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Jan. 11, 2019OREGON, Mo. |  By: Devin Vinzant

Agronomy specialist offers tips on storing soybeans properly this winter

Soybean farmers should check their stored soybeans every two weeks this winter.

According to the University of Missouri Extension, soybeans had quality and moisture issues in some harvested fields this year. Agronomy Field Specialist Wayne Flanary said there are several basic ways to ensure that soybeans are properly stored.

"When you open (the bin) up and look inside, you want to see if there's any moisture condensing along the outside of the wall. Then just check if there's any type of smell. And then thirdly, if you can, if you had some way of taking the temperature of the grain mass, that's what you ought to do, and record that so you can come back and check on it later on."

Flanary said that while technology can help monitor grain bin storage, it is important to inspect them visually.

"Be sure to check wherever the grain was – if it's in a cone, the center of the grain mass at the top to see if that's where the fines accumulate in the grain mass, then that's where I'd check. And then I'd check around the edge of the bin where the seed makes contact with the wall and see if there are any problems going on there."

It is also good practice to keep fans covered, and check aeration fans for problems. Soybeans should be cooled to just above freezing, and kept within 10 to 15 degrees of the average outdoor temperature. For more information, contact your University of Missouri Extension.