Quality is important with stored corn

By Jennifer Bremer

The record-setting 2009 corn crop continues to be the talk in the crop world, but ensuring that crop continues to be stored properly to ensure quality is important as well.

Proper storage management ensures a good quality grain coming out of bins at any time of the year, according to Mark Heckman, a farmer from Southeast Iowa, who is also the commodity manager for Big River Resources, LLC-an ethanol plant in West Burlington, Iowa.

"The major concerns farmers have had this year are low test weights and high moisture, both of which can be dealt with if managed properly," he said.

Charles Hurburgh, with the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative at Iowa State University, said a cool, long growing season, such as seen in 2009, will often result in high yields with high grain moistures and low test weights.

"The lower test weight is the result of more starch and lower protein on a relative basis, a condition that also reduces field dry-down rates and increases drying costs," said Hurburgh.

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