Grain Harvesting to Minimize Losses and Maximize Profit Jim Glancey

2008 Mid-Atlantic Crop School
Ocean City, MD
19 November 2008
Grain Harvesting to Minimize Losses and
Maximize Profit
Jim Glancey
UUniversity i it of f Delaware D l
Contact:
jjglancey@udel.edu l @ d l d

PesentationO Presentation Overview e ie
• Combines Currently on the Market
• Harvest Losses and Costs
• Combine Setup and Operation to
Reduce Losses
• Hardware Options
• Safety

Ope Operation
ation

Grain Separation and Cleaning
Sieves Sieves

Combine Types
CaseIH Axial Flow (Single Rotor)

SSuper-conditioning pe 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
JJohn h Deere D WTS WTS
WTS (Walker Tine Separation)
-tine-separation
-cylinder/walker machine.

Combine Types
John h Deere STS S S
SSTS S – Si Single 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 Where e Field Losses Occ Occur
Gathering
75%
Pre-harvest
10%
Separation
15%

DDry Matte Matter Loss

Dry Matter
Loss

Grain Harvesting
2008 Costs per acre
Harveest
Cost, $/acre $
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
Acres Harvested
265hp & 66-row row
305hp & 8-row
385hp & 12-row
0
500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Includes Combine, Grain Cart, and Hauling

Grain Carts
2008 Costs
Based on 1400 1 , 1900 2 and 2400 3 , 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)
• Corn Drying y g (23%) ( ) 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 calculate late an aaverage. e age

Checking Corn Harvest Loss
• Check an area a ea of ten
square feet.
• Approximately 23
kernels lost in this area
willadduptoone
will add up to one
bushel per acre.
• Make loss
determinations at
several locations and
calc calculate late an aaverage. e age

Checking Wheat Harvest Loss
• Check an area a ea of one
square feet.
• Approximately 22
kernels lost in this area
willadduptoone
will add up to one
bushel per acre.
• Make loss
determinations at
several locations and
calc calculate late an aaverage. e age

Harvesting Tips
Soybeans Soybeans
• Harvest soybeans y when pplants
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 extremely y 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 higher h and d adjust dj t the th combine bi accordingly. di l
• Adjust cylinder concave clearance according to the
operator’s manual.
• Wh When soybean b plants l and d pods d are tough, h cylinder li d
speed may have to be increased.

Harvesting Tips
Corn Corn Maturity Maturity and and Timing Timing
• Corn reaches physiological p y g maturity y when the kernel
black layer forms at the tip of kernels, and kernel
moisture is about 30%.
• As a general g rule in our northern corn growing g g region, g
grain corn is usually ll 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 would ld be b safe f
from damaging frost on Sept. 20 or by Sept. 25
depending on maturity.
• CCool l August A t days d and d nights i ht can further f th delay d l the th
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 Small Grains 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, guards, g wear plates p
and hold-down clips are in good condition and
properly adjusted.
• Use a ground speed of 22.8 8 to 33.0 0 miles per hour hour.
Use a reel speed about 25 percent faster than
ground speed.

Combine Hardware Options

Stripper Headers?
$37 $37,000
000

Stripper Headers?
Loss vs. Speed
Loss vs. Wheat Yield

Grain Loss Monitors

Yield Monitoring
• Calibrate/Check for
Accuracy
• Every grain, every year
• Use truck weights g and
moistures
• Maintenance
•Clean
• Mice damage to wires

Guidance
• 1. DGPS
Differential correction signal provided by free WAAS service.*
Typical GPS accuracy: +/- 10 inches
• 22. DGPS VBS (Virtual Base Station)
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.
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
• EEscort t vehicle
hi l

OOverall e all Summary S mma
Average harvest losses exceed $1000
per 100 acres for all crops
Checking/measuring relatively simple
In-cab adjustments of combine
settings allow for real time changes
Harvesting system costs exceed $30
per acre for most Delmarva growers

Questions?
jglancey@udel.edu