November 06, 2017

07/11/2017: Grain storage: Planning a farm system with GSI

by GSI

The demands of farming are never ending


The risks are high. You need grain system solutions that maximise productivity and minimise downtime.
 

Image credit: GSI

GSI’s people are driven to provide top-of-the-line products that will protect, condition and move the grain you work so hard to produce.

When planning an on-farm grain storage system, one of the most important steps to take into account in the location, chosen for accessibility and future expansion.

You should always assume there will be growth in yield and capacity and that means that having a well-thought out plan that provides for growth and future technology changes is key.

When choosing a location for your farm system, access to easy travel routes is essential. In an ideal situation, your system would be located right off a highway, with access to diesel and three-phase power, and still in close proximity to your fields.

A highway will allow you to haul grain year-round without any road restrictions. If there isn’t a highway nearby, it is not a deal-breaker; just know that more road restrictions can occur, hindering your ability to haul grain.

Three-phase power is ideal because it allows you to operate much larger machines and motors. For smaller farm systems, single-phase might work, but understand that as your farm system gets bigger, you will need more power and single-phase power might not be sufficient.

Having a farm system close to your field will reduce transportation time and fuel costs. Ultimately, it can lead to a cut in the number of trucks you need.

When planning a farm system, you should assume that there will be growth in yield and capacity; always plan on expanding and leave space for additional bins.

When your capacity increases, plan on adding a higher capacity dryer or more driers in the future.

Do not assume that your wet holding capacity will always be adequate. Once you start drying more grain, an increase in your wet storage capacity will be a necessity.

Create a traffic pattern for separate dumping and loading stations to increase efficiency. Being able to load and unload grain simultaneously will decrease your total harvest time, thus saving you money.

The different types of grain you plan on storing will determine the number of bins you will need. If you are storing three types of grain, even though the grain sizes will vary, you will still need at least three bins. If you want to limit risk, do not put all of your grain in one tank. For example, if you have 5,000 tonnes of maize, don’t put it all in one bin. Instead, invest in two or three smaller bins. If some of the maize spoils you will only lose a fraction of your harvest as opposed to all of it.


Read the full article, HERE.

Visit the GSI website, HERE
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

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