The Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-03-18, Page 55• Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food, Jack Riddell, took the opportunity of buying his
• crop .insurance from -Dashwood Crop Insurance agent Donald Weigland at the 20th an-
nihersarybanquet of,crop insurance agents early in February. The deadline for purchas-
ing insurance for general crops and tobacco under the Canada -Ontario Crop Insurance
Prograin-is May 1, 1987. (OMAF photo) >
Faimers
beware of silo gas
•
- By John Heard,
- -- Soils and Crops Sepcialist
We like to worry about making corn ,
silage. Farmers worry about the correct
moisture content .to ensile_ at, and we,
government folks, worry about farmers
killing themselves with silo gas. . -
Corn reaches -its maximum silage dry
matter. yield at 30-40%. dry matter. The •
variance' within this range accounts for
hybrid differences and CHU location in On-
tario; A 35% dry matter sample of whole
plant silage -compares- to '40-45% grain
moisture.. •
Obviously then we- will be determining
the right silage moisture • content with
something other than a grain moisture
tester.
A microwave oven works well to quickly
dry •corn silage• for moisture determina-
. tions. Weigh out a 100 gram sample of
chopped silage. Zap for 6 minutes in the
'•microwave, Reweigh, :Zap for 2 minutes.
Reweigh. Zap - and relyeigh at 2 _minute
time intervals until- you no longer find
weight less. (Burning the sample does not
constitute weight" loss - • use the previous
Weight in your calculation).
Moisture content • of the Fsilage. is then
equal to weight of water burned tiff divided
by tht:.initial weight times 100.
•. A result Of 65% moisture would then cor-
respond with 35% dry )natter.
.Corn silage Cannot all be Harvested and-
etisiled at the exact eurrect moisture .for
the same -reason- we can't plant all our corn
on the best planting .date -i: Safe limits for
storage are: a i for - harvested storage,
great f than 60% ).moisture: bl for upright
Page 11@
Box 88, Mildmay, Ont: NOG 2J0
(519) 367-535
"Specializing in Concrete & Stable Work"
AFTER HOURS
-CALL:
367-2163 or 367-2707
concrete slos - greater than • 55%
moisture; c )for larger upright silos - corn
can - be stored at 50%; d t for oxygen
limiting silos, as low as 35 to 45% moisture.
Once the corn is in the _silo it's time to
worry about the farmer.
Nitrate, a form of nitrogen in the corn
plant, convert to poisonous gas. Examina-
tion of those unfortunates who have been •
killed by silo.gas show massive bleeding in
their lungs - due to nitrogen dioxide gas.
The most common reason for.poisoning is
because the farmer feels he has to level off
the silage at the top of the silo. This. is ajob
better left undone in many cases.
Indicators of silo gas are: a) brov n or •
yellow -haze at the silage surface or feed
room floor; b I coughing of livestock i since
animals -on the floor are exposed to heavier
..gas concentrations than a person stan-
ding f : 'c) dead flies, cats or mice -on -the
feed room door.
Tests haiie shown that running a.blower
for 20 minutes will likely disperse the gas
IF the silo surface is within 15' of .the top of
the silo and the doors are all closed.
However, -silo gas is unpredictable. It's -
best to- stay out of the silo.
Be' careful if there are open doors. The
gas may spill down the chute. If there are
open silo doors, keep the feed room door
-shut' and disperse the gas with a ven-
tilating fan in the feed room.
BE C'AHEFC;I... There have been too
many -tragedies to take chances. The re-
cent wet conditions - mal' increase the
possibilities of a problei . Fire depart-
ments are' available in the event of a lift'
threatening emergency. •
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