Considered the main protagonist of global agribusiness, Brazil has a lot to celebrate on World Agriculture Day, celebrated next Saturday, March 20, with another record grain production estimated at 268,7 million tons in the 2020/2021 harvest .
As a strategic sector of the economy, the mission of Brazilian agribusiness is to increase food production and promote food security in the world, in a sustainable way, thanks to the technologies available to produce increasingly higher quality grains.
And quality means planting, harvesting and storing well the product that will be offered to the domestic and foreign markets, both for human and animal consumption.
Within the grain production chain, the storage stage is where the main problems linked to high humidity occur, which can influence the quality of the product.
The Association of Soy and Corn Producers of Mato Grosso (Aprosoja), which maintains a partnership with LocSolution, a company from Paraná that owns the Motomco brand of grain moisture measuring equipment, gives some tips on how to store well and maintain quality of the grain.
Agricultural engineer Jerusa Rech, who is the Agricultural Defense manager at Aprosoja, explains that there are a series of problems that humidity can cause, making the use of a large part of the production unfeasible, causing huge financial losses to the producer or buyer of the product.
Among the most common damages caused by excess humidity, the Aprosoja manager highlights the attack of fungi, responsible for the formation of mold and mildew and the release of mycotoxins, which contaminate the grain, making its use unviable. "Change in grain weight is another problem that frequently occurs due to excess moisture, reducing the value of the product", explains Jerusa.
According to Jerusa Rech, there is no point in having strict control in the field to avoid losses if storage is not adequate and good storage practices are followed. Good practices must be present in all stages of grain processing, such as: pre-cleaning, cleaning, humidity and temperature control, drying and fungus and pest control.
"Pre-cleaning and cleaning will remove impurities and other foreign materials that could compromise the quality of the grains. Drying will standardize the moisture content of the grains and prevent the proliferation of fungi", observes Jerusa.
The objective is to maintain the product within adequate quality standards for long periods of time. Factors such as temperature and aeration during grain storage are fundamental for correct storage.
"By following these guidelines, the farmer will be able to extend the storage period, reduce losses from pests, insects and contamination with mycotoxins", emphasizes the agronomist.
LocSolution's commercial and marketing director, Manoella Rodrigues da Silva, observes that one of the ways to obtain lower storage costs is to measure grain moisture pre-harvest. "If the producer manages to harvest within the standard of 12% to 14%, he will have a better chance of storing it well and with less drying costs.
According to Manoella Rodrigues da Silva, LocSolution/Motomco is always at the side of producers in the search for solutions to field challenges. To achieve this goal, it has partnerships with agribusiness entities and cooperatives, providing solutions that can help producers produce with greater quality and productivity.
Manoella highlights that the issue of sustainability in agribusiness is an integral part of its production processes. "We work with this aim, because we understand how important it is to adopt good practices for grain conservation and quality."
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