Farmers spend a lot of resources every season to protect their maize fields but often some of the biggest mistakes are made while they are harvesting the corn. This is why we have come up with some of the best tips from crop consultants and Animal feed manufacturers to efficiently harvest maize.
Farmers spend a lot of resources every season to protect their maize fields but often some of the biggest mistakes are made while they are harvesting the corn. This is why we have come up with some of the best tips from crop consultants and Animal feed manufacturers to efficiently harvest maize.
Inefficiencies during harvest often lead to a low amount of yield and will cause a lot of problems in the future. Making a mistake during harvest will not only hurt your yield but your budget as well. Let’s have a look at some tips to improve your chances:
Planning
It is very important to understand that you should prepare all your equipment ahead of time. This includes all the machinery that you are going to use during the harvest such as a maize harvester machine. If you are preparing just before the harvest time, you are losing time and money.
You should also focus on your dryer capacity. Often people have a too-small dryer that can slow down your corn harvest and put your crops in danger. If you have a small dryer as well, try to make some arrangements in nearby storage for drying your crops.
Ideally, you should always give at least a day before the harvest to check on your machinery properly. If something is not up to the mark, at least you will have the time to make repairs and maintenance. Don’t forget to check the manual for your harvester as well.
Moisture
Always check the moisture levels before you start your harvest. If the moisture levels are around 17 to 20 percent, you should be able to harvest corn without any issues. But below that, you will start to see some header losses. But you should always consult a crop consultant if you are unsure. If you harvest corn in non-ideal moisture levels, you will start noticing harvest losses.
Field Loss
It is important that you evaluate the field loss frequently. Having a good maize harvester machine will help you minimize yield loss significantly. Maintaining the harvester machine regularly will help you as well. Always make sure that you are not driving at high speeds while operating your harvester.
Harvest
Always harvest your corn at full capacity. You should drive the operator at optimal speed, fast enough so you are loading the machine and not too fast, so you do not ruin separation. You can always check the losses in the machine storage and make adjustments according to that.
Check the Field
In case your yield is not as you expected, you should check the field right away. Check the field to determine what caused this. It will be easier to understand the cause if you check what caused it, while harvesting, instead of checking the same any other day.
Document Issues
Always monitor what you harvest every season. You should record the amount you harvested and the issues you faced, what were the cause of losses. All of the details should be maintained on a regular basis. With proper data at hand, you should be able to improve your harvest the next time.
Preservation
It is very important that you separate regular corn from any kind of hybrids. It will help you minimize any risks in the future and will help you with your earnings.
Safety
After you have dealt with the harvest, always make sure you are keeping your Maize harvester machine clean from any debris from the harvest. Don’t forget to clean out the engine compartment from time to time as well.
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