Calculating Grain Weight Shrinkage in Corn Due to Mechanical Drying

O. R. Hicks and H. A. Cloud, University of Minnesota

Following harvest, a corn grower must usually decide whether to sell wet corn "as is" at a mositure discounted market price or mechanically dry the grain (on-farm or by custom drying) al a total cost the grower hopes is less than the moisture discount. One of the expenses involved in mechanically drying grain is the "cost" of the weight loss that occurs during the drying process. This weight loss by drying is referred to as "shrink" and is expressed as a percentage of the original quantity before it is dried. Growers must calculate shrinkage in order to accurately determine the total cost of mechanical drying. (For more information on determining the profitability of on·farm drying see NCH-21 "Economics of On· Farm Corn Drying. ")

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