Grain farmers invest too much time, energy and money into producing their crops to allow insect pests to reduce volume and quality in on-farm storage facilities.

Farmers have good reasons to pay close attention to protecting stored grain, says Texas AgriLife Extension entomologist Roy Parker.

Managing grain in storage facilities allows a producer to “develop a reputation as the individual from which to purchase grain,” Parker said during the recent Texas Plant Protection Association annual conference in College Station.

“Insect management is one way to achieve that reputation, but it requires attention to all aspects of the stored grain operation,” he said.

Insect damage causes multiple problems including loss of yield through destroyed kernels, reduced quality from insect parts, increased heat (10 to 15 degrees higher), more moisture and mold, odor, additional dust and as much as  5 percent weight loss per year. All those issues may mean a 16 percent loss in market value in just one year.