Why is there more mold growth after spring warming of grain than without warming?
Grain stored during the winter in northern and some central states may gradually cool well below freezing by late winter. In early to mid-spring, some grain managers feel it is necessary to warm grain to a uniform grain temperature above freezing before shipping it to clear storage for harvest. When very cold grain is aerated with warm air, moisture condenses on the outside of the kernels. The grain can not absorb all the moisture, so very moist kernel surfaces with warmed grain can trigger excessive mold activity. In many cases, it may be better to let cold grain gradually warm naturally without spring aeration. Since moisture will condense from warm air on cold grain, to avoid mold problems, aeration warming should be done just a few days before grain is shipped. One side benefit of spring warming, is that the condensate on cold grain adds market weight back to the grain. But, this is a risky process because of mold potential, especially when grain is well below freezing. The colder
