The use of new technologies for growing grain can significantly improve the yield of the latter. In 2016 alone, the gross harvest of wheat, barley, oats, rye and corn in Russia amounted to 116,118 million tons, which is 13% more than in 2015. However, it is important not only to get a good grain crop. We also need to try not to lose it until next year. Grain storage should, of course, be done correctly.
Types of elevators
In most cases, the harvest of wheat, rye, barley, etc., is stored in special granaries. Such complexes are called elevators. There are several types of such granaries:
procurement;
basic;
transshipment;
production;
stock;
port;
implementation bases.
Next, we will deal with what all these grain storage and processing enterprises actually represent.
Harvesting elevators
Such granaries are called differently grain-receiving. They are usually built taking into account proximity to large agricultural complexes. This is done to reduce the cost of transportation of crops. At elevators of this type, grain is not only stored, but also subjected to primary processing - drying, cleaning. Keep the crop at the receiving points usually not too long. Soon it will be shipped to its destination - in road, rail or water transport. In addition to cleaning and drying grain, preparation for sowing seeds is also carried out on harvesting elevators.
Base granaries
Elevators of this type are the main ones and are used to store crops intended for current consumption. It is here that wheat, rye, barley, etc. usually come from grain collectors. At basic elevators during storage, the grain is subjected to more thorough processing. Also, it is sorted in such repositories into homogeneous batches that satisfy certain requirements.
The capacity of basic elevators is usually very large. Moreover, they are equipped with high-performance equipment. Granaries of this type are located most often at the intersections of railway and waterways.
Production Elevators
This type of storage is usually built next to flour mills, feed mills, cereals, etc. Their main purpose is the uninterrupted supply of processing enterprises with wheat, barley, etc. Such elevators not only store, but also process grain in accordance with a given recipe . The capacity of production storages depends on the capacities of a nearby food industry enterprise.
Stock elevators
Such complexes are designed for long - term storage of grain and - for 3-4 years. It is on elevators of this type that state grain reserves are stored. Such storage facilities, as well as basic ones, have a very large capacity. Only the highest quality grain is brought here. At the same time, they release it only in the order of updating stocks. Most often, grain from such elevators enters certain parts of the country with a temporary shortage. Therefore, storages of this type are usually built next to long railway routes.
Transshipment elevators
Vaults of this type are used mainly for transshipment of grain from one type of transport to another. Sometimes crops and nearby farms are brought here. Elevators of this type are always built at the junction of the railway lines to each other or to water routes. In some cases, transshipment complexes can be used for long - term grain storage.
Port facilities
Grain is usually brought to elevators of this type from transshipment or basic storage facilities. Here, the crop is prepared most often for export. Next, the grain is shipped to sea vessels. Also, elevators of this type can take wheat, rye, etc., and from other countries. Then, such grain is shipped to domestic Russian consumers. Capacity port elevators are usually large. Equipment in such complexes uses only high-tech.
Sales bases
Grain storage at enterprises of this type is usually possible only for a not too long time. Such complexes are intended primarily for supplying consumers with grain and products of its processing. Sometimes the implementation base accepts and harvest from the grain distributors.
Basic storage techniques
A crop of wheat, rye, oats, corn, etc., can be stored, thus, it can be used on elevators of various types. The grain storage technologies are not the same. Currently, the following storage modes are used:
dry;
in a chilled state;
without air access.
In Russia, the first two storage technologies are mainly used .
Bulk storage rules
This mode is considered the most acceptable for long-term storage of the crop. Most often, grain using dry technology is stored in bulk. That is, it is simply poured into large heaps. In comparison with the method of storing grain in bags and containers, this technology has a number of obvious advantages:
more rational use of granary volumes;
simplification of the movement of masses using mechanical means;
facilitating the fight against possible pests;
the convenience of organizing mass monitoring;
saving on packaging and packaging costs.
Bulk grain can be stored both in open areas and in granaries. Dry packaging containers are mainly used only for seed graded material. In open areas, grain is stored in special piles covered with tarpaulin.
Dry way
This storage mode is based primarily on the principle of xeroanabiosis. When dehydrating lots of grain, all harmful microorganisms in it fall into a state of suspended animation. Therefore, in the future, the stored crop has to be protected only from insects. It is most advisable to use dry mode for long-term storage of crops. It is this technology that is why it is most often used on basic and stock elevators.
The processing methods for storing grain using this technique can be different. However, all drying methods are conventionally divided into two main groups:
without the use of heat;
with its application.
The most common methods of drying grain in this case are its filling in special devices and solar-air.
Airless storage
This method is good primarily because it allows you to completely save all the useful qualities of grain - flour and baking. In the absence of air, among other things, harmful microorganisms and insects die or lose the ability to multiply. When using this technology, the mass due to the accumulation of carbon dioxide, among other things, is also self-preserving. Storage and processing of grain using a similar technique is advisable, for example, at production elevators.
When using this technology, the crops are stored in special airtight bins. In some cases, to accelerate self-preservation, carbon dioxide is specially introduced into such storages or dry ice briquettes are placed.
Refrigerated storage
This technique is second only to dry storage in popularity. In this case, losses are also minimized. However, a purely economically similar storage procedure for the dry method is somewhat inferior. Therefore, it is usually used only directly on the farms themselves or on small elevators.
At a low temperature in the mass of grain, as well as during drying, the activity of all kinds of microorganisms is greatly slowed down. The grain is cooled with this storage method to t = 5-10 C or lower. Passive techniques are usually used to create such conditions. That is, they simply equip the supply and exhaust ventilation in the warehouse. In the cold season, the latter works constantly in warehouses. In summer, installations are usually included only at night.
Sometimes the grain mass is also cooled using conveyors or individual fans. A mixing method may also be used. However, due to the complexity, the latter cooling technique is rarely used.
Bagging Rules
As already mentioned, seeds of wheat, rye, etc. are usually stored in this way. Most often, elite planting material or the first reproduction is stored in the container. Conventional seeds are stored in bulk. The only exception is planting material of varieties with a thin shell of grain. Also, in most cases, calibrated seeds are put in bags. That is, planting material of particular value or prone to spoilage is thus stored.
Bags under such grain should be used only made of dense and coarse fabrics. Most often, granaries use kapron or polypropylene. Sometimes the grain is also poured into special paper bags with fabric lining. Kraft packaging of a similar variety is also quite popular. In any case, the use of durable bags is one of the essential conditions for storing grain using this technology.
Actually the container itself with seeds is supposed to be stacked on wooden flooring or saucers. In this case, the storage method using a tee or five-piece is usually used. The distance between the stacks, according to the standards, should not be less than 0.7 m. Indents from the walls of the warehouse should be the same. The height of stacks during manual stacking is usually 6-8 bags, with a mechanized one - 10-12.
Granary Requirements
The complexes intended for storing wheat, barley or oats, of course, must be equipped accordingly. In addition, at elevators it is necessary to strictly observe the technology of storage, reception and delivery of grain.
The placement plan is usually based on previous years. This takes into account information about the quality and quantity of grain to be delivered to the state, as well as the planned import and export of the latter.
Storage tanks should be used as rationally as possible. If necessary, the elevator and the site before laying the grain are disinfected. The walls and roof of the vault, of course, should not leak.
Grain storage technology: basic requirements
At elevators of the main types, grain must be sorted by type, subtype, degree of moisture, weediness, and variety. Mixing it is prohibited. By moisture, grain is usually sorted into:
crude up to 22%;
crude over 22%.
According to the degree of contamination, the grain is divided into batches:
Heavily clogged grain on elevators is usually cleaned before being stored.
Separately, smut, frostbite, tick-infected, bug-infected, ergot-mixed grains are placed separately on elevators. Also sort the mass with the exceeded number of seeds sprouted.
It is not allowed to mix the grain of the new crop with last year when stored on elevators. The height of the embankment is set depending on the degree of humidity of the mass and its contamination:
for dry grain, this indicator is limited only by the height of the warehouse ceilings;
for wet mass - no more than 2 m;
during temporary storage (before drying) of raw grain with a moisture content of up to 19% - 1.5 m, from 19% - 1 m.
The embankment itself should have either a pyramidal or rectangular shape. Its surfaces should be even. From the moment of receiving grain and until it is shipped, the mass will be carefully monitored.
Storage Options
To monitor the state of the stored mass, the surface of each embankment is conditionally divided into sections with an area of 100 m 2 . Each of them is subsequently monitored for different indicators. But the main ones are the temperature and the degree of infection with pests. In the first case, special thermal rods are used for control. These devices are ordinary thermometers enclosed in metal cases.
In embankments with a height of more than 1.5 meters, measurements are made in three layers - in the upper (30-50 cm), middle and lower. After each measurement, the bar is rearranged at a distance of 2 meters.
For the degree of infection with pests, the grain is checked depending on the temperature of the mass:
at t above 10 C - once a week ;
at t below +10 C - once every two weeks;
at t below 0 C - once a month.
Inspection of seeds stored in bags is carried out once a month in winter and once every two weeks in summer.
Storage pests
Damaged grain on elevators can:
weevils;
ticks;
moth;
mill fire.
Each type of pest usually occupies a certain layer of grain mass. In winter, such insects do not breed. An outbreak of pest activity is observed only with self-heating of grain. In the summer, insects in mass can multiply quite violently.
The following measures are taken to control pests during the storage of grain :
the use of chemical treatment of plants on the field - before harvesting;
processing in preparation for storage directly at the elevator;
full cleaning of rooms at small granaries;
the use of sieves to remove small pests;
exact adherence to the regime with respect to the moisture content of the grain that is put into storage.
Grain disinfection before storage can be done in several ways. The most commonly used aerosol or gas technique. The first technology is usually used to process the warehouses themselves and the territories adjacent to them. Aerosol treatment is carried out using most often organophosphorus or pyrethroid insecticides.
Aerosol disinfection can be quite effective. However, more often the less expensive gas processing technology is used on elevators. In this case, the following substances can be used as fumigants: ethyl bromide, tablets with aluminum or magnesium phosphide. Both types of processing can only be carried out by special units licensed for this type of activity.
Against all kinds of scaly, in addition to aerosol or gas, conventional processing technologies can be used. In this case, pheromone traps and microbiological preparations are most often used . To control rodents in warehouses, poisonous baits (usually based on zinc phosphide) are used.
Alternative methods
Thus, most often grain is stored in elevators. However, there are other methods for storing a crop of wheat, rye or barley. For example, quite often farmers use plastic sleeves to store grain. The main advantage of this technology is that it saves on resources and electricity. Indeed, in this case there is no need for any special arrangement of the storage.
With this method of storage, the farmer will have to spend money only on purchasing a bagger. This is the name of a special device designed to fill bags with grain. The hoses themselves for storing wheat or barley are made of multilayer elastic plastic. They have a capacity of 200-300 tons.
Small and medium-sized farmers should also build barns for grain storage. If desired, such a structure can be built with your own hands. It is best to build a home granary from timber and boards. The interior of the barn should be divided into bins and bins. The latter are a kind of drawers.
Barns are built to store grain most often on a columnar foundation. This design is cheaper. In addition, in the storage on such a foundation, the grain in the future will be better ventilated.
Such a structure can be built not from wood, but from more modern materials. This can be, for example, aerated concrete, foam concrete with metal cladding, etc. However, in this case, compartments should also be equipped in the barn for storing grain for seeds, for current consumption, clogged, spoiled smut, etc.
Storage loss
Thus, the maximum reduction in crop losses at the elevator can be achieved only if the storage technology is strictly observed. The standards, among other things, establish the norms of the natural loss of grain during storage.
Generally , special formulas are used for the calculations themselves . This takes into account the shelf life of the crop. For example, when storing for more than 3 months, the following formula is used: x = a + b> v / g, where:
a - decrease for the previous storage period,
b - the difference between the norm of the current storage line and the previous one;
c - the difference between the average storage rate and the previous one;
g is the number of months of storage.
A natural decrease in grain during storage can occur as a result of a decrease in humidity during drying, due to clogging, settling of mineral impurities on the floor, etc.