As a growing season comes to a close, farmers are eager to clear off the fields and load up the bins, but it’s important not to rush through equipment set up, as machinery settings can make a big difference in final yield if not adjusted for crop conditions.
With three to four bushel per acre losses being a common occurrence out the back of a combine, having someone ready to check the machine or having a drop pan in place is a good idea, says Ian Epp of the Canola Council of Canada in this Canola School with RealAgriculture’s Amber Bell.
Many factors can influence the amount of yield loss while combining. Some factors to consider when setting the combine for optimal harvest are things such as variety (straight cut vs swath varieties can differ in the aggressiveness needed while threshing), time of day, humidity, and daytime temperature.
The first thing to determine when assessing the accuracy of combine settings is where the losses are coming from, says Epp. If a grower is seeing whole pods come out the back it might be time to speed up the rotor and tighten up the concaves a bit. Now, if they are seeing more cleaning losses, it might be time to adjust the sieve and/or the fan.
The speed at which a farmer is driving can also make a difference in losses while combining canola, Epp says.
While harvest loss is one of those last things to make sure that canola seeds get in the bin, growers are almost there. Epp recommends taking a little time and setting things up so that checking is easy and can be done often during the harvest process.
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