Barn-stored beet keeps clamps free from frost
Barn-stored beet keeps clamps free from frost
STORING sugar beet in a former silage barn proved a success for one Rutland farmer last season. Beet remained in near perfect condition, although some was stored for up to three months.
With a few modifications, Christopher Renner, who farms as I W Renner and Sons at Normanton Lodge Farm, Oakham, believes the technique is safer than clamping beet outside.
In the 1995/96 season, Mr Renner had 50t of beet returned due to frost damage. "That was bad enough. But we are also 78 miles from the factory. We cant afford to have beet back."
Reducing the beef herd last year gave Mr Renner the chance to avoid further rejections. The 1000t+ of beet lifted from November to Christmas was loaded into his 41m x 21m (135ft x 70ft) silage building.
Enough ventilation
The first job was to ensure sufficient ventilation to prevent the 2.5m (8.2ft) high beet stack from overheating. Circulation above the beet was not a problem. But the lower part of the wall was 100mm (4in) thick concrete panelling, making forced ventilation a necessity.
Pallets were laid at 45í to the wall, making a tunnel along one side and the back of the clamp. An old dryer fan was placed at one end. The other side was left unventilated as a control.
The original plan was to store beet in a horseshoe shape, so air never had far to travel. But high yields meant the centre had to be filled in too.
That could have caused a problem with dirtier, late-lifted beet. But farm foreman Tony Dodd designed a tower vent, made from an old 45gal drum. Holes were drilled in it, and a 2m length of pipe welded to the top. Four of the modified drums were placed in a line down the centre of the clamp as it was filled. A portable 1.3kW fan was used as needed to keep the heap cool.
Mr Renner monitored clamp temperature twice a week using three digital max/min thermometers, costing about £20 each.
"At first we blew the heap whenever the temperature was near to freezing," says Mr Renner. That, and subsequent blowing whenever clamp temperature exceeded the ambient, proved effective. The ventilated clamp remained at 8-9C. But the unventilated beet reached 15C.
"A big advantage is that there is no need to keep covering and uncovering the clamp," says Mr Renner. It was covered during a cold spell soon after the clamp was built. "I didnt think there was enough heat in the clamp to keep frost out." But he left it unsheeted throughout the later cold spell in January. Despite temperatures falling to -5C for several consecutive nights the clamp never froze.
British Sugar operations manager Ian Hopkinson is impressed with the results. "There was a bit of sprouting in the centre of the heap, but nothing to worry about. Most of the beet looked as though it had just come out of the harvester."
Sugar losses supported that. Beet stored for three months had an 18% sugar content, only about 2% below that sent to the factory from the same field in November.
Mr Renner plans to use the system again this year. Pallets will be placed all round the heap to improve ventilation, and extra tower vents may be used to reduce sprouting further in the heaps centre.n
British Sugar agronomist Charles Fletcher (left) checks temperature probes. They gave grower Christopher Renner (centre) a good indication of clamp condition. Ian Hopkinson was impressed with the system.
Left: Foreman Tony Dodd designed four of these tower vents to ventilate beet in the centre of the clamp.
INSIDE STORAGE
• Ventilation vital – pallet tunnels work well.
• Temperature monitoring helps.
• No need to cover and uncover.
• Frost-free, cool beet stored well for three months.