The practice of aerating wheat in storage bins has long been recognized as an integral part of any integrated pest management program — and ultimately, a good grain quality control measure. This is especially important in South Central states such asKansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Colorado, where warm summer weather heats up the grain's surface, creating an inviting den for insects and other pests.Pressure aeration — using fans to push ambient air from the bottom of the bin upwards — has traditionally been the method used by elevators and other wheat handlers. But researchers from the USDA Agricultural Research Service [ARS] Center for Grain andAnimal Health Research, located at Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS, set out to determine whether suction aeration would be more effective at managing insects in storedwheat. Suction aeration involves reversing the fans to pull air from the top downward to keep the grain at 60 F or below, the optimal temperature for pest control.
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