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Cooperative Extension Service |
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Agricultural
Experiment Station |
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Aquaculture
Dale Bumpers College
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Grain Drying and StorageGrain Shrink Table This spreadsheet illustrates the weight per bushel or hundred weight of grain at moisture content levels from 5 to 30% of several grain types. Shrinkage may be determined by taking the weight at the high moisture level and subtracted the weight at some lower level. Equilibrium Moisture Content Using Known Relative Humidity Using psychometric charts to determine the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of grain can be overwhelming for most of us. We have developed a calculator that will help you determine if running bin fans under specific conditions will dry your grain or potentially add more moisture to the dried grain. This tool, if used properly, can reduce storage problems and wasted energy. This calculator requires you to have an instrument on hand that will tell you relative humidity (%). If no instrument is handy, then you could use the local weather station’s reading of relative humidity; however, an on-farm reading is much more accurate. You will also need to have plenum temperature (°F), current moisture content of grain (%) and target moisture of grain (%). This calculator then outputs whether or not drying will occur under your current conditions. If drying will not occur, then it suggests a recommended minimum heat amount be added before drying will occur. Equilibrium Moisture Content Table Builder This "Equilibrium Moisture Content Table Builder" can be used to generate equilibrium moisture contents for many different grain types. Download this Excel spreadsheet, select the grain name and choose the desired grain from the drop-down list. Then choose the print button to print out an 8.5" X 11" table that can be laminated and posted near grain bin controls to ensure ease of decision making when drying grain. Cost Calculator for Corn Drying and Storage with Diesel Powered Fan/Bin System
Cost Calculator for Corn Drying and Storage with a Pass Dryer/Bin System This calculator can be used to estimate the cost of owning and operating grain bins equipped with natural gas or LP gas pass driers. The required input data (LP Gas Prices or Natural Gas Prices, Price of Electricity, Moisture Points to be Dried, Grain Moisture at Harvest, Elevator Price at Harvest, Projected Grain Price at Sale Date, Initial Cost of Bins, Initial Cost of Equipment and Dryers, and Capacity of Storage System) are used to estimate annual costs per bushel. The final “Benefits (+) or Costs (-) from Drying and Storing ($/Bu)” value represents a bottom line economic estimate of on-farm drying and storage compared with immediate grain sale upon harvest. Negative values indicate income loss from storing and drying grain and positive values indicate an income increase.
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University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture |
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