Kristina TeBockhorst

October 23, 2023 9:28 AM

Agricultural confined-space related cases of injuries and fatalities saw a dramatic rise in 2022, including grain entrapment cases which rose nearly 45%, based on ...

Grain Handling and Storage
September 25, 2023 12:49 PM

Agricultural confined-space related cases of injuries and fatalities saw a dramatic rise in 2022, including grain entrapment cases which rose nearly 45%, based on ...

Grain Handling and Storage
September 13, 2023 8:51 AM

Agricultural confined-space related cases of injuries and fatalities saw a dramatic rise in 2022, including grain entrapment cases which rose nearly 45%, based on...

Grain Handling and Storage
February 13, 2023 8:00 AM

Farmers and those who provide consultation to farmers, as well as the general public, are invited to the...

Crop Production
January 4, 2023 8:00 AM

Grain needs to be checked regularly, preferably at least every two weeks, through the winter so that a problem can be detected before it becomes a disaster to deal with. Below are some tips to help manage stored grain during the winter:

Grain Handling and Storage
September 6, 2022 4:15 PM

Before the rush of harvest gets here, take some time to get your grain bins ready for a new crop. The first step in minimizing grain spoilage from insects is to start with a clean bin. Grain-feeding pests can survive on residual grain, broken kernels, fines, foreign material, and molds...

Grain Handling and Storage, Insects and Mites
February 21, 2022 7:30 AM

Many across the US have set aside February 20-26 as Grain Bin Safety Week in order to grow awareness of the hazards associated with grain storage. Many of the ways to increase safety when...

Grain Handling and Storage
October 28, 2021 3:43 PM

Across Iowa, the forecasted average day/night temperatures are between 30 to 40 degrees F in the coming ten days, so the time is right to cool any grain that went into the bin at higher temperatures. Good harvest conditions and warm weather early this fall mean that there is on-farm grain that...

Grain Handling and Storage
October 14, 2021 10:28 AM

With rising fertilizer prices, and concerns about possible shortages, it pays to time our applications of anhydrous ammonia and manure well. When the value is high, the focus on management is even more important.

Anhydrous costs are reported to have risen to $850 or more per ton.

...

Soil Fertility
June 2, 2021 1:25 PM

For those worried about the need for additional N this spring, one method in determining if additional N is needed is by doing the Late Spring Soil Nitrate Test (LSNT). This test measures the nitrate-N concentration in the top foot of soil. The measured N is a combination of nitrate residual...

Soil Fertility
March 11, 2021 6:18 PM

With spring temperatures arriving in Iowa, grain producers should pay extra attention to the condition of the grain in their bins.

Cold winter temperatures keep mold and insect activity low in stored grain. Rising spring temperatures can trigger spoiling of grain that is...

Grain Handling and Storage
October 23, 2020 8:44 AM

Farmers should always be mindful of the respiratory hazards and associated health concerns with exposure to dusts and molds during grain harvest and handling. This becomes especially important in a year like 2020 with the derecho windstorm, drought stress, and harvesting overly dry grain...

Grain Handling and Storage
October 20, 2020 12:30 PM

2020 corn harvest in Iowa is likely to include increased amounts of damaged grain from the drought, derecho, or excessively dry corn at harvest. As grain bins are filled, fines and broken or damaged kernels tend to accumulate near the center of the grain pile, while whole and higher quality...

Grain Handling and Storage
October 14, 2020 9:53 AM

Grain damage from the August 10 derecho storm and drought is widespread in the state and highly variable. The following is a list of five tips or good practices that farmers should consider this fall for good grain management, especially when working with suboptimal quality grain. At the end of...

Equipment and Machinery, Grain Handling and Storage
September 23, 2020 10:57 PM

Many producers in central and east-central Iowa are facing severely damaged corn fields from the recent August 10th derecho. With poor quality grain not suitable for the general grain market or storage, and fields that are not mechanically harvestable, a producer might consider...

Crop Production
September 23, 2020 10:46 PM

Many producers in central and east-central Iowa are facing severely damaged corn fields from the recent August 10th derecho. With poor quality grain not suitable for the general grain market or storage, and fields that are not mechanically harvestable, a producer might consider...

Crop Production
August 21, 2020 2:55 PM

The unprecedented August 10 derecho storm event has caused significant damage to Iowa corn fields. If it’s decided to proceed with harvesting the field for grain, several operational changes may increase performance and productivity of the combine.

Equipment and Machinery
March 11, 2020 1:04 PM

Many farmers put grain in the bin wetter than normal last fall and were somewhat rescued by the cold weather that allowed them to put cold grain into storage. In the coming weeks as spring starts to bring warmer temperatures, grain held through the winter at a high moisture content should be...

Grain Handling and Storage
January 3, 2020 11:47 AM

Many producers put grain into their storage bins last fall at higher moisture contents than normal, due to late crop maturity and less in-field drying in 2019. For grain stored wetter than recommended for storage through the winter months (above 15% for corn and 13% for soybeans), it is...

Grain Handling and Storage
October 29, 2019 3:06 PM

You may be in the thick of harvest, but don’t forget to cool stored grain. With forecast average day/night temperatures of 35 to 40 in the coming ten days, the time is right to cool any grain that went into the bin at higher temperatures. This article will review some tips and rules of thumb for...

Grain Handling and Storage