Tips for Improving Harvest Time for Grains

Farmers must not only be hard workers, but also logically-minded to consider all avenues of their plants. It’s this mentality that can protect their farm from ruin, especially during a time in American history where the state of farms is seemingly up in the air. One of the most important decisions you can make as a grain farmer is determining variety and selection. You need to choose plants that are not only those with a high-yield potential, but also those with a resistance to disease. High test weights are also important to this selection, as it can ensure a profit after harvest time. If your family has owned this farm for more than two generations, it can be easy to get into a routine; many find change to be difficult. But it’s in recognizing these subtle improvements that will help your farm to remain sustainable or even grow. Late fall and early winter is the busiest time with planting, outside of harvest for farms, so use the time in the fall to consider ways to improve your harvest. Preparation for the upcoming harvest and anticipating issues are crucial to ensuring a successful season.

Equipment

Before harvest time even begins, inspect all machinery for functions and potential issues. During down time, the machines may have accrued rust and build up, which will need to be handled before use. Verify the settings in the handbook and understand the combine and cylinder settings recommended by the manufacturer. The equipment will also need to be maintained; verify if items like swathers will need to be replaced before harvest begins. You should also determine whether potential problems may occur, should you run the equipment for harvest now. Thoroughly inspect the chains and belts for tension issues and look for wear on other parts. Often the cleaning shoe will have broken or bent sieves that can hinder proper yield; get these items replaced before harvest. The biggest area of equipment inspection focus should be with the cutter bar. The majority of losses stem from this area, where much of the product is lost due to damage. Make adjustments and fix issues beforehand to assure more of the product ends up in the machine.

Fields

Inspect the fields throughout the growth period to combat weeds, insects and other issues. For example, burcucumber and morning glory can make problems during the harvest of soybeans. Spray down the weeded areas as needed with a mild solvent; long and winding weeds will need to be removed once they have dried. Other times an issue called green stem can hinder harvest, as well. This is when no pods appear. It can be difficult to predict when this issue may occur, but it may be easy to handle after harvest time. Frost can kill the unwanted plants, and ensure they’re gone during the coming years.

Timing

You’ll need to fully understand the best timing for harvest. Pay attention to the amount of moisture to prevent shattering, which may also translate into the need for harvesting earlier to avoid drying plants. The moisture content in your field may vary from others; this is where documentation comes into play. By fully researching and understanding specific details and changes in your farm, you can ensure a full harvest. Not only that, but you can reduce the amount of product lost to machine failures and weather.

About the Author: Toby B. Jackson is a contributing author and former farmer. For three generations, his family has grown local vegetables, wheat and the like to provide for his community. He still continues to advise his son, including purchases like agricultural belts for swathers to aid with the harvest.

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