Storage Losses Other Than From Insects 
(Table 12) 
Cereals (Wheat, Oats, Barley, Rye, Rice) 
Most storage losses of these grains, aside from insect damage, 
are caused by mold and self-heating of the grain. The rate at 
which these conditions develop depends largely on the amount of 
moisture. Excess moisture may be due to the condition of the 
grain when harvested, inadequate drying before or during storage, 
or wetting by leakage through walls or roof or by ground moisture. 
Losses vary with the length of storage, atmospheric temperatures, 
and the percentage of broken kernels and foreign material present. 
For example, small grains can be safely stored in the northern 
areas with 1 to percent higher moisture than in southern areas. 
Losses due to rodents include leakage through mice and rat holes 
in bins, bags, or other containers and befouling of the grain as 
well as that actually consumed. 
Corn 
Much of the loss in stored corn is due to mold and heating, which 
is generally caused by high moisture and inadequate ventilation. 
Such loss depends on the length of the storage period, atmosphsric 
temperatures, and, particularly with ear corn in cribbed storages, 
the atmospheric humidity. Shelled corn that is broken while moving 
into tight bin storage or ear corn cribbed with much husk, silk, 
and shelled corn will also deteriorate faster than sound, clean corn. 
Losses from molds and heating are generally higher in years of 
"soft corn," that is, when corn is more generally stored with ex- 
cessive moisture, than in years of normal maturity. Soft corn 
occurred in 1945, 1947, and 1952 in the midwestern Corn Belt, 
particularly in the more northerly sections. 
Losses dua to rodents include leakage of shelled corn through rat 
holes in buildings, bags, or other containers and contamination of 
the corn that is not actually consumed. 
Hay (A11) 
Losses of hay stored in mows are caused by molds and heating due: 
to excess moisture in the hay when stored or to leaky structures. 
Such heating sometimes results in spontaneous ignition, with loss 
of both hay and buildings. Some losses from shattering of leaves 
may be caused by the method of handling, particularly in extremely 
dry hay. 
Losses of loose or baled hay stacked in the field are due to the 
same causes and also to weathering of the outside layers of the 
stack and wetting of the stack bottom by ground or surface moisture. 
sigue 
