm/bu). However, during one year, high humidities during these nighttime periods of low temperatures resulted in final temperatures higher than 24°C due to the heating effect when the grain was slightly rewetted by the high humidity air. These results indicate the importance of looking at both temperature and humidity together to evaluate whether weather conditions are acceptable for adequate aeration cooling, especially during summer aeration when air temperatures are near the upper acceptable limit.