COMMINGLING EFFECTS AND RESIDUAL GRAIN DURING GRAIN RECEIVING

Authors: INGLES, M - KSU, MANHATTAN, KS; Casada, Mark; MAGHIRANG, R - KSU, MANHATTAN, KS

Submitted to: ASAE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/30/2002
Publication Date: 7/30/2002
Citation: Ingles, M.E., Casada, M.E., and Mahgirang, R.G. 2002. Commingling Effects and Residual Grain During Grain Receiving. ASAE Meeting Paper No. 026111. St. Joseph, MI. ASAE.

Interpretive Summary: Fundamental data are needed that identify and quantify where commingling occurs during identity preserved grain handling at grain elevators so that grains with special desirable characteristics can be kept at a desirable level of purity. This study measured the level of commingling and the weight of residual grain left in equipment when receiving two different colors of corn at the research elevator facility of the USDA-ARS, Grain Marketing and Production Research Center (GMPRC), Manhattan, Kansas. In these tests only the first 15 bu of grain (approximately 1% of the leg rate per hour) were commingled at greater than a one-percent level. Only the first 40 bu of grain (approximately 2% of the leg rate per hour) were contaminated at greater than a half-percent level. In a standard operation with 300 bu of corn, the process commingling after the receiving pit and elevator boot amounted to 0.15% while commingling percentages with weighing scale, grain cleaner and grain scalper were 0.18%, 0.28%, and 0.01%, respectively. This information is needed by elevator operators to better segregate grain with desirable characteristics into separate channels for delivery to end-users. The information is also useful to grain processors for improving their handling of specialty grains.

Technical Abstract: Concern about the possible effects of genetically modified crops has increased the demand for segregating grains during handling and processing operations. Research on the amount of commingling of different grains in an elevator is limited. This study evaluated the level of commingling at a grain flow rate of 51 t/h (2000 bu/h) at the research elevator facility of the USDA-ARS, Grain Marketing and Production Research Center (GMPRC), Manhattan, Kansas. White corn was first loaded in the elevator followed by yellow corn. Samples were taken after the yellow corn had passed the elevator boot, weighing scale, and grain cleaner. Samples were sorted by color and components were weighed to determine commingling, defined as the percentage of unwanted grain in the total grain mass. Residual grain was also collected from each piece of equipment after each replication. Commingling for the first 380 kg (15 bu, approximately 1% of the leg rate per hour) was approximately 4%; it decreased to 0.5% within the first metric ton of load (2% of the leg rate per hour). Residual grain in the dump pit and elevator boot amounted to 0.24% and 1.41% of the total load, respectively. The process commingling after the receiving pit and elevator boot amounted to 0.15% while commingling percentages with weighing scale, grain cleaner and grain scalper were 0.18%, 0.28% and 0.01%, respectively.