Flood-damaged corn might be salvaged as high-moisture ground ear or shelled corn, says Charles Schwab, Iowa State University Extension professor, Ag and Biosystems Engineering. If you have at least 100 bushels of damaged grain, it probably will pay to either dry it or ensile it if the grain will be fed and you have a silo.

Schwab said you must act fast to save wet corn before it molds. Wet grain can start molding in a few hours in warm weather. Schwab gives these pointers for handling flood-damaged corn:

1. Do as good of a job as possible of separating the dry corn from the wet. Moisture won't travel more than a few inches above the floodline in the corn bin or crib. A pneumatic grain conveyor, that can probably be leased from a local elevator, will suck dry grain from the top of the bin like a vacuum cleaner. Re-store the dry corn. Dry the wet corn as soon as possible after the water recedes, then it can be re-stored or sold. Wet corn will spoil in a few days. Be very careful when using a pneumatic conveyor on the top surface of grain. The conveyor can withdraw grain so rapidly the operator can be sucked into the grain and be suffocated.

2. If the wet grain will be fed, consider high-moisture grain storage. The ideal moisture content for good fermentation is 25 to 30 percent. Grain may be stored in a partially empty upright silo or perhaps in a horizontal silo.

3. Separate dry ear corn from flood-damaged corn in a crib. Salvage the flood-damaged corn as high-moisture corn, shell it and dry it, or perhaps sell it to a local livestock feeder.

4. Wet ear corn can be ensiled similarly to regular silage. Grind it fine and pack well.

5. Another possibility is to spread out the flood-damaged grain on a concrete slab or feeding floor or on the ground. It will at least partially dry. Feed it or sell it as soon as possible.

Updated 3/08

Contact: Charles Schwab, (515) 294-4131