Lesson Structure: Agronomy II (Grains)

There are 9 lessons in this course:

1  Introduction to grains

• Introduction
• Production of crops in different climates and ecological zones
• Crop growing periods and growing degree days
• Cropping season as affected by moisture availability
• World cropping
• Cereal crop growth stages
• Grain types
• Production systems

2  Cereal/grain infrastructure and machinery requirements

• Introduction
• Equipment requirements
• Seed
• Harvest
• Grain storage

3  Wheat, triticale, spelt, barley, oats, rye.

• Wheat and Spelt
• Tritosecale
• Oats
• Barley
• Rye

4  Maize, Sorghum, millet

• Maize
• Sorghum
• Millet

5  Rice

• Introduction
• Rice (Orryza SPP.)
• Cultivation
• Crop health and diseases
• Harvest

6  Pulse crops

• Introduction
• Soybeans
• Pidgeon Peas (Congo beans)
• Lima beans
• Cowpeas
• Mung beans
• Chick peas
• Lentils
• Faba beans
• Field peas (Green peas)

7  Pseudo cereals

• Introduction
• Chia
• Quinoa
• Amaranth
• buckwheat
• Sesame seed

8  Processing grains for human consumption

• Introduction
• Post-harvest processing
• Storage
• Grain processing and consumption
• Wheat processing
• Processing maize (corn)
• Processing rice
• Processing oats
• Processing pseudograins
• Fortifying foods

9  Grains for livestock consumption

• Introduction
• C3 and C4 grasses
• Nutrient-dense forages and forage quality

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school’s tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Learning Goals: Agronomy II (Grains)

1. Classify important existing and emerging grains or cereals grown around the world and explain the production systems both large and small scale, used for growing, harvesting and storing grains in different countries.
2. Describe important farm structures, equipment, vehicles, supplies and natural resources required for successful production of cereal/grain crops
3. Describe and compare the properties and production systems of the major ‘cool season’ cereals, namely: wheat, triticale, spelt, barley, oats and rye.
4. Describe and compare the properties and production systems of the major ‘warm season’ cereals, namely: maize, sorghum and millet
5. Describe the four main broad habitats where rice is grown and explain the variety of production systems used within these different habitats.
6. Explain and compare the production systems and uses of important cool and warm season pulse crops grown around the world.
7. Describe production of ‘non-grasses’ that are existing or emerging as important‘cereals’, such as chia, quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat.
8. Explain post harvest storage and processing methods used for cereals for human consumption and examine the various sales procedures used.
9. Describe the production of important warm and cool season grasses used for forage and stock feed
10. Describe the storage, processing and sale of cereals used for livestock and demonstrate the calculation of some sample stock rations

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here is a list of the most often asked FAQ’s.

General

Q. Why should I enrol with the Academy for Distance Learning?
A. Here at ADL, our students are our priority – we treat everyone as a unique individual.

Q. Do I need to buy text books?
A. No, as each module has been written by highly qualified industry professionals. The content of the material is presented in such a way that text books are not required. However, if you require additional reading your tutor will be able to supply a list.

Q. What happens if I have to stop studying for a while? (eg. become sick, go on holidays, have a baby, move house, etc)
A. It’s OK to take a break and start up your study at a later point in time. Just let us know.

Q. Is there an age limit?
A. There is no maximum age limit. We do however, have a minimum age limit of 18 years. Below that age parental consent would be required.

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A. Our courses are revised and updated on a rotation system.

Q. Do you have a Cancellation policy?
A. Yes. We have a cancellation policy that is fair and equitable. For further details please click here.

Q. Will I have any opportunity to engage with other students?
A. We have a Student Community group based on facebook! If you don’t have a facebook account already, you could make one just for talking with fellow students on the group.

Enrolment

Q. When can I enrol/start?
A. You may enrol and start at any time of the year – it’s all self- paced.

Q. Can I study from anywhere in the world?
A. Our courses are available to anyone, anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own home. The course content is relevant to any country, culture or economy.

Q. How long do I have to complete the course?
A. You complete the course at any time that is convenient for you.

Q. Completing a 100 hour module – how long will it take?
A. For some students a 100 hour module will take approximately to 3- 6 months to complete. Others take less time and some even longer.

Assessment

Q. Assessment – how does it work?
A. For each 100 hour module you are assessed by assignments (at the end of each lesson) and a final one and a half hour exam (or you may elect to complete a Project, instead of sitting the exam) – the choice is yours – you sit for the exam in your own location.

Q. I don’t cope well with exams – what can I do?
A. You may elect to undertake a Project (set by your tutor) instead of sitting the exam. Projects are completed from your home and can usually take a couple of weeks to complete.

Q. If my assignment is not up to standard is there an opportunity to resubmit my work?
A. Yes –

Q. How many assignments do I need to complete for each module?
A. At the end of each lesson, there is an assignment – so if a course has say, 10 lessons, there would be 10 assignments.

Q. I am having difficulty attending workshops/industry meetings, what can be done?
A. If your course requires attendance at workshops, conferences, or industry meetings; alternative arrangements can be made in your country.

Qualifications

Q. What qualification will I receive?
A. For individual modules, you would be awarded a Certificate endorsed by TQUK (Training Qualifications, UK), providing you complete all assignments and the exam. If you just want to complete only the assignments and not sit for the exam or finish a Project, then a Letter of Achievement would be awarded. For more details on qualifications available please click here.

Q. Can I customize my diploma/higher qualification?
A. Not all educational institution’s certificates /diplomas meet everyone’s needs. The opportunity to Design Your Own Diploma at the Academy (subject to our approval) is an added bonus, not found at other colleges. You choose modules that you think will help you in achieving your goal.

Q. What do I get when I complete the course? Will I receive a transcript?
A. At the completion of all courses and providing all assignments and exam requirements have been met, you will receive your Award and a Transcript.

Tutors

Q. Our tutors – who are they?
A. We appoint Tutors and require that they must be currently active in their industry, with at least 5 years’ experience in their chosen profession.

Q. Can I contact my tutor at any time?
A. Yes – you have unlimited access to your tutor via email through our Online Classroom. You can always leave a message with ADL requesting your tutor to contact you. You decide on how much or how little contact you wish to have.

Q. Practical work – How is this done?
A. To find out more about this part of the course please visit the section on How Our Courses Work here.

Excerpt from the Course

Harvest

Grains need to be harvested at the right time in their growth cycle, in order to obtain the best quantity and quality in the harvest. Subsistence farmers have harvested grain crops manually for thousands of years, and some still do. Most commercial grain crops though, will be harvested with machines. Machine harvesters may be owned by large farming operations; but for smaller operations, the harvesting may be contracted to someone with the machinery to do the job.

One of the first issues is to harvest the crop while it is at its best. That is while the moisture content is at the maximum acceptable level but not too wet to cause storage or quality issues.

Another issue that approaches at harvest is weather damage. Crops are quite susceptible to loss of quality if rain falls on a ripe crop, wind, hail or heavy rain can cause crops to shed grain, or shatter pods.

As a general rule of thumb, pulse crops such as chickpeas weather quite well for a short period of time as the grain is protected inside a pod, however with canola the pods become very brittle when ripe and can shatter very easily which is why a windrower is often used to lay the crop on the ground to reduce the chance of pods shatter from adverse weather.

Some cereal crops weather better than others, some wheat varieties can weather quite well whereas barley has a fairly soft straw and can lodge (fall over) if too much rain falls onto a ripening crop. For this reason, farmers often have some form of grain storage. Grain storage can open up a range of marketing options as well.  If crop prices are not particularly attractive during harvest (which often happens) farmers can then store their crops and sell them at a time when markets are priced more favourably. So with this in mind, we will look at some basic storage options for a grain farmer.

Silos
Silos are the most permanent form of grain storage. They are usually large steel cylinder structures with a cone base; however some silos have flat bottoms.  The cone base helps the grain to flow down to the bottom of the silo into a hopper where an auger can pump the grain into a truck.  Most large grain farms have a silo complex (a number of silos for seed storage as well as grain storage during harvest).  Silos complexes usually are attached to power so that grain dryers can be used.
Grain dryers are used to bring the moisture content down to a level that is acceptable to the grain receiver and this is particularly useful if a farmer has to harvest grain at a higher moisture content just to get the crop out of the field, whether that is because adverse weather conditions are forecast, or large areas of crop need to be harvested so the farmer just has to get on with it.
Most modern silos are fitted with aerators.  These are small fans fitted into the base of the silo that forces air up through the silo. They help keep the grain at a constant temperature which maintains the quality of the grain. It is a good idea to think of grain as a living thing, as adverse temperatures or moisture in storage will ruin the viability of any grain kept for seed.  Grain dryers are also particularly good at keeping grain insect free, so are a good investment if planning on constructing new silos.

Silo Bags
Silo bags are large heavy plastic sausage-like bags that can hold up to 220 tonnes of wheat.  They have a life of up to 18months out in the open.  They are very useful for storing grain on the sides of fields during harvest, however, the grain must be of the right moisture content otherwise the grain will sweat in the bag and go mouldy. They are quick to use and quite good for temporary storage however you may have issues with access when the time comes to unload them if they are out on the edge of a field (as opposed to permanent silos that usually have a heavy gravel pad around them allowing for all weather access). They also require a specialise bag unloader and if you are planning on leaving them in the field for a period of time they will require an electric fence constructed around them as pigs and other animals can puncture them and they have been known to tear open like a ladder in a stocking which is can cause quite a bit of grain loss.

Bunkers
Bunkers describe where grain is dumped in a large pile on the ground, or a cement slab, sometimes bunkers are covered with a plastic tarp (which is most desirable to reduce weather damage).  These are a very temporary form of storage and grain is usually moved as quickly as possible out of a bunker.  An ideal bunker site should be raised to allow water to drain away from the grain.  Most farmers would have this area known as the pad, to be built up by a grader and have the floor packed hard.
Insect pest control in grain storage

Grain insects develop quickly in stored grain if the right conditions are prevalent. Most grain pests reproduce rapidly at temperatures of around 30°C, so cool storage conditions are best if possible at around 20°C or less, this could be quite difficult to achieve in some countries but aeration of silos will help.  Grain insects in some countries have already developed resistance to some grain protectant chemicals, so often a combination of protectants is necessary.

The use of protectants hinges on the withholding period of the product so in some situations will not be suitable if grain needs to be sold within the withholding period. Protectants are not designed to be applied to grain with a visible insect infestation, they are meant to be applied to grain as it enters storage. We encourage you to familiarise yourself with the resistant grain insects. We also recommend that you investigate the main grain pests to your region or country.

Milling
Sometimes known as grist milling, milling is the process by which grain is flattened or ground. In the past, water and wind have been used to powered mills; today’s mills are usually electric steel roll mills. This means that the grains are rolled between two steel rollers with roughened edges or teeth to break the grains. After this, grains are sieved, such that the endosperm (white flour) is separated from bran layers and germ. The endosperm is then milled again until the desired level of refinement is reached. In some cases, bran layers and germ are also ground finer, and added back into the endosperm grounds to produce brown and wholemeal flours.