Success StoryPostharvest Engineering Program Aimed at Preserving Grain Quality



Postharvest Engineering Program Aimed at Preserving Grain Quality

Author: Sam McNeill

Planning Unit: Biosystems & Agr Engineering

Major Program: Grains

Outcome: Initial Outcome

Kentucky grain farmers produced a total of 376.5 million bushels of corn, soybeans and wheat in 2020 and generated over $2.4 billion in gross income (nass.usda.gov/ky). Most of the production area lies in the western half of the state, where the UK Grain and Forage Center of Excellence is housed at the Research and Education Center in Princeton. The CAFE maintains a core group of extension and research specialists from five departments at this location to provide unbiased scientific information to grain farmers, extension educators, crop consultants and industry partners across the state as well as in neighboring states. My role in this group is to provide leadership in postharvest engineering topics of interest to our clientele and university collaborators. Educational programs were provided to farmers, consultants, extension educators, employees at grain elevators and other professionals to expand their knowledge and provide updates on grain drying equipment, storage facilities and tools for monitoring grain quality. Role: Delivered two presentations at the county level and two out-of-state (in TN and VA) meetings (all via Zoom) on sustainable postharvest management strategies for grain storage systems. Collaborated with extension counterparts at Purdue, Iowa State and Texas A&M to organize a webinar on grain storage and safe practices for inspecting grain, which was sponsored by Grainnet.com and attended by 366 participants from throughout the Midwest and Southeast. Impact: Grain storage losses are generally considered to amount to 3%, which amounts to approximately $72 million in Kentucky alone in 2020. Information presented could be used immediately to monitor stored grain to reduce spoilage losses and preserve market value. Status: Educational programs continue to be available to help grain farmers, elevator managers and processors preserve grain quality along the value-chain.






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