44 November 4, 2014 2014 LOGAN COUNTY FARM OUTLOOK MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com
With today’s technology, the farmer
can also analyze his crop on the move.
The newest systems are now capable of
monitoring grain moisture in the field as
the corn is being shelled. The first step
to achieving this is to collect a physical
sample of the corn going into the hopper,
and run it to the local elevator for a soil
moisture test.
There is no need to stop and wait for the
results to come back. The test can be done
at the elevator; the results brought back
to the combine and put into the onboard
computer system. The system will then
take that moisture test and apply it to the
sample load. In essence, that load then
becomes the control. The computer will
then compare the control to loads shelled
later, and calculate a moisture content on
everything that has been harvested thus
far. The computer will continue to use that
original sample as the control until it is
given a new sample results to work with,
and it will all be done in real time.
With this year being a late wet harvest, this
is a valuable tool to the producer. Moisture
testing in real time can help the producer
make the decision to go on or go home.
As we enter November with harvest still
ongoing the option to go home is going
away, but the tool can help in other areas as
well.
Grain producers will probably do more
storage this year due to the low price per
bushel on the cash market right now. Corn
can be directed to drying bins and holding
bins according to moisture. Coupling
all wet corn together in one place, and
all the dryer corn in another can increase
efficiency and possibly save on drying
costs.
It can also relieve some of that sense of
urgency for the producer. The wettest corn
can be dried first before it gets hot in the
bin and starts the mold and decay process.
Drier corn can be stirred and aerated to help
maintain the integrity of the crop until it
gets to the dryer.
The new monitoring systems can also show
the producer in real time what varieties
performed well this year on several levels.
While yield is expected to be high this year,
the later it gets into the season, the greater
the possibility for downed corn.
Continued
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