Corn harvesters often encounter the problem of header losses, commonly known as grain loss, which not only leads to waste but also causes unnecessary trouble for future crop planting. So, how should we handle header losses in corn harvesters? Let's find out together.
Causes of Corn Header Losses
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Mechanical Factors: Corn harvesters themselves may cause header losses due to poor quality, unstable performance, or design flaws. For instance, mismatched engine sizes or improper adjustments may lead to header losses when the threshing and cleaning speeds cannot keep up with the engine speed.
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Human Factors: Many header losses are due to human factors such as lack of familiarity with the machine, incorrect parameter settings, or operational errors.
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Improper Harvest Timing: Harvesting too early or too late can result in incomplete harvesting or grain loss. Therefore, it's essential to follow the agricultural schedule and grasp the optimal harvesting time, neither too early nor too late.
How to Address Corn Header Losses
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Machine Selection: Choose machines from reputable brands known for their quality to avoid mechanical issues leading to header losses. Moreover, reputable brands often provide better after-sales service, reducing unnecessary trouble.
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Control Feeding Rate: Controlling the feeding rate is crucial for machine efficiency. Adjusting the feeding rate ensures coordination between the harvester's forward speed, feeding rate, threshing, separation, and cleaning processes, preventing overload operations.
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Rotation Speed: Master the rotation speed of the reel. Too low a speed makes harvesting difficult, while too high a speed can lead to threshing problems. Also, consider the height position, ensuring adequate space for the corn head.
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Clean Blockages: Air filter blockages, in particular, can increase engine load, reduce engine speed, decrease cleaning screen vibration frequency, and cause grain loss. Therefore, regularly check for and clean any blockages in the air filter.
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Adjust Gaps: The entrance gap for corn harvesting should be around 30 millimeters, and the exit gap should be between 11-19 millimeters. Therefore, it's crucial to adjust the clearance between the drum and concave properly. Additionally, ensuring consistent clearance on both sides of the threshing drum prevents grain breakage.
In summary, harvesting corn emphasizes "harvesting every grain." The more you harvest, the higher the yield. However, constant attention to header losses is crucial. Losing yield due to header losses, despite the potential for higher yields, is clearly counterproductive.
