Wheat Harvest Brings Focus to Grain Storage

Storage preparation remains an important step as wheat harvest moves north.

RALEIGH, N.C. (RFD News) — As wheat harvest picks up and moves north in the coming weeks, growers are preparing grain bins for another storage season.

John Mays with Central Life Sciences joined us on Monday’s Market Day Report to discuss why bin preparation is important before harvest, the risks of insect infestations in stored wheat, and practical steps growers can take before and during harvest to help reduce those risks.

Mays also discussed how a proactive grain protection protocol can help protect grain quality and improve return on investment.

“The USDA estimates about two and a half billion dollars worth of loss to bugs every year in storage, and that’s just on the storage side. As we look at different crops, wheat is one of the most susceptible ones that’s out there. Doing a grain protection protocol is one of the key things, and again, bugs don’t get killed. Once they burrow into a kernel, they don’t die with cold weather. If you make it through the winter and then it starts to warm up, you could have serious damage. The ROI of treating your grain pays for itself in a very short amount of time.”

With wheat harvest expanding northward, Mays said now is the time for growers to prepare bins for the storage season ahead.

Related Stories
Markets have been slow to respond as crop stress worsens across major winter wheat regions, where quality ratings have fallen to multi-decade lows.
Producers say limited moisture is creating major challenges for crops and irrigation heading into summer.
USDA will elevate its “Plant Not Plastic” initiative and promote American cotton over synthetic fibers.
The investigation does not prove wrongdoing, but it raises federal scrutiny of a major cost center for crop producers.
The reports cover biodiesel, diesel, gasoline grades, ethanol, aviation fuel, kerosene, and specialty fuels.
Textile strategist Robert Antoshak says responsible fashion is not dead, but voluntary sustainability language is not enough on its own.

Knoxville native Neal Burnette-Irwin is a graduate from MTSU where he majored in Journalism and Entertainment Studies. He works as a digital content producer with RFD News and is represented by multiple talent agencies in Nashville and Chicago.


LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

The National Milk Producers Federation says AI adoption continues expanding both inside and outside the barn.
Volunteers stepped in to help producers rebuild after damaging storms swept through parts of central Nebraska.
Pam Brierre was named Louisiana’s 2026 Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year for her hands-on agriculture lessons.
Mississippi Farm Bureau hosted the annual event in support of hunger relief programs across the state.
The International Dairy Foods Association is developing new tools to help identify emerging export opportunities for dairy products.
Etgen-Way Holsteins continues building a nationally recognized herd focused on quality milk production.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
From soil to harvest. Top Crop is an all-new series about four of the best farmers in the world—Dan Luepkes, of Oregan, Illinois; Cory Atley, of Cedarville, Ohio; Shelby Fite, of Jackson Center, Ohio; Russell Hedrick, of Hickory, North Carolina—reveals what it takes for them to make a profitable crop. It all starts with good soil, patience, and a strong planter setup.