Measurement the wheat losses in harvesting stage

Each year a significant portion of the country's wheat production wasted atdifferent stages of production. One of the most important stages of product loss, it is Harveststage. The first step in planning for waste reduction wheat harvest estimate the amount of lossesand factors are identified. In this study during combine wheat harvesting in shahrood, ۸ combinesselected and evaluated. Results showed that, the mean of loss in ۳ samples was ۱۶.۱ %. Thisamount is out of the acceptable range. The mean of combine total loss at wheat harvesting stagewas ۶.۸۸ %. The most amount of waste belonged to combine harvester head (۵.۳۵%). Crop lossof combine end and natural loss were ۱.۲۴ % and ۰.۴۹ %, respectively. Harvesting delay andunadjusted combines are the most causes of crop loss. Thus the understanding of growers andcombine operators about combine working and its adjusting is effective in loss reduction. Also,results showed that about ۹۰% of the studied combines were more than ۱۳ years old, but resultsshowed that these combines had less loss than newer combines if their operators were skilled andthey were adjusted properly. Annually cost of wheat loss in shahrood is more than ۳ billions rials.However, combine adjusting is not the only factor to reduce loss. Many factors, such as combineabrasion or management and planning factors are affecting crop loss. Time of harvesting, seedmoisture content, weather relative humidity, field topography, correct combine performance andcrop characteristics identification are affecting crop loss reduction.

کلیدواژه ها:

Wheat harvesting ، Natural loss ، Combine loss ، Combine adjusting