Advantages:
1.Allows for harvesting tough grain and thereby reduces losses from weather and wildlife.
2.Extends available harvest period.
3.Earlier harvest is possible.
4.Drying tough or damp grain can reduce or eliminate spoilage in storage.
5.May improve market grade and acceptability of grain.
6.May afford alternative market outlets for grain.
7.May eliminate necessity of swathing to obtain "dry" grain.
May improve malting quality by reducing kernel peeling and cracking during combining. However, most maltsers will not knowingly buy grain which has been artificially dried.
Since artificially dried grain usually contains near maximum allowable water content, the extra weight generates more dollars when sold.
Disadvantages of
grain drying:
1.Requires extra capital for equipment, energy and operation.
2.Requires extra labor and inconvenience of handling unless centralized facilities are available.
3.Requires some experience to operate effectively.
4.May impair quality of malting barley if not operated properly.