Tip 4: Store Your Crop Properly
Improper grain storage can impact crop quality and introduce contaminants that may create food safety issues and market risk. Residues from pesticides, mycotoxins and cross‑contact with other crops can all lead to buyer rejection or restricted market access. Clean well‑managed storage is a critical part of reducing storage-related risks.
Best practices to prevent grain contamination in bins
Proper storage helps maintain crop quality and keeps grain free of harmful cross‑contaminants that may create market risk.
- Clean bins thoroughly before storage. Remove all remnants of dust and old grain.
- Never store grain in contaminated bins. Ensure bins are free of treated seed and animal protein like blood meal or bone meal.
- Use only approved bin treatments. Products such as diatomaceous earth may be used on cereals when permitted by the label and buyer requirements.
- Never use malathion in canola storage. Malathion residues can persist for months. Do not treat bins with malathion or store canola in a bin treated with malathion during the same growing season.
- Condition grain for safe storage. Dry grain to safe moisture levels and cool it to temperatures suitable for long‑term storage. This helps reduce the risk of Ochratoxin A forming in stored cereal grains.
- Maintain bin conditions. Keep bins cool, dry well‑ventilated and inspect them regularly for insects, moisture or spoilage.
- Prevent crop mixing. Avoid the presence of other crop types such as soy, mustard and buckwheat to meet requirements around allergens in export markets.
Mycotoxins in stored grain
Moisture and temperature are the two biggest factors in grain spoilage. In cereals, mycotoxins such as Ochratoxin A (OTA) can develop when grain is stored warm, damp or with poor airflow.
To reduce this risk review Practice Safe Storage to Prevent OTA in Cereals for detailed guidance on moisture, temperature and monitoring practices.
FAQs
What are the most common storage contamination risks?
The most common risks include pesticide residues, unapproved bin treatments, excess moisture leading to mycotoxins and contamination from allergens such as soy, mustard and buckwheat.
Can pesticides used in bins contaminate grain?
Yes. Unapproved bin treatments or products such as malathion can leave residues that persist and contaminate grain, making it unacceptable to buyers.
How can farmers prevent contamination during storage?
Farmers can reduce risk by cleaning bins thoroughly using only approved treatments, conditioning grain properly, monitoring bins regularly and minimizing the cross contamination of grain types when possible.
Additional Resources
Keep Malathion Out of Canola Bins
Never use malathion to prepare canola for storage or treat bins in which you plan to store canola.
Check Your Bins! Monitor On-Farm Storage to Reduce Risk
You worked hard to bring in your crop, but factors like high-moisture seed put stored canola at higher risk.
Practice Safe Storage to Prevent OTA in Cereals
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a potent, naturally-occurring mycotoxin that can form on stored cereal grains in high moisture conditions.
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