can increase yields
and improve quality
Each year as small grain harvest time ap
proaches, most farmers begin watching the
weather with increasing concern. One bad
storm when wheat, oats or barley is ready
to combine can often cut yields 50? or more.
While this rarely happens, an untimely
shower or delay because of machinery
breakdown allows weeds to “gain” on the
crop and combining becomes difficult.
Actually "green-stuff” turns into a vicious
circle. A rain delays harvest and the weeds
grow more. Green weeds then, in turn, in
crease moisture content of combined grain.
that the process of combining adds 5% more
moisture to oats or barley if the crop is
heavily weed-infested. Weedy wheat will
not show as noticeable an increase in mois
ture. You can usually figure about 2% more
moisture in the grain after combining.
Early harvest, before the grain crop In
comes dead ripe, is becoming more prac
tical. Many farmers have purchased “batch”
grain driers or have installed grain bins
equipped with fans. In most cases this
equipment was purchased primarily for
corn. But that doesn’t mean it can’t lx- used
during small grain harvest too.
Wheat can lx* safely harvested at 18% to
20% grain moisture with no harmful effect
on its quality. It must, of course, be dried
down to safe moisture content for storage
or sale. Oats also can be combined when
they reach a moisture content of from 18%
to 20%. Studies at several colleges through
out the Midwest have shown that these are
safe, practical levels to begin combining if
drying equipment is available.
Most modem combines can be adjusted
to do an excellent job when harvesting high
moisture small grain. Power requirements
will lx- somewhat higher though. Some
times farmers who have attempted har
vesting small grain with small combines
equipped with an engine find the combine
is underpowered. This will rarely happen
with the larger units or when the combine
is a power urne-on moaei ana a large rrac
tor is available.
Major adjustment changes for combin
ing 20? moisture small grain are limited to
the cylinder. You may have to narrow the
concave-cylinder clearance more than for
normal small grain combining. In addition,
the speed of the cylinder may need to be
somewhat faster. However, in no case will
the grain be damaged enough by the cylin
der to lower its grade if you are careful.
The straw racks, sieves and cleaning fan
actually will perform slightly more effici
ently when the grain ranges from 15? to 20?
in moisture than when drier, providing
there’s no surface moisture such as dew on
the grain. No specific changes are required
compared to normal combining adjustments.
Approximately one more bushel per acre
of grain will lie saved on the average from
early combining. However, in some years
it mav be as much as ten bushels. Most re
searchers feel that from $1 to $10 higher re
turn per acre is possible from early harvest.
In addition, you have the opportunity to
take advantage of the government support
program every year. This may not be pos
sible where you do not have drying equip
ment since in some years you simply can’t
wait after the grain reaches 14? moisture.
When weeds begin to come
through small grain, harvest
Iing efficiency takes a nose
dive. Careful studies of losses
of combining weedy grain
compared to clean grain show
that you will lose almost 10%
more of the crop. For exam
ple, if you have a 30-bushel
per-acre yield of wheat and
it's clean, chances are you will
be able to put almost 20 bush
els in the combine bin. If the
crop is weedy you'll be lucky
to get 25 bushels out of the
weeds and into the bin. Com
bining early you get ahead of
weed growth.
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