Drying grain with wheat straw?

[Austrian Economics]

Apparently there's no problem that can't be solved if you throw $165 million at it.

Who here has done some digging on the logistical and handling issues if you substituted grain straw for natural gas or propane as a heat source for drying grain?

https://financialpost.com/news/economy/clean-ag https://financialpost.com/news/economy/clean-ag

I have to wonder if these alternatives are truly carbon neutral once you account for the carbon footprint of all the inputs.

[jazz]

Not sure about wheat straw but flax straw would be a candidate.

[ColevilleH2S]

Sounds like we are just trading off CO2 pollution for particulate pollution.

[helmsdale]

Sounds like we are just trading off CO2 pollution for particulate pollution.

Isn't that just it... Nat Gas and Propane burn clean! Straw not so much.

But then after they spend Millions on it, they'll be able to spend Millions more making them all Tier 4 compliant!

[blackpowder]

Where we gonna get dry straw if we cant get dry grain?

[sumdumguy]

Straw and Grain - this year?

[agstar77]

Seriously , are they that stupid?

[Austrian Economics]

I know of a local entrepreneur who builds zero-emission burners which he markets for disposing of plastic waste. They can burn straw just as easily. The price tag starts at around $500,000.

[GDR]

I know of a local entrepreneur who builds zero-emission burners which he markets for disposing of plastic waste. They can burn straw just as easily. The price tag starts mat around $500,000.

Maybe zero emissions from a pollution standpoint but the big bad CO2 is still produced in any combustion reaction. This straw burning was in other media too celebrated as a climate change solution by people with no clue. As others mentioned no where near as clean, still producing co2 and also destroying valuable organic matter, and replacing with increased fert rates where baled. Just unbelievable short sighted thinking.

[WiltonRanch]

Thought there was an outfit in Manitoba selling bale gasifiers for heating. Had bales on a conveyor or something. Looked elaborate and aimed at large scale heating projects. The bale idea would work for grain drying but if you don’t dry a bunch and infrequently, you’d have to work it into a whole farm heating system to justify cost. Even running an ic engine on the gas to make your electricity.
Costs of landing the straw and capitol cost would be atrocious plus the fact you’re exporting nutrients.

[woodland]

Ma Nature is drying our grain for us before it even heads out. Can’t beat that for efficiency 😉

Wonder if I could get a grant to study this…………..🍀

[Austrian Economics]

Thought there was an outfit in Manitoba selling bale gasifiers for heating. Had bales on a conveyor or something. Looked elaborate and aimed at large scale heating projects. The bale idea would work for grain drying but if you don’t dry a bunch and infrequently, you’d have to work it into a whole farm heating system to justify cost. Even running an ic engine on the gas to make your electricity.
Costs of landing the straw and capitol cost would be atrocious plus the fact you’re exporting nutrients.

My thoughts exactly. You don't need to dry every year, and you often don't know now much you will have to. So you would have no choice but to bale enough or buy enough for a worst case scenario and then dispose of a lot of straw if you don't need it.

[WiltonRanch]

My thoughts exactly. You don't need to dry every year, and you often don't know now much you will have to. So you would have no choice but to bale enough or buy enough for a worst case scenario and then dispose of a lot of straw if you don't need it.

Might make sense if you are a mixed operation and use straw already. Straw after a year or so wouldn’t be great for burning but better for cows. I could see this of some benefit to particular types of operations but it being any sort of silver bullet for the grande scheme is negligible.