October 21, 2021 crop, headline 1 comment

Authors: Pierce Paul and Dee Jepsen, Ohio State University Extension

There are reports that during the harvest, a huge cloud of dust will be blown behind the combine harvester. It is of course not uncommon to see dust during harvest, because as the combine harvester passes through the field, fragments of dead, dry plant parts and soil particles are usually suspended in the air. However, what is worrying this year is that there seems to be too much dust and the color is darker than usual. One possible explanation for this may be that the leaves of some corn fields die prematurely due to tar spot, gray leaf spot, especially the mid- to late stage diseases such as northern corn leaf blight. These leaves are then exposed to a moist environment, causing them to produce excessive amounts of fungal spores. 

For example, in humid conditions, the northern corn leaf blight lesions will produce a large number of dark spores. Once the plants are disturbed by the combine harvester, these spores are easily suspended in the air. In addition, saprophytic fungi, such as Alternaria alternata, also produce dark spores and may also grow on dead plant tissues exposed to wet, humid late-season conditions, thereby increasing the number of black particles in the dust cloud during harvest.       

Harvesting fields with dry, moldy leaves may expose farmers to dust. The dust in grains harvested from fields severely affected by leaf diseases contains a mixture of tiny diseased leaves and fungal spores, all of which can cause irritation and allergic reactions. Inhalation of dust will adversely affect the human respiratory system. For fields with ear rot, dust (mold corn cobs and chaff fragments) may also be contaminated with mycotoxins. 

Wearing a disposable 2 N95 mask (respirator) helps prevent workers from inhaling dusty, moldy, and toxic substances. This type of personal protective equipment will filter out at least 95% of dust and mold in the air. 1-strap masks do not have this level of protection and are basically of no value in agricultural environments. 

How to wear N95 correctly

Make sure to wear N95 when working in dusty and moldy environments, especially in grain storage and processing bins. 

How to test if your respirator is suitable

Ideally, N95 should be tested for suitability for each worker. After performing the suitability test, the staff will know which type is most suitable. Then before each use, perform a sealing test to ensure that the mask fits tightly 

When to throw N95 masks

Consider an N95 respirator similar to the air filter in your vehicle. 

There is no recommendation on how many minutes or hours the mask can be used in an agricultural environment. The mask filter has a rated total absorption mass of 200 mg, but on the farm, the time to reach this level is unclear. Every respirator is affected by personal hygiene, respiratory resistance and the density of air pollutants. Every job is different-the heat, humidity, and other environmental conditions when performing the job will also be different.

2 Belt type N95 respirator is the best form to prevent moldy and dusty grain dust. Protect yourself and all workers who are exposed to grain dust during the Ohio harvest.

For more information about farm respirators, please refer to OSU Extended Data Sheet: Dust and Mold, AEX 892.2.11 https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/aex-892211

Author: John Schoenhals, Pioneer Field Agronomist, Northern Ohio Tar Spot is a relatively new corn disease...

I strongly recommend that all those who do not have N95 surgical masks go to https://shop.projectn95.org to purchase surgical N95 masks. They are non-profit organizations and will not profit from your purchases. They thoroughly review all sources. In fact, at this point, they almost get all the products directly from the manufacturer. I am not affiliated with the organization. They are the only source I know of, and you can really rely on them to obtain non-counterfeit surgical N95 respirators. If I were you, I would not believe any other sources that provide non-counterfeit or fraudulent surgical N95 respirators. Remember, the surgical N95 respirator is a disposable item. Do not reuse surgical N95 respirators. Please plan your purchase quantity accordingly.

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