Feed & Additive Magazine Issue 2 March 2021

ARTICLE 72 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2021 I magine a world where moisture does not matter, a world where you can harvest when you want, where mycotoxins do not affect stored products, where mills always operate at maximum efficiency, and final products are perfect. It sounds fabulous, but as is well-known in the agricultural, feed, and related industries, moisture is a determining factor in every process. Let us take a few steps back and have a brief over- view of all the steps where it is possible to increase profits and efficiency by controlling the moisture. HARVESTING AND THRESHING Harvesting is the procedure where ripe crops are cut and picked up to then proceed with the extraction of the grains by another mechanical process called threshing. Depending on the desti- nation of the yield, the crops need harvesting at precise moisture. For example, harvesting and threshing grains when it is too dry (water content below 20% - 25%) can lead to loss, waste, and breakage of material. Contrary to that, if crops are too wet, it is possible to get mechanical issues requiring additional adjust- ment of the harvesting equipment. Wet crops will also limit the weight capacity of the machinery and cause problems with the threshing action. The water content of the yield can be measured inline directly inside the combine harvester to cal- culate the dry weight as well as provide additional information about spatial variability in the field. Depending on the location and the weather, the first 48h are crucial for the yield, as mycotoxins can contaminate the product before the storage and dry- ing operations. Knowing the moisture during the harvest will also allow the farmer to plan quickly ahead. STORAGE AND DRYING After the previous operations, the crop needs to be stored and preserved accordingly to prevent my- cotoxins, spoilage, or heat spots. These often give problems that are directly related to the moisture contents of the grain. Monitoring moisture during storage is fundamen- tal to be able to regulate the storage operations and to react timely to problems. WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT MOISTURE? Moisture affects the costs and the quality of the products. Knowing and subsequently controlling the water content of the material in every step of the process is necessary to improve efficiency, to reduce carbon footprint, and to save money. Alessandro Mario Technical Sales Engineer Hydronix Ltd