HARVESTING AND THRESHING MACHINERY

Arsenio N. Resurreccion
CEAT, UPLB

•   Harvesting – process of gathering the useful portion of the crop from the

field
•   Threshing – process of separating the grains from the straw.
Additionally, it may include cleaning the grains.

•   Systems of harvesting and threshing of rice:

1. Manual harvesting Manual threshing

•  Use of hand tools: sickle, •   Use of flails or sticks
scythe, yatab •   Hampasan
•  80 – 160 man-hrs/ha •   Foot threshing
•  
Animal treading
 
140 – 220 man-hrs/ha
•

  • Field losses = 5 – 16%

2. Manual harvesting Mechanized threshing
•   Same as above   Use of pedal thresher at 100
•

man-hrs/ha
  Power thresher at 12 man-
•

hrs/ha
  • Field losses = 3 – 10 %
3. Mechanical harvesting Mechanical threshing
•   Use of manually-operated   Same as above
•

harvester at 50 man-
hrs/ha
•   Power harvester at 5 man-
hrs/ha
  • Field losses = 3 – 6 %
4. Combine harvesting – both operations done by a single machine –
combine
  •3 – 21 man-hrs/ha
  • Field losses – 1.5 – 6 %
5. Stripping harvesting – removal of grains from panicle without
cutting the straw - stripper
•
3 – 21 man-hrs/ha
•     Field losses = 2 – 6 %
 

Figure 1. Traditional harvesting, threshing and cleaning

 

•   Operations done by a combine and stripper:

COMBINE STRIPPER
1.  Separating the rows 1.  Separating the rows
2.  Cutting the standing crop 2.  Stripping
3.  Conveying the cut materials into 3.  Cleaning the grains
the threshing section 4.  Conveying the grains to the tank
4.  Threshing or sacks
5.  Shaking the straw to separate
loose grains from the straw
6.  Cleaning the grains of chaff
7.  Conveying the grains to the tank
or sack

•   Factors affecting choice of system:

1.  Kind of crop

2.  Timeliness of operation
3.  Topography
4.  Farm size
5.  Type of culture (row or broadcasted, upland or lowland)
6.  Availability and cost of labor
7.  Availability of capital

•   A major factor affecting choice of system is timeliness of operation

 because it affects field losses, time available for the next crop and grain
quality

Time of harvesting Field losses (%)

•
  One week before maturity 0.77
•   At maturity 3.35
•   One week after maturity 5.63
•   Two weeks after maturity 8.64
•   Three weeks after maturity 40.70
•   Four weeks after maturity 60.46

•   If the crop is harvested too early, it will have a large percentage of

imperfectly formed kernels.

•   The field should be drained 1 – 1.5 weeks before harvesting to harden the
soil
 

HARVESTING MACHINERY

•   Groupings of harvesters:

1.  Hand tools – include the sickle, scythe, yatab, lingkao and cradle
(Figure 2)

Figure 2. Harvesting hand tools

 

2.  Reaper-windrower – a machine that cuts the standing crop,

conveys the cut crop to one side, and lays them down in an
orderly manner (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Reaper-windrower

3.  Reaper-binder – a machine that cuts the standing crop, binds the
cut crop, and lays down the bound crop to one side (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Reaper-binder
 

•   Cutting mechanisms:

1.  Slicing/tearing action – employed in hand tools (Figure 5)

Slicing action Tearing action

(Sharp smooth edge) (Serrated edge)

Figure 5. Slicing and tearing action

2.  High velocity, single-element, impact action – use of sharp or dull-

edged blades moving at high velocity of 2,000 fpm to 9,000 fpm
(Figure 6)

Figure 6. High velocity, single-element, impact action

 

3.  Two-element, scissor type action – shearing action between the

moving and stationary blades (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Double-element Scissor type action

THRESHING MACHINERY

•   Methods of threshing:

1.  Rubbing action– grains are detached from their panicles because of
a rubbing action as in treading by man, animal and vehicle.

  Output of man treading is 14 kg/hr

2.  Impact action – grains are accelerated faster than their panicles and
are detached as in hampasan and mechanical threshers.

  Output of hampasan is 34 kg/hr

  Output of mechanical threshers vary with size of machine

and power source.

3.  Stripping action – grains are detached from their panicles when the
straw is pulled through a “V” configuration or a comb-like device
is passed through the panicles.

•   Mechanical threshers:

  Mechanical threshers employ the impact method

 

  Variability of threshers come from:

1.  Power source – manual as in pedal thresher or power

thresher as in engine-driven thresher (Figures 8 and 9).

Figure 8. Pedal thresher

Figure 9. Power thresher

 

2.  Type of feeding:

a.  Hold-on feeding – Straws do not pass through the

threshing section (Figure 10).

  Low power requirement

 
  Lightweight construction
Examples: Pedal thresher and Japanese
combine

Figure 10. Hold-on feeding type of thresher

 b.  Throw-in feeding – Straws pass through the threshing

section (Figure 11).

  High power requirement

  Heavyweight construction
  Examples: Axial-flow thresher and US
combine

Figure 11. Throw-in feeding type of thresher

 

3.  Direction of threshing materials (Figure 12):

a.  Tangential-flow – Materials are feed between the

revolving cylinder and stationary concave and go
straight out of the thresher tangentially.

 
About
concave60% of rest
and the the are
grains pass inthrough
separated the
subsequent
operations.

 b.  Axial-flow – Materials are fed between the revolving

cylinder and stationary concave on one end, go around
the cylinder several times axially and discharge at the
other end.

  About 90% of the grains are separated from the

straw at the cylinder.

Figure 12. Flow of materials

 

4.  Types of cylinder teeth (Figure 13):

a.  Wire-loop
 b.  Peg-tooth
c.  Rasp-bar

Figure 13. Types of threshing teeth

•   Cleaning systems:

  Separation of the bulky straw, chaff, empty kernels and very light
impurities from the grains.

  Light materials can be separated from the grains by winnowing

using natural wind or blower.

  For hold-on threshers, straws do not pass through the thresher and
only the removal of the chaff and light materials are needed using
 blowers and screens

  For throw-in threshers, straws pass through the thresher and

cleaning is done using a straw walker, blower and screens.
 

Sample problem 1:

A 5-m self-propelled combine makes an average stop of 4 minutes

everytime its 2-ton grain
grain tank is to be unloaded. The yield of the 20-ha
field is 40 tons. The operating speed iiss 4.8 kph. The time for turning on
the headland at the ends of the 500-m field is 15 seconds.

Find: a. theoretical field capacity

 b. actual field capacity
c. Field efficiency

Solution:

SWEff 
a)  Theoretical field capacity = C T = where Eff = 1.0
10
(4.8 kph)(5 m)(1.0)
=  = 2.4 Ha/hr
10
A
 b)  Actual field capacity = C A = where
T
A = 20 ha
T = t 1  + t 2  + t 3   where
t1  = actual working time in the rows at 100% efficiency
t2  = time for turning at headland
t3 = time for unloading of tank
 
400 m
 No. of rows = N R  = = 80 rows
5m/row

t1  = 80 rows X 500 m/row X 1km/1,000m X 1/4.8 kph = 8.333 hr

t2  = 80 rows X 1 turn/row X 15 sec/turn X 1 hr/3600 sec = 0.333 hr

1
t3  = 40 tons X X 4 min/tank X 1 hr/60 min = 1.333 hr
2 tons/tank 
T = t 1  + t 2  + t 3  = 8.333 hr + 0.333 hr + 1.333 hr = 10 hr
A 20 ha
C A  = =  = 2 ha/hr
T 10 hr 
C 2  ha/hr 
c)  Field efficiency = A  X 100 =  = 83.33 %
C 2.4 ha/hr 
T
 

Sample problem 2:

A 4-m combine travelling at 5 kph can empty its 1.64-ton grain tank in 60
seconds. When u unloading
nloading on-the-go, it h
has
as an 82% field efficiency.
Field yield is 3 tons/ha.

Find: What would b

bee the field efficiency if the combine stopped to load?
Solution:

a)  Unloading on-the-go:

SWEff  (5 kph)(4 m)(0.82)
Actual field capacity (on-the-go) =  =  
10 10
= 1.64 ha/hr
1
 b)   No. of unloadings/hr = 3 tons/hr X 1.64 ha/
ha/hr
hr X  
1.64 tons/load 
= 3 unloadings/hr

c)  Time for unloading = t 2 = 3 unloadings/hr X 60 sec/unloading

  = 180 sec
t
d)  Eff = 1   →   t 1 = operating time = Eff X T
T
  = 0.82 X 3600 sec = 2952 sec
t 2952 sec
e)   New Eff = 1  X 100 =  X 100 = 78.10 %
T+t 3600 sec + 180 sec
2

•   Reading Assignment:

1. PAES 204:2000 Agricultural Machinery – Mechanical Rice

Thresher – Specifications
2. PAES 205:2000 Agricultural Machinery – Mechanical Rice
Thresher – Methods of Test
3. PAES 212:2004 Agricultural Machinery – Rice Reaper –
Specifications
4. PAES 213:2004 Agricultural Machinery – Rice Reaper –
Methods of Test
 

Harvesting Equipment Questions

1.  The traditional system of harvesting and threshing of rice is:

a. manual harvesting and threshing b. manual harvesting and
mechanical threshing
c. mechanical harvesting and threshing d. combining
2.  Among the factors affecting the choice of harvesting and threshing
system, which one is the major factor?

a. kind of crop b. timeliness of operation

c. topography d. farm size
3.  The threshing action most commonly employed by a mechanical thresher
for rice is:
a. rubbing action b. impact action
c. stripping action d. all of the above

4.  A 4-m combine traveling at 5 kph can empty its 1.5-ton grain tank in 2
minutes. When unl unloading
oading on-the-go, it h
has
as an 86% field
field efficiency.
Field yield
yield is 3.5 tons/ha. What would be the field efficiency if the
combine stopped to load?

a. 70% b. 75%
c. 80% d. 85%
5.  The conventional system of harvesting and threshing of rice in the
Philippines is:
a. manual harvesting and threshing b. Manual harvesting
and mechanical threshing
c. mechanical harvesting and threshing d. combining
6.  Average harvesting losses of rice at maturity date is 3.35 %, but two
weeks after maturity date this will increase to:

a. 5.63% b. 8.64%
c. 40.70% d. 60.46%
7.  The threshing action where grains are detached from their panicles when
the straw is pulled through a “V” shaped configuration is called:

a. rubbing action b. impact action

c. str ipping action
stripping d. a and b
 

8.  What is the theoretical field capacity of a 3-m combine traveling at 100
meters in 52 seconds?

a. 0.03 ha/hr b. 0.57 ha/hr

c. 1.45 ha/hr d. 2.08 ha/hr
9.  A 5-m self-propelled combine makes an average stop of 4 min every time
its 2-ton grain tank is
is to be unloaded. Gross yield of the 20-ha
20-ha field is 42
tons. The operating speed iiss 4.8 kph. The time ffor or turning on the
headland at the ends of the 500-m field is 15 seconds.

Find the theoretical field capacity of the combine:

a. 1.2 ha/hr b. 2.4 ha/hr
c. 3.6 ha/hr d. 4.8 ha/hr
10.  The most recently developed system of harvesting and threshing of rice
is:
a. mechanical harvesting & threshing b. combining
c. stripping d. all of the above
11.  A machine that cuts standing crop, conveys the cut crop to one side, and
lays them down in an orderly manner is called:

a. sickle b. reaper-windrower
c. reaper-binder d. stripper
12.  The Japanese combine is characterized as:
a. low power & hold-on feeding b. low power & throw-in
feeding
c. high power & hold-on feeding d. high power & throw-in
feeding

13.  A 5-m self-propelled combine makes an average stop of 4 min every time
its 2-ton grain tank is
is to be unloaded. Gross yield of the 20-ha fi
field
eld is 42
tons. The operating speed is 4.8 kph. The time ffor or turning on the
headland at the ends of the 500-m field is 15 seconds.

Find the actual field capacity:

a. 1.5 ha/hr b. 2.5 ha/hr
c. 2.0 ha/hr c. 3.0 ha/hr
 

14.  Which of the following operation is not done by a stripper?

a. cutting of standing crop b. stripping
c. cleaning of grains d. conveying of grains to the
tank

15.  The cutting mechanism most commonly employed by reapers and

combines is:

a. slicing & tearing b. high velocity, single-

element, impact action
c. two-element, scissor-type action d. all of the above

16.  The IRRI axial-flow thresher is characterized as:

a. low power & hold-on feeding b. low power & throw-in
feeding
c. high power & hold-on feeding d. high power &throw-in
feeding

17.  A 5-m self-propelled combine makes an average stop of 4 min every time
its 2-ton grain tank is
is to be unloaded. Gross yield of the 20-ha field
field is 42
tons. The operating speed iiss 4.8 kph. The time ffor or turning on the
headland at the ends of the 500-m field is 15 seconds.

Find the field efficiency:

a. 78% b. 83%
c. 87% d. 90%