Lethbridge College research project needs farmers for development of improved grain drying strategies
LETHBRIDGE, AB. — A new research project from Lethbridge College is aiming to help Alberta grain farmers cut their losses through improved storage technology and methods.
The project is one of the largest and most comprehensive on-farm grain-drying studies to be conducted in Western Canada. The project is being led by Dr. Chandra Singh, the Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE). Singh and his team will be deploying wireless smart sensing technology to monitor in-bin grain storage conditions, including temperatures and moisture levels, as well as advanced automated fan and heater control system to dry the grain.
In 2018, Alberta produced nearly 31 per cent of Canadian wheat, 29 per cent of canola, 48 per cent of barley, and 20 per cent of oats, with crop market receipts totalling $6.9 billion. Despite strong crop production, adverse weather conditions during recent harvests have hit Alberta growers hard. In 2019 alone, the estimated value of unharvested acres was $778 million.
“Such huge risks to the crops can be minimized by harvesting crops as soon as they reach maturity and grain can be artificially dried,” explained Singh. “However, inefficient drying can lead to grain spoilage, quality degradation, and excessive energy consumption, resulting in increased drying cost and high shrinkage due to over-drying. The technologies we are exploring in this project could allow farmers to start harvesting earlier to minimize adverse weather effects and to better manage the in-storage grain with minimum spoilage risk.”
