Yield loss from late combining

[Feldspar]

I was just watching one of Jake Freestone's harvest log videos and one comment of his really grabbed my attention.

If you listen to this video (particularly from 1:25 onwards)

he states that for every day beyond maturity that you combine the crop you lose 1% of the yield per day. To me at least, this is a surprisingly large amount and really puts into perspective the cost of not having enough combining capacity.

My question is where does this figure come from and is it right? If not what is the right amount, or is it not possible to give such a simple rule?

 

[B'o'B]

I pretty sure that is way out as a loss figure per day, it might be nearer per week, but even that seems on the high side

 

[ridger]

I pretty sure that is way out as a loss figure per day, it might be nearer per week, but even that seems on the high side

Depends on the amount of birds around My potatoes are being destroyed

 

[Clive]

I was just watching one of Jake Freestone's harvest log videos and one comment of his really grabbed my attention.

If you listen to this video (particularly from 1:25 onwards)

he states that for every day beyond maturity that you combine the crop you lose 1% of the yield per day. To me at least, this is a surprisingly large amount and really puts into perspective the cost of not having enough combining capacity.

My question is where does this figure come from and is it right? If not what is the right amount, or is it not possible to give such a simple rule?

bigger number is the loss of milling quality - or maybe 25% of the price this year ! can happen in a week

combine capacity is cheap compared, buy and run the biggest you can afford IMO

 

[David.]

Fit wheat is never as heavy with having had a week of rain on it.

 

[B'o'B]

I could see it in barley to an extent with brackling. But in wheat it would mean a crop that could have been 10t/ha harvested 4 weeks would be 7.55t/ha, until it starts shedding badly or is laid flat I can't see that.

 

[Feldspar]

We certainly harvested a lot of wheat late. Didn't really see that many losses on the ground and it was all upright. There was sprouting though and I wonder how much weight is lost as the grains sprout.

 

[Honest john]

A few years ago it turned damp just as the crops where ready, for two weeks, there was 1% on the floor when we turned a wheel. So that's .5% per week. Then there's the loss of kg/hl, then the loss of quality, then a few heads on the floor.

Of course the reason for any delay is important but how much would be left after 100 days ? ie by 20th November ?

 

[franklin]

That which we cut on Saturday has weighted pretty well. Bushel down to 75 compared to some done a month before at 78. None on the ground. And nicer sample. None had sprouted, thank goodness, but cant have been far off.

 

[B'o'B]

A few years ago it turned damp just as the crops where ready, for two weeks, there was 1% on the floor when we turned a wheel. So that's .5% per week. Then there's the loss of kg/hl, then the loss of quality, then a few heads on the floor.

Of course the reason for any delay is important but how much would be left after 100 days ? ie by 20th November ?

100 days would take you to 3.62t/ha @1%/day if it is 1% loss from what was left the previous day

 

[Douglasmn]

Must mean losing milling quality. I have certainly never seen or heard of fit wheat shedding it's seed at 1% per day like that. Barley brackles quite quickly and you can definitely leave a lot of heads on the ground but in a standing crop of wheat never known yield loss like that. That aside always find it funny hearing guys in the south of England talking about how it's been a challenging season with dodgy weather...but all the while cutting at 15% moisture!

 

[murphy]

Remember one year in the early nineties we had about 100 acres left of wheat and the weather broke and it rained on and off for a fortnight and when we got back to it we had lost 1 1/2t/acre mainly due to sprouting and loss of weight. Never forgot that !

 

[CORK]

Certainly in barley, loss in the relative density (kph or specific weight) can be severe. I would think 1% is a bit high unless its a hurricane.

Head loss and sprouting/shedding will add to it.

A 3.5tn/ac spring barley crop left out in the weather (repeated wetting and drying) could easily see its kph drop from 68 to 63.
That would translate into 3.24tn/ac if cut at the same moisture.

That's over 7% loss in simple terms. Add in some head losses due to straw breakdown.

I've seen it a number of times when cutting trial plots and having to stop for a week due to weather. Its very clear what the weather has taken.

 

[Niels]

I wouldn't know if the 1% figure is exactly correct but have seen whopping differences in TGW's from crops harvested before and after a solid 14 day period of rain. Can make a lot of difference in terms of t/ha! Aside from quality of course.

 

[Gong Farmer]

Is any wheat cut 'at maturity'?

 

[Lincsman]

Is any wheat cut 'at maturity'?

Exactly, what day is the perfect day, i understood you ended up with the most dry matter the first day it was down to 25%.

 

[Farmer Miggins]

the other loss factor is the difficulty in finding good weather windows later in the season, short days, damp straw, frustration, all increases combine losses and I assume we're talking harvested yield
bushel weight loss as the grain weathers is huge as well - easily 78-80 kg down to high 60's in 10 days of bad weather

 

[Chalky]

The reducing bushel weight, even in the absence of visible sprouting is the killer. 5 points lost could be 7% of your yield burnt up as the seed uses the energy in the process of metabolising sugars for growth. Ever noticed that late harvested grain is often sweet if chewed- that was your starch.

Big unit near here caught with its pants down as someone decreed that wheat wouldn't be cut over 17%

I suppose as a starting point in a normal harvest that's fine, but when starting 10 days late and not reviewing work actually done against available cutting days, maybe isn't too bright. Now salvaging at whatever the moisture is- guaranteed not to be under 17%. So the bushel reduction that is almost a given now, would have more than paid for the slightly moister grain cut earlier. Just to be clear- we have only cut 15% of our harvest at under 17%.