Customer Testimonial
<< Back to MapPressure Curing® Wheat and Corn in Missouri
…store your own grain and maintain the quality of the grain, and come out with a good product at the end that is worth more…it is very attractive. We are real pleased with the Pressure Cure® system
Robert Morgan
Hingham, MO
Improving Overall Profitability
When Robert Morgan, Hingham, Missouri put up two 48’ (26,000 bushel) Pressure Cure® systems he got more than he expected. More wheat, more beans and more corn, and better quality to boot. Now in his third year of Pressure Curing, Morgan is already looking forward to the day he further expands on what he feels is a "very attractive" concept no matter where you farm.
Double-cropping of wheat/beans is a standard practice for many Missouri growers, but maximizing yield on beans with early planting is always a challenge. What appealed to Morgan initially was "the fact we could thresh out wheat seven to twelve days earlier. That gives you a big jump on your double-crop beans. Every day bean planting is delayed the yield potential really drops. I think we’re gaining 1-1 1/2 bushels / acre / day on the beans (by harvesting the wheat earlier, Pressure Curing it, and planting the beans earlier). Plus the fact we’re getting heavier grain with the Pressure Cure® system. The way we figure it the bins will pay for themselves in a very short period of time."
In addition to improved bean yields, Morgan has been impressed with the superior test weight on wheat by combining at 18-21% green moisture. "The test weight is so much better than leaving it in the field to dry down. We have had that experience. TheAir Pumps ran about two weeks and dried it right down." The improved test weight has indeed been a pleasant surprise. As Morgan points out, soft red winter wheat is often somewhat lower in test weight relative to other classes of wheat. "In the past, we’d usually be around 54-55 pounds. With our Pressure Cure® bins we came out just above 60 pounds." On Morgan’s 48’ Pressure Cure® bins, this five pound advantage equates to nearly 2,200 additional bushels / bin or $5,500 (based on $2.50 / bushel wheat).
Having seen these unexpected, but money-making benefits on his wheat crop, Morgan moved his wheat out in preparation for the soybean harvest. "We cut our beans at 18-19% moisture and dried them right down, although we did not have ideal drying conditions. The following spring when we moved the beans I was amazed at the good test weight and quality that came out of there; and the moisture was very consistent all the way through." Morgan was able to get a good early start on the soybean crop,minimizing shatter loss and overdrying in the field as well. The bottom line: more net bushels in the bin and more dollars in the bank.
Wrapping up the bean harvest early,Morgan turned his attention to corn, filling the second 48’ Pressure Cure® bin with 18-24.5% moisture. "The corn dried right down as well. The corn we hauled out was real nice and had good heavy test weight." Having seen the superior quality of his corn, Morgan is already thinking about ways to further capitalize on the Pressure Cure® concept: "Another thing I really like... we’re looking at getting into more specialty crops: waxy corn, high oil corn, and some specialty soybeans. I think that is going to be our profit in the future." With their Pressure Cure® systems,Morgan is confident they can preserve the quality necessary to meet all the specifications of a specialty grain contract and capture the full premium available on that contract.
In the meantime, Morgan feels they are improving overall profitability through the many benefits of Pressure Curing and storing their wheat, bean and corn crops. "It’s always made us money. The fact you don’t have to stand in line at the elevator... time is money. Most of the time you have the lowest prices at harvest. So being able to store your own and maintain the quality of the grain, and come out with a good product at the end that is worth more... it is very attractive. We are real pleased with the Pressure Cure® system."
