How long for grain to dry in the field?

teslacoils

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
Rather than me keeping checking, is there a way to take the humidity, temp and wind speed feed from the forecast, and work out roughly what time to get the combine out?

You can tell I'm bored now.
 

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
With the sort of rain we have been having, I reckon for wheat you need 2 dry, sunny days and it will come down to about 15% by the third day.

With Barley, you might get away with a day less and with Rape, it could be just hours after it last rained.
 

DRC

Member
It won’t be just how dry the grain is, but what the ground conditions are like . People getting stuck on light land around here , trying to get stacked bales off the fields.
 

tr250

Member
Location
Northants
Rather than me keeping checking, is there a way to take the humidity, temp and wind speed feed from the forecast, and work out roughly what time to get the combine out?

You can tell I'm bored now.
I think you need to go and find yourself a job to take your mind off it. No 2 fields will be the same no 2 farms will be the same ripe wheat will dry quicker than unfit etc.
 

teslacoils

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
I know there's a few variables, but given fit corn surely it wouldn't be overly tricky to be able to figure out from the forecast if there was even a cat in hell's chance of cutting some crop, or if I could book a few days away. Or not bother to get up quite so early.
 

tr250

Member
Location
Northants
I know there's a few variables, but given fit corn surely it wouldn't be overly tricky to be able to figure out from the forecast if there was even a cat in hell's chance of cutting some crop, or if I could book a few days away. Or not bother to get up quite so early.
Your rounduped stuff will dry quicker but also go flat and chit quicker ??
 

Gadget

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Sutton Coldfield
It also depends if it is ripe or not!
Last week we were cutting at 17% when we started, I was not sure if it was properly ripe but it thrashed ok and with the forecast I thought that it was better in the shed.
A neighbour, who had sprayed his off, also started at 17 and soon got down to 15. Ours, even after a long sunny afternoon, only got down to the 16s
 

DRC

Member
I know there's a few variables, but given fit corn surely it wouldn't be overly tricky to be able to figure out from the forecast if there was even a cat in hell's chance of cutting some crop, or if I could book a few days away. Or not bother to get up quite so early.
I think your safe to have the weekend off.
There will be no lying in bed when you get your cattle
 

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
It won’t be just how dry the grain is, but what the ground conditions are like . People getting stuck on light land around here , trying to get stacked bales off the fields.
If anybody is worried about ground conditions and combining after all this rain, I’d advise putting wider wheels on the back, before trying to use Dual wheels on the front. It is often the back wheels the act like anchors in very wet conditions.
E08734E7-D4A4-4B2B-8834-09356E361332.jpeg

I put these on my TF 78 in 2007 and then on this CX6080 in 2012. I’ve never taken them off since. They make a hell of a difference.
 

teslacoils

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
Was it not you saying it wasn’t possible to cut wheat without it a couple of months back! I apologise if it wasn’t

No. I said that typically the cost of the roundup is easily recouped in reduced drying, less waiting for straw etc.

But this year it looked nice and even so we didn't do any. This is unusual and I will be looking at a couple of fields that were late drilled to see if they need some.

I did do the winter barley tramlines where the digestate umbilical / wide tyres leave greens.
 

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
I bought these back wheels in 2007 from a farm near Liecester. There were used on the front of a tractor for Lime spreading. The farmer had a brand new JD 4x4 combine, but I noticed the the back wheels were on with the treads the wrong way round.
When I pointed it out, he said that the only time he used 4x4, was to back out when he got stuck. And that if he caught the driver using 4 wheel drive trying to go forward, he’d get the sack straight away.
 

B'o'B

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Rutland
Dad has a very good book about grain drying and storage from the 1980s that has a table for the equilibrium moisture content of a given crop at a range of relative humilities. There is a bit of lag but it’s a reasonable guide. Of course the combine will add a bit back into the grain if the straw is still damp. I think it’s got to get below 65%RH to stand a chance getting below 15% in wheat. The amount of times I’ve looked at the book I should be able to remember the whole chart!
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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