Using Grain Storage Silos For Maximum Efficiency

The Importance Of Grain Storage Silos To Maximizing Yield

Bins and silos are often mistaken for one another. They serve the same purpose—storage. But, what they store and how it's stored are different. 

If you’re looking for the perfect storage type for your farm, whether it be grain bins or silos, stick around! In this article, we’ll be covering:

• What grain storage silos are. 

• The types of grain storage silos.

• How silos are loaded.

• The differences between a silo and a bin.

• Pros and cons of using silos. 

What Are Grain Storage Silos?

Grain storage silos or grain drying silos are tall or horizontal structures used for storing grain and other products in bulk or powder. In some cases, silos are used to store cement, calcium hydroxide, or silage.

There are several types of storage silos for different use cases. But, the most common you’d find are cylindrical storage silos with metal support. 

Silos are made from different types of material. There’s metal, stainless steel, reinforced concrete, or even wood. On the inside, silos are smooth and lined with a special coating. 

Storage silos need to be dynamic. To ensure the quality and safety of your grain, you need quality grain management systems installed.

Grain Storage Silo Types

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Three of the most popular types come in the form of towers, bunkers, and bag silos. Here’s a quick rundown for each silo type:

Tower Silo

When we hear the word silo, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a “tower silo”. These towers can be 3 to 40 meters in height and 4 to 48 meters in diameter. 

In a cattle farm, you can find a feed storage solution for livestock such as cattle. The material used for this type of storage is usually made of concrete or glass-fused steel. 

Silos containing grain or cement are often unloaded using air slides or augers. Those that store silage are unloaded from the top with the help of mechanical unloaders. 

Bunker Silo

These silos are trenches with concrete walls. The trenches are made airtight with the use of a plastic tarp. Bunker silos are best for storing large quantities of material. 

You can find this silo in most agriculture or similar industries. However, this bunker is so effective that the military even adapted the design to deposit and handle missiles. To unload the stored material, a tractor or loader is used. 

Bag Silo

This type of silo is commonly made from plastic and hermetic bags or tubes. You can store grain and different types of fodder in these silos. 

The smallest bag silo can be as small as 2 meters in diameter. Meanwhile, the largest can go up to 21 meters in diameter. Length varies depending on the product you need to store. 

If you’re looking for the most economical way of storing grain, bag silos are a top recommendation. However, they are very heavy and use machines specifically made to seal and compact both ends. 

How Are Silos Loaded?

Source: Pexels

Silos can be extremely tall. To address this, vertical elevators have become the standard for filling in grain silos.

There are instances where you can use inclined conveyors. But, this becomes impractical the higher the silos get. 

You can also use bucket elevator systems. However, the initial costs are quite higher as opposed to other methods. 

Farmers that handle cattle and other livestock use blower systems to blow grain into silos. But, this method won’t be advisable for grain meant to be sold on the market as grain cracking becomes a common issue using this method.  

What Is The Difference Between A Silo And A Bin?

The main difference between a bin and a silo is the product stored and how they’re stored. To make things easier, the two silos look different from each other.

But first, let’s talk about the difference in their purpose. Grain bins typically hold dry corn, soybeans, and other types of grain. This is what you’d use for domestic or export markets. Silos on the other hand store silage or grass fodder used to feed livestock (usually cattle). 

Next, is how the structures are built. Grain bins are often made with metal cylinders. The roofs are peaked or conical and have staircases or ladders on the sides. The bins are also wider than silos, have vents to control airflow, and vary in height. 

Silos, although cylindrical, has a smaller diameter than bins. They’re typically made from bricks, metal, or concrete. The tops are domeshaped and narrow, but taller than grain bins. 

Pros And Cons Of Using A Grain Storage Silo

When should you opt to use silos instead of grain storage bins? To help you with this decision, here’s a list of pros and cons to consider. 

Pros

With a quality grain monitoring system in place, it’s easy to manage the temperature or moisture of your stored grain in your silos. It also costs lower than other common storage types.

Another benefit of going for a silo is the area. Because most silos are vertical, they can store the same amount horizontal grain bins can but use less space. 

Cons

There are several risks to consider when handling grain in silos. Remember, most grain silos need a grain elevator since they’re taller than grain bins. But, this makes it prone to fire, a common issue in grain elevators. 

Another issue you need to face is the risk of poisoning. This can occur due to inhaling flammable vapors created from decomposing grains. Intoxication can also occur from inhalation of fumigants or pesticides. 

Finally, silos, due to how they’re built, are susceptible to earthquakes, explosions, corrosion, soil pressure, and other factors. If any of these happens, silos can easily collapse. 

Worst-case scenario, lives could be harmed or lost. When collapses happen, it’s likely to contaminate the stored product. 

Key Takeaways

Grain storage silos have their advantages. But, there are several factors to consider. So, before investing in a grain silo, remember the following:

• There are three main types of grain storage silos: Towers, Bunkers, and Bags. 

• Silos are often tall. Vertical elevators are required to load these silos.

• Grain storage silos cost lower than other storage methods but require dynamic monitoring to keep them safe. 

If you want to maximize your yield and minimize losses through smart monitoring and management solutions, look no further than Wall Grain! Contact us today!