©Tim Scrivener

Keeping grain stores and the crops inside them cool, ventilated and well lit are perennial problems for arable farmers.

We take a look at a few handy devices that help soothe those post-harvest headaches.

Ventilation

Evans & Pearce Polycool grain ventilation pedestals

Evans & Pearce reckons the tough twin-wall plastic on its Polycool grain ventilation pedestals make them loader proof and easy to move.

They are designed to provide conditioning of floor-stored crops when combined with high output centrifugal fans.

The line-up includes three sizes: the Mini suited to crop storage depths of up to 2.5m; the Standard for crop stored 2.6m to 6m deep; and the Maxi for 6m and more.

Although Polycool pedestals have fewer perforations than punched steel pedestals, the corrugated shape is said to result in less masking of the holes by grain, resulting in comparable airflows.

Prices: Mini £140; Standard £164; Maxi £272 – all from Evans & Pearce.

See also: Drill makers ready their new kit for Cereals 2015

Evans & Pearce Coolspear

Quick intervention to tackle hot spots in grain and oilseeds stored in bulk is the purpose of the Coolspear.

This pointed stainless steel tube has a perforated lower half – there are different versions for grain and oilseed – through which air is drawn by a ventilation fan placed on top.

A short auger flight drags the spiral-wound tube deep into the bulk as it is turned by a removable cross handle.

The latest screw handle is a non-slip design that can be used with any number of Coolspears and it slides into the reinforced top section of the tube where it is secured by a pin.

Prices: 2.35m Grain Coolspear £113.50 from Evans & Pearce.

Evans & Pearce Evolution crop fan

The Evolution crop ventilation centrifugal fan is claimed to be cheaper to run than conventional units. It uses a brushless electric motor that Evans & Pearce calculates needs 0.35kW to produce the same air movement as a 1.1kW conventional motor.

That offsets the higher purchase price within a year or two depending upon annual usage.

The brushless motor takes less current at start-up, which reduces load spikes and allows standard extension leads to be used.

The fan weighs 16kg and has three carry handles, which makes it easier shift around the store. It also has a temperature differential controller for automatic on/off according to ambient conditions.

A larger impeller and scroll means 8in diameter upper tubes must be used on ventilation pedestals to achieve adequate airflow for effective cooling.

Prices: Evolution £869, from Evans & Pearce and South West Seeds.

Lighting

GlassGuard Bay Luminaire

GlassGuard’s Bay Luminaire range is one of several fragment retention lamps suitable for use in grain stores.

Their big selling points are the ability provide a combination of energy efficiency, improved lighting and safer maintenance qualities.

All versions are fitted with high efficiency reflectors (93% LOR) and compact fluorescent lamps that are claimed to retain 90% lumen performance throughout their life.

That compares strongly against the 70% from metal halide and sodium lights.

Moreover, the Bay Luminaires lamps are treated with a coating that retains all broken glass, just in case there are any accidents. That means there’s little risk of glass contamination or injury.

Options include LumaStat daylight sensor control, motion sensor switch-on and digital dimming, plus Passive Infra-Red (PIR) and photocell capabilities for up to 60% energy saving.

Prices: From £188, from GlassGuard.