Evolution, not revolution, in crimped grain preservatives

Many of the things we take for granted in our modern lives have evolved over time.

The wheel, for instance, has been around for millennia. But transforming it from a roughly hewn disc of stone or wood into a high-performance lightweight alloy rim has been an evolutionary process – the product of initiative, innovation and a desire to make something that performs better than its predecessor.

The same has been true when it comes to crimped grain preservation.

Watch out for grain mites in stored grains and pulses

In recent years we have seen an increase in the incidence of grain mite (Acarus siro) infestation in all stored cereals and pulses. Infestations can affect grain whether it is crimped, dry, or even treated with Propcorn NC or urea. Some cases have also been seen in higher DM wholecrops, particularly beans. 

Close-up on Wholecrop harvesting and additives for preservation

Reserve forage stocks have been used up completely or severely depleted in many parts of the country and, for many, a wet autumn resulted in reduced acreages of winter cereals being sown. Then we had the late and difficult spring weather delaying drilling of crops even further. In order to get rotations back on track and replenish conserved forage reserves, turning cereal and even pulse crops into wholecrop silage could be a useful option to consider.