SECTION 3 – FIELD AND SITE OPERATION
3–19
How to obtain an idea on loss level
CAUTION
The straw chopper must be disconnected when
checking loss.
Example:
A 6-straw walker combine with a 17 ft (5.10 m)
grain header operating in wheat.
Average yield: 5000 kg/ha.
10
• Surface P= surface being harvested:
1 meter multiplied by X (header width) = 5.10 m
2
.
• Surface Q = surface of the material being cut in
surface P, behind the machine (i.e. swath):
1 meter multiplied by Y.
(drum width, i.e. 1.5 meter) = 1.5 m
2
.
• Consider a loss level of 1% = 50 kg/ha or
5 grams/m
2
crop.
Surface Q will then contain the functional losses
(i.e. cleaning shoe, straw walker, fan) of surface
P (5.1 m
2
), being 5 x 5.1 = 25.5 grams.
• Considering the average weight of wheat being
23000 grains/kg, this means: 586 grains in
surface Q. (1% loss level!)
• An average human hand with spread fingers
covers a surface of approximately 0.03 m
2
. This
means that, if the grain loss is evenly spread, 18
grains can be found underneath the hand,
representing 1% grain loss for a 5000 kg/ha yield.
To Next Page
Loading...
Need help?
General
