News

By Shafiya Hussein, Grains Biosecurity Officer, South Australia

In welcome news for South Australian grain growers, a record-breaking seasonal grain harvest of 12 million tonnes with a farm gate value of $4.4 billion is predicted this year. But with an exceptionally wet La Nina season it means on-farm biosecurity is critical to avoid plant pests and diseases that could reduce grain quality.

In a bid to offset high fuel and fertiliser costs, many growers are opting for on-farm grain storage to improve harvest timeliness, eliminate warehouse costs and increase grain marketing flexibility.

With current wheat prices around $400/tonne, growers who effectively dry and store freshly harvested grain while maintaining quality, will increase their profits.

However, a delayed harvest with wet and humid conditions, increase the likelihood of high moisture levels in grains and humidity exacerbates insect infestations and mould in stored grain, which compromises yield quality.

If you plan to store grains for delayed delivery or on-farm use, it is vital to keep grain dry and cool to prevent damage. Here are some essential grain storage tips to maintain grain quality until processing:

• Clean grain storage and transport facilities thoroughly and spray or dust with recommended insecticide before storing grains. If storing seed for longer than six weeks, ensure it is protected against insect damage.
• Aerate grain to maintain temperature for long-term storage. Aeration equalises moisture throughout the silo and prevents convective air movement.
• Regularly monitor grain bins with temperature and moisture probes to ensure grain temperature is below 25⁰C (ideally 15⁰C) and moisture is below 12.5%. Grain moisture of 14-15% can be stored with cooling aeration system for a short period.
• Promote air flow to cool silo storage (3-4 L/sec/tonne is recommended).
• Manually check grains stored in silos fortnightly (at a minimum) for signs of mould growth, insect activity or colour changes during warm conditions.
• Move grains out of storage if you record an increase in temperature or moisture, observe any grain colour changes or smell mould.
• Refer to the appropriate online grain storage advice formulated by grain specialists for all crops on the website com.au. Inappropriate storage can result in loss of quality, value and unsuitability of the product.
• Observe the recommended fumigation techniques such as using gas-tight, sealable silos, recirculation systems for larger silos, and appropriate phosphine dosages to control pests.

Regular monitoring, good hygiene practices, automatically controlled aeration cooling, and correct fumigation practices will protect your grain stores.

To further assist South Australian grain growers in protecting their harvest, the Department of Primary Industries (PIRSA) in partnership with Plant Health Australia (PHA) and Grain Producers Australia (GPA) is delivering the Grains Farm Biosecurity Program (GFBP) through a local Grains Biosecurity Officer. The GFBP is an initiative to improve the management of and preparedness for biosecurity risks in the grains industry at the farm and industry levels.

The Grains Farm Biosecurity website offers practical resources for producers that include fact sheets, videos, how-to guides, online training and strategies to assist in managing grain farm biosecurity risks. For grain producers, a farm biosecurity plan can be downloaded from the website: Farm Biosecurity Plan for Grain Producers -Grains Farm Biosecurity Program (grainsbiosecurity.com.au).

For further information and/or advice on South Australian on-farm grains biosecurity practices contact Shafiya at Shafiya.Hussein@sa.gov.au