The agricultural region of the central United States is huge and bountiful. During the growing season, endless fields of wheat, corn, soybeans and other crops extend for miles, consistently producing the best yields anywhere on the planet. Farmers rely on proven methods of storage to survive economically year-round, and that creates the need for constant diligence. Grain bin monitoring systems provide that crucial information and control.
Idyllic paintings often portray an old fashioned red barn next to a crooked silo. Most urban dwellers know that a silo is used for crop storage, but may not realize that large farming operations today keep many harvested crops in commercial bins, or in massive on-site container structures. Many facilities are far larger than their predecessors, making old-fashioned monitoring more difficult, and sometimes even physically dangerous.
In the past, family farmers relied on their own experience and senses to gauge the condition of stored crops. Although personal, instinctive analysis can be quite accurate, it is difficult to determine the daily condition of a 125,000 bushel bin without the aid of technology, and is also safer. Stored corn can develop a hard top layer that floats on the top of the pile, preventing it from flowing out when necessary.
Because that layer must be broken, farmers traditionally walked on top to loosen the hard, compacted material, risking the real chance of suffocating under tons of cascading corn or other seeds. Mechanized monitoring largely eliminates that possibility, and can better measure moisture content at any given time. Even though already harvested, the stored material is still biologically active, producing temperature variations.
Closely packed organic material is a good insulator, and encourages the development of currents of air that result in hot spots and excess condensation. If left alone, fungus, mold, and opportunistic insect populations flare up, often destroying the original quality. One solution is called aeration, a process of drying that forces cool air upward, reducing water condensation.
The latest weapon against crop deterioration is the installation of digital monitoring. In past decades, some growers relied on intelligent guesswork to prevent spoilage and shrinkage, but that changed dramatically, partially as a result of increased methanol production using plant material. Huge new amounts of stored organic material made the need for efficient controls even more obvious, but universal adoption has been slow-moving.
Electronic management systems have become a practical and integral part of the agricultural bottom line. Consisting of multiple moisture and temperature sensors placed strategically at different levels, each monitor produces constant data that is fed into an individual bin controller. Based on the data received, that device is then capable of controlling building fans and heat when necessary, reducing moisture.
The information provided by these sensors can be transmitted via local network, with additional satellite and cloud interfaces available. The cost of installing and maintaining these sensors is not insignificant, but the savings can be well worth the expense. A grower known for consistently high-quality product can demand the highest market prices. Not only do labor costs decline, but spoilage become minimal.
Idyllic paintings often portray an old fashioned red barn next to a crooked silo. Most urban dwellers know that a silo is used for crop storage, but may not realize that large farming operations today keep many harvested crops in commercial bins, or in massive on-site container structures. Many facilities are far larger than their predecessors, making old-fashioned monitoring more difficult, and sometimes even physically dangerous.
In the past, family farmers relied on their own experience and senses to gauge the condition of stored crops. Although personal, instinctive analysis can be quite accurate, it is difficult to determine the daily condition of a 125,000 bushel bin without the aid of technology, and is also safer. Stored corn can develop a hard top layer that floats on the top of the pile, preventing it from flowing out when necessary.
Because that layer must be broken, farmers traditionally walked on top to loosen the hard, compacted material, risking the real chance of suffocating under tons of cascading corn or other seeds. Mechanized monitoring largely eliminates that possibility, and can better measure moisture content at any given time. Even though already harvested, the stored material is still biologically active, producing temperature variations.
Closely packed organic material is a good insulator, and encourages the development of currents of air that result in hot spots and excess condensation. If left alone, fungus, mold, and opportunistic insect populations flare up, often destroying the original quality. One solution is called aeration, a process of drying that forces cool air upward, reducing water condensation.
The latest weapon against crop deterioration is the installation of digital monitoring. In past decades, some growers relied on intelligent guesswork to prevent spoilage and shrinkage, but that changed dramatically, partially as a result of increased methanol production using plant material. Huge new amounts of stored organic material made the need for efficient controls even more obvious, but universal adoption has been slow-moving.
Electronic management systems have become a practical and integral part of the agricultural bottom line. Consisting of multiple moisture and temperature sensors placed strategically at different levels, each monitor produces constant data that is fed into an individual bin controller. Based on the data received, that device is then capable of controlling building fans and heat when necessary, reducing moisture.
The information provided by these sensors can be transmitted via local network, with additional satellite and cloud interfaces available. The cost of installing and maintaining these sensors is not insignificant, but the savings can be well worth the expense. A grower known for consistently high-quality product can demand the highest market prices. Not only do labor costs decline, but spoilage become minimal.
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