Upgrading grain-handling systems has helped farmers stay ahead of unpredictable weather, maintain grain quality and reduce losses.
George Horton improves drying
George Horton, an arable farmer based in Wiltshire, manages 222ha of winter beans and winter barley. He recognised the need to upgrade his post-harvest set-up to increase efficiency. After exploring various grain dryers on the market, his search led him to Alvan Blanch.
“I looked at all the dryers, and Alvan Blanch seemed to tick all the boxes,” he explains. His decision was also influenced by the experience of two neighbouring farms already using Alvan Blanch dryers. “After consultation with the Alvan Blanch team, I was convinced I should get one – and here we are with our DF15900.”
The model was chosen to match the output of George’s combine, targeting about 15t/hour at 5% moisture reduction. “Since we got the DF15900, it has been doing all the things the team said it would. It has been incredibly efficient, and we are very impressed with the performance”
Three key benefits stood out to George. First, the installation process was quick and straightforward, handled by Ben Slade Grain Handling Systems Ltd; second, the system’s ease of use eliminates the need for extensive training; and third, its horizontal base design promotes even grain flow and consistent drying.
The system’s practical features have made operations simpler. “You can tell exactly how much grain is in the dryer. The viewing windows on top are fantastic, and with the inspection window and exhaust door, I can easily take a sample and monitor grain temperature at any time.”
Changing from one crop to another is also simple with the crop follow-on feature.
Now four years in, George describes the DF15900 as reliable, precise and consistently efficient. “It’s really been brilliant for us,” he added. “If you’re looking for a dryer, certainly put Alvan Blanch in the mix. I think it has a lot of bonuses compared to other dryers—and I’d recommend it.”
Cooling pedestals
Storecool, introduced in 2008 by Evans & Pearce, emerged as an alternative to traditional Polycool pedestals, designed in anticipation of potential supply issues from the original manufacturer.
The system is rotationally moulded and features eight large apertures at its base, optimising air intake from a very low point. This is said to enhance the effectiveness in serving the working area, making it suitable for shallow grain storage, though it performs comparably to standard pedestals in depths up to 5.7m.
A key advantage is that small seeds do not obstruct the duct, eliminating the need for filters when used with crops like oilseed rape.
In 2021, F Wallis & Son invested in eight Storecool units for their 1,000t store near Salisbury, which is divided into two 10x30m bays, each holding approximately 500t.
The units were placed down the centre of each bay. Their ability to draw effectively service such wide areas, which had been a challenge for traditional pedestal bases.
The system was complemented by Evans & Pearce’s PV250 fans, equipped with integral Grain Fan Assist and a series of differential temperature controllers for optimal air movement. The on-screen display of crop temperatures on each fan enables quick and easy quality checks.
During the 2022 harvest, wheat entered the store at 26.6C with 14.9% moisture content. A month later, the crop had cooled to 18C and moisture dropped to 14.1%. This was achieved despite unusually warm conditions, and the company says it highlights the utilisation of all available cooling. The unexpected drying effect was attributed to the warm, dry weather experienced during that harvest.
John Field, who manages arable operations and grain storage at F Wallis & Son, expresses satisfaction with the system’s ease of use and performance.
He says: “Each unit is light and easy to move and position, simplifying tasks for the single person on duty in the grain store during harvest.”
To further enhance cooling efficiency, F Wallis & Son is considering additional building ventilation fans. This would actively remove hot air, preventing recirculation through the crop and maximising the system’s effectiveness.
Mecmar automated drier
Sandy Wade-Gery, who farms with his son, Will, in Bedfordshire, has upgraded and future-proofed his grain drying capability by replacing a decades-old PTO-driven grain dryer with a new automatic, electric Mecmar SSI 28T mobile dryer, supplied and supported by McArthur BDC.
“Our old dryer was reaching the end of its life, and we needed to upgrade for more capacity and energy efficiency,” says Sandy, who farms about 400ha of arable crops, growing milling winter wheat, winter barley, spring wheat, spring beans and spring oats.
He adds that the Mecmar stood out for its build quality and ease of use, particularly the remote access capability of the dryer’s control panel. “The Mecmar control panel can be configured to send a notification, via email or text, to the dryer’s operator when the dried grain is ready to be discharged. There is no longer the need for the operator to be constantly monitoring the dryer.”
He adds: “The old dryer tied up a tractor and the burners were driven by gas from a bulk tank. It was noisy and dusty. The new Mecmar is electric and uses diesel from an on-board tank to power the burners. It is super-quiet and has an integrated dust extraction system, two features which our dryer operator, Dom Chandler, loves.”
From the field, grain can be tipped directly into the loading auger from the trailer or loaded with a telehandler via a portable hopper placed over the loading auger. Using the control panel which has pre-set drying programmes, configured by the operator at the beginning of harvest, the correct programme is selected so that grain is dried to the required moisture content.
Once set, the grain is fed from the intake hopper to the Mecmar and as soon as the mid-level sensor located inside the dryer is covered, the fan and burner starts and drying begins. When the high-level sensor is covered, the loading auger stops automatically.
As the grain recirculates within the dryer, the Mecmar’s aspirator, located at the top of the central auger, removes dust and chaff, improving the bushel weight of the crop. Once the target temperature is reached, the dryer then enters a predetermined cooling cycle before a final moisture check.
“The Mecmar is light years ahead of our old dryer. We wanted a dryer that delivered an automated solution, was efficient, quieter, reliable and would meet our requirements well into the future. To keep moving forward, we are looking at relocating the Mecmar to a dedicated grain store and adding a colour sorter to further enhance how we process our grain,” Sandy concludes.
Tornum system
Tim Westgarth of Holmedale Valley, had worked with Tornum (then JWI) when the farm installed a 30t/hour Perry drying system in 2004. “We’ve always had good service from the company, and they are right on our doorstep, so every time we’ve looked to increase the capacity of our system, we’ve gone to Tornum,” he says.
The farm has plenty of need for capacity as well, farming over 1,400ha of combinable crops – split into wheat, barley, oilseed rape, rye and beans – and buying in grain to feed a pig enterprise.
“We can dry up to 38,000t of wheat,” Tim explains. “And it rarely comes in lower than 15% moisture.”
In 2012, they added an Allmet 30t/hour dryer, although by 2024 it was clear they needed to future-proof the business. Looking at what Tornum could offer, they installed two TK4-16 dryers, with a combined output of 92t/hour. There was also an extra wet bin, with the old wet bin and some transport components integrated into the new system, a Damas Pulco aspirator and a Skandia input conveyor rated at 120t/hour.
“If anything, this new system is overspecified for our current needs,” Tim says. “But our old units were running 24 hours a day at the peak of the season; with this new set-up we should be able to cut that back to 14 hours, with capacity for additional grain when we need it.”
He adds that it will take pressure off operations, as wheat needs to be dried and stored ahead of the potato harvest.
The final touch was the Tornum Intelligent Drier Control (IDC) system, which monitors crop moisture and adjusts the discharge speed to maintain the correct average. While this season hasn’t required any drying so far, IDC should provide a uniform moisture percentage across the full grain haul, regardless of the varying percentages imported grain is brought in at.
