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Heavy rainfall complicates soybean harvest and storage

Published: October 30, 2009

Story Source: Charles Ellis, 636-528-4613

COLUMBIA, Mo.-Heavy rainfall across much of Missouri will extend the soybean harvest well into November, raising the question of just how wet soybeans can be when harvested and stored.

November's temperatures average 13 degrees lower than October's, causing delays in fields drying out and grain drying down, said Charles Ellis, University of Missouri Extension regional natural resource engineer in Lincoln County.

"With November temperatures in the 40-degree range, soybeans harvested at 16 percent moisture can be stored safely for 140 days," he said. "This will give you five months to get them down to the 12- to 13-percent range."

If possible, dry beans with ambient air. "Some heat can be used, but if too much heat is used bean quality can suffer," Ellis said.

"With temperatures in the 40-degree range and humidity in the 60-percent range, beans can be dried with natural air into the 11-percent range," he said.

The key to managing beans will be to keep them cool with aeration and make use of good drying days to remove the final couple points of moisture from the grain, he said.