2008 Mid-Atlantic Crop School

Ocean City, MD
19 November 2008

Grain Harvesting to Minimize Losses and

Maximize Profit

Jim Glancey
U i
University
it off Delaware
D l

Contact:
j l
jglancey@udel.edu
@ d l d
P esentation O
Presentation Overview
e ie

• Combines Currently on the Market

• Harvest Losses and Costs
• Combine Setup and Operation to
Reduce Losses
• Hardware Options
• Safety
Ope ation
Operation
Grain Separation and Cleaning
Sieves
Combine Types
CaseIH Axial Flow (Single Rotor)
S pe conditioning
Super-conditioning
Combine Types
New Holland Twin Rotor

500+ hp
Combine Types
John Deere CTS
CTS (Cylinder Tine Separation):
-66 cm diameter threshing cylinder
-tine separation.
-wet and green straw conditions.

9780i CTS
Combine Types
J h Deere
John D WTS
WTS (Walker Tine Separation)
-tine-separation
-cylinder/walker machine.
Combine Types
John
h Deere STS
S S

S S – Single
STS Si l tine
i separation
i
Driving Factors in Hay Drying

(most important)

(least important)
Corn Harvest Loss
Survey of 65 Combines

Frequency of Occurrence vs. Loss (bushels/acre)

Cost:
2.5 bushels
@ $5.00/bu
= $12.50
or
$1,250 per
100 acres
Soybean Harvest Loss
Survey of 83 Combines

Frequency of Occurrence vs. Loss (bushels/acre)

Cost:
1.5 bushels
@ $10.00/bu
= $15/acre
or
$1,500 per
100 acres
Volunteer beans in wheat after 2 bushels/acre harvest loss.
Whe e Field Losses Occ
Where Occur
Pre-harvest
10%

Separation
15%

Gathering
75%
D Matte
Dry Matter Loss
Dry Matter
Loss
Grain Harvesting
2008 Costs per acre
90
265hp & 6
6-row
row
80
$/acre

70
305hp & 8-row
60
est Cost, $

50
40 385hp & 12-row

30
Harve

20
10
0
500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Acres Harvested

Includes Combine, Grain Cart, and Hauling

Grain Carts
2008 Costs

Based on 14001, 19002 and 24003 acres respectively

p y
Custom Combine Prices
($/
($/acre)
)
2008 2007
• Corn Combining 28.40 27.60
• Small Grains 27.80 26.90
• Soybeans 28.50 27.60

• Hauling 0.20 0.18

(per bushel)
y g (23%)
• Corn Drying ( ) 0.40 0.36
(per bushel)
Checking Soybean Harvest Loss
• Check an area
a ea of ten
square feet.

• Approximately 45
soybeans lost in this
area will add up to one
bushel per acre.

• Make loss
determinations at
several locations and
calc late an a
calculate average.
e age
Checking Corn Harvest Loss
• Check an area
a ea of ten
square feet.

• Approximately 23
kernels lost in this area
will add up to one
bushel per acre.

• Make loss
determinations at
several locations and
calc late an a
calculate average.
e age
Checking Wheat Harvest Loss
• Check an area
a ea of one
square feet.

• Approximately 22
kernels lost in this area
will add up to one
bushel per acre.

• Make loss
determinations at
several locations and
calc late an a
calculate average.
e age
Harvesting Tips
Soybeans
• Harvest soybeans
y when p
plants are mature and the
beans have approximately 14% moisture.
• Harvest may be started at 17 to 18% moisture when air
drying
g is available.
• Harvest as much of the crop as possible above 12%
moisture to avoid cracking seed coats and “splits.”
• When soybean
y seed is extremelyy dry,
y, (8
( to 10 %
moisture), harvesting will cause more shattering and
seed injury. Under these conditions, combine during
morning or evening hours when relative humidity is
hi h and
higher d adjust
dj t the
th combine
bi accordingly.
di l
• Adjust cylinder concave clearance according to the
operator’s manual.
• When
Wh soybean b plants
l and
d pods
d are tough, h cylinder
li d
speed may have to be increased.
Harvesting Tips
Corn Maturity and Timing
• Corn reaches p physiological
y g maturityy when the kernel
black layer forms at the tip of kernels, and kernel
moisture is about 30%.
• As a ggeneral rule in our northern corn growing
g g region,
g
grain corn is usuallyll physiologically
h l ll mature
approximately 50 to 55 days after the mid-silking date,
and fairly safe from a killing frost.
• If corn iis mid-silk
id ilk on August
A t 1,
1 then
th it wouldld be
b safe f
from damaging frost on Sept. 20 or by Sept. 25
depending on maturity.
• Cool
C l August
A t days
d andd nights
i ht can further
f th delay
d l theth
maturing process.
• Optimum harvest moisture is 18-23%. Storage moisture
should be 15% short-term,
short term and 13% or less long long-term.
term
Harvesting Tips
Small Grains
• Hot dry conditions result in shattering and
potentially severe yield loss when mature wheat
stands in the field.
• Harvesting after rains significantly reduces header
losses.
• Make sure that knife sections, g guards, wear plates
p
and hold-down clips are in good condition and
properly adjusted.
• Use a ground speed of 2 2.8
8 to 3
3.0
0 miles per hour
hour.
Use a reel speed about 25 percent faster than
ground speed.
Combine Hardware Options
Stripper Headers?

$37 000
$37,000
Stripper Headers?

Loss vs. Wheat Yield

Loss vs. Speed

Grain Loss Monitors
Yield Monitoring

• Calibrate/Check for
Accuracy
• Every grain, every year
g
• Use truck weights and
moistures
• Maintenance
• Clean
• Mice damage to wires
Guidance
• 1. DGPS
Differential correction signal provided by free WAAS service.*
Typical GPS accuracy: +/- 10 inches
• 2 DGPS VBS (Virtual Base Station)
2.
Differential correction signal provided by OmniSTAR subscription.**
Typical GPS accuracy: +/- 10 inches
• 3. DGPS XP
Differential correction signal provided by OmniSTAR subscription.**
Typical GPS accuracy: +/- 3 to 5 inches
• 4. DGPS HP (High Performance)
Diff
Differential
ti l correction
ti signal
i l provided
id d by
b OmniSTAR™
O iSTAR™ subscription.**
b i ti **
Typical GPS accuracy: +/- 2 to 4 inches
• 5. RTK (Real Time Kinematics)
Differential correction signal provided by base station.
station
Typical GPS accuracy: +/- 1 inch

• * WAAS covers USA and parts of Canada.

** DGPS VBS, DGPS XP and DGPS HP available worldwide. Consult
www.omnistar.com for coverage and availability.
Safety Issues
Operator Visibility
Visibility . . .
Over the Road Transport

• Biggest risk to an owner

operator

• Traffic and high speeds!!

• Use a header cart

• Escort
E t vehicle
hi l
O e all Summary
Overall S mma
ƒ Average harvest losses exceed $1000
per 100 acres for all crops

ƒ Checking/measuring relatively simple

ƒ In-cab adjustments of combine

settings allow for real time changes

ƒ Harvesting system costs exceed $30

per acre for most Delmarva growers
Questions?

jglancey@udel.edu