Search

The growth of the essential oils market is explained by the growing demand for natural and organic products. Today, the global aromatherapy market with essential oils is growing, and demand for essential oils is increasing at the same rate. The studies are dedicated to the valuable essential oil culture ‒ fennel, the spread of which in the forest-steppe zone of Ukraine will allow to obtain high profitability by agro-forming of different forms of ownership and will help to provide the Ukrainian market with raw materials of appropriate quality. The article offers a solution to the pressing issue of expanding the area of new unconventional culture in the conditions of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine by improving technological measures in the cultivation of culture. The basis of scientific research is the study of sowing terms (1st decade of April, for soil LTR 6-80C), (2nd decade of April, for LTR of soil 10-120C); row spacing (5, 30, 45 and 60 cm) and seeding rates (1, 1.5 and 2 million sprouting seeds per hectare). Among the plans of the research tasks were: to conduct the accounting of yields and to determine indicators of seeds quality (the content of essential oil in fennel seeds and its conditional yield per hectare of sowing), depending on the studied factors. Crop accounting was performed by continuous submerged threshing. The yield was brought to 100% purity and standard humidity according to the method described by V.O. Moiseychenko and V.O. Yeshchenko. Mathematical data processing was performed according to the method of B.A. Dopehova. The results of the research show that the sowing variants in the first decade of April, with a wide-row method (45 cm) sowing rate of one million sprouting seeds per hectare, yielded the optimum yield of fennel – 1.48 t / ha. In the same variant, the maximum content of essential oil was obtained – 6.23% and its yield from the hectare sowing area‒ 59.2 kg.

The harvest method of shelling corn (Zea mays L.) kernels in the field decreases labor costs associated with transporting, drying and threshing the crop. However, it was previously found that the kernel moisture content increased after field harvest, which decreased the value of corn kernels. To identify the reasons underlying the increase, we conducted a multiyear and -area trial in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, China and performed a staged-harvest test at several phases of kernel dry-down. The test investigated a range of parameters such as the kernel moisture content pre- and post-harvest, the kernel breakage rate, the amount of impurities, and the moisture content of various other plant tissues. An analysis of 411 pairs of pre- and post-harvest samples found that kernel moisture content after harvest was 2.2% higher than that before harvest. In the staged-harvest test, however, a significant increase was only observed when the kernel moisture content before harvest was higher than 23.9%. The increase in post-harvest kernel moisture content was positively associated with the pre-harvest kernel moisture content, breakage rate and impurity rate. Typically, at harvest time in this region, there is a significant fraction of immature crops with a high moisture content, resulting in kernels that are prone to breakage or impurities that ultimately lead to increases in water content after harvest. Therefore, we suggest using hybrids that quickly wither late in the growing stage. Additionally, farmers should delay harvest in order to minimize the pre-harvest kernel moisture content and thus reduce breakages and impurities, thereby improving the quality of kernels after harvest and the efficiency of corn kernel farming in China.

The Jima drum replaceable multi-crop thresher which was produced at Jima agricultural engineering research center was evaluated in Fedis agricultural research center for threshing performance of the crops wheat and barley. During evaluation the basic variables that given-attention were feed rates (kg/min), machine speeds (rpm) and crop types. The performance evaluation was done for wheat and barley crops at their average temperature 21oC, average moisture content 12.25 % and at constant inlet 20mm, central-beneath 50mm and out-let 20mm drum-concave clearance of the machine. The results obtained were threshing efficiency varied in the range of 99.03% to 99.82% for wheat crop and 97.10% to 100% for barley. Its output capacity was 2.25 to 2.5qt/h and 2.2 to 2.86 qt/h for wheat and barley respectively.

As a result of the studying the threshing process of individual sunflower heads on a specially designed stand, we found the main factor affecting the quality of threshing is the threshing disc speed. It is named the acceleration coefficient, which is defined as the ratio of the threshing roller frequency to the starting frequency. It allowed modifying the design of the existing thresher. While modernizing the thresher, the basic principle of sunflower heads threshing and threshing modes remained unchanged. We added a smooth adjustment of threshing modes by means of an electric motor speed control unit, which allows adjusting the thresher for high-quality threshing of heads of the various sunflower varieties. The deck is cleared of seeds stuck in it with compressed air; the threshed head is ejected automatically. According to the results of laboratory tests of the modernized thresher, it was concluded that it provides highquality threshing of individual sunflower heads. Therewith, amount of injured seeds does not exceed 0.35%, seed losses in the thresher do not exceed 1.73% and the seed content in the heap after threshing is 97.02 %.

Rice panicle phenotyping is required in rice breeding for high yield and grain quality. To fully evaluate spikelet and kernel traits without threshing and hulling, using X-ray and RGB scanning, we developed an integrated rice panicle phenotyping system and a corresponding image analysis pipeline. We compared five methods of counting spikelets and found that Faster R-CNN achieved high accuracy (R2 of 0.99) and speed. Faster R-CNN was also applied to indica and japonica classification and achieved 91% accuracy. The proposed integrated panicle phenotyping method offers benefit for rice functional genetics and breeding.

Climate change models predict that drought stress (DS) would continue as a major abiotic limitation for food production. For DS conditions, finger millet would be a better option as compared to other cereal crops because of its drought resilience. However the yield improvement of finger millet through yield per se selection has reached a plateau. Hence, trait based breeding approach in addition to yield per se would help in further yield enhancement. For which, identification of traits those tolerate DS from among stable released varieties would be more appropriate. Imposing DS for 36 days from earhead emergence to grain filling under field condition in 16 released varieties, reduced the grain yield by 36.6% with decreased physiological and yield contributing traits. Considering the per cent reduction of a given parameter due to DS, path analysis and backward step wise regression analysis, the leaf temperature (LT) was found the most important physiological trait under DS. Among the agronomic traits, productive tillers, mean ear size and threshing percentage equally and positively contributed towards the grain yield under DS. Finger width had an additional contribution towards grain yield under DS condition. Our results also reports, that Cv. PR-202 is relatively drought tolerant and; Cv. ML-365 performed similar to that of popularly cultivated Cv.GPU-28.

Background: The present investigation is an attempt to study the effect of different harvesting and threshing methods on germination and seedling vigour of dhaincha. The use of a combine harvester to harvest dhaincha will be an effective alternative method that has not been widely tried. However, work on different methods of harvesting and threshing of dhaincha is limited. Hence, a study was conducted to evaluate the impact of various harvesting and threshing methods on germination and seedling vigour of dhaincha. Methods: This study was conducted at Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, TNAU, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. The dhaincha crop was harvested and threshed using four different methods viz., manual harvesting and manual threshing, manual harvesting and threshing by tractor treading, manual harvesting and mechanical threshing and harvesting and threshing by combine harvester. The resultant seeds were tested for mechanical damage and germination potential. The experiment was laid in completely randomized block design. Germination was tested by roll towel method using 100 seeds in four replications. Germination percentage, root and shoot length were measured in seven days after sowing from ten randomly selected seedlings in each replication. For the estimation of dry matter production, ten seedlings were selected at random and kept in a hot air oven maintained at 85oC for 24 hours after measuring their root and shoot length and vigour index was calculated. Mechanical damage to seeds was observed by ferric chloride test. Seed recovery per cent was calculated based on the 100 kgs of dhaincha seeds were cleaned and graded treatment wise using cleaner cum grader and the seeds retained on the bottom sieve were weighed and expressed as per cent of total quantity of seed. Result: The results revealed that the significant difference was found among the different harvesting and threshing methods. The seeds harvested and threshed by manual method recorded 85 per cent germination followed by seeds harvested manually and threshed by mechanical threshing (84 per cent) and seeds harvested manually and threshed by tractor treading (80.5 per cent). The lowest germination of 80.0 per cent was recorded by combine harvesting. From this study, it could be inferred that combine harvester is a modern method for harvesting of dhaincha that saves time and labour when compared to all other methods.

The quality of seeds is the most important factor in increasing the yield of agricultural crops, including soybeans. However, on average, up to 20–25% of soybean seeds sown in the Amur oblast are substandard. At the same time, one of the main reasons for the decline in the quality of seed material is significant crushing and damage of soybeans during harvesting and processing. Up to ten different brands of combines, which allow a high degree of crushing of bunker grain, are used in harvesting soybeans in the Amur oblast. The crushing of grain by combines of different brands varies in the range from 6.9 to 15.1%. Combines of Russian and foreign production are mainly single-beater drum by design and collect the threshed soybean grain in one bunker, while they do not separate seeds according to the biological diversity inherent in soybeans. As a result, soybean yield losses reach 2.7–3.3 c/ha. In order to reduce grain losses from the crushing and obtaining of high-quality seeds, a new device based on a two-stage threshing combine with double-flow cleaning and with two bunkers was developed. The study of the operating modes of the threshing and separating device for threshing, separation, and damage of soybean seeds along the length of the combine thresher was carried out. The goal of this study was the selection and preservation of the part of the biologically valuable and high-quality soybean seeds from the crushing during combine harvesting of soybean with reduced grain moisture (less than 12%). The conducted research with the use of the complete factorial experiment method and processing the results allowed creating mathematical models of separation and seed damage. Based on this model, a nomogram for determination of separation and the content of damaged soybean seeds was constructed. Damaged seeds were obtained in the zone of the first beater drum, depending on the technological adjustments of the threshing apparatus, grain feed, and grain moisture.

—The results of breeding using transgressive variability during 1985–2018 on the Don are presented. The location is a chernozem steppe with frequent frosts and insufficient and unstable moistening over the years. The technology of breeding was common: the pedigree and bulk methods were used. When laying a breeding nursery, the following approaches were new: sowing up to 45 000 untreated ears of a designed planter (to eliminate weeding during threshing ears), determining the frost resistance of plants that have been hardened in the field in bundles placed in plastic bags in low temperatures, and determining their viability for 3 days after freezing by the Don method. A large layer of studies (more than 11 000 populations) was analyzed, starting with the F1 population and ending with the completion of formation for each one. It is confirmed that transgression that is the result of the recombination is observed in populations whose parents do not have extreme expression of the trait. It is established that populations should be heterogeneous with long-term formation. This happens when parents have very few common genes and when there is no restriction on recombination due to too large differences in components. With the presence of overdominance in F1 in many studied populations, it is possible to predict the appearance of transgressions (for frost-resistance and productivity in our case) with an average frequency of 0.25-4.36%. They are also possible, but an order of magnitude less than when overdominated, with the incomplete and complete dominance of the trait of the best parent, the excess of parents in F2 on average for the population, or with an intermediate inheritance in F2. This should be accompanied by large volumes of studying the breeding material in the first stages and the presence of various stresses. Of the 38 varieties that were included in the State Register of Russia, 29 were transgressive recombinants for winter hardiness and productivity. They all withstand –18°С on the tillering knot.

Better fi eld operations are performed result in lower weed contamination of crops, which means less chemical protection is required. This makes a positive eff ect on soil fertility, crop quality and the ecological situation in general. (Research purpose) To study weed circulation in mechanized farm technologies for cereal production and propose ways of reducing the weed content at all stages of cultivation, taking into account the favorable environmental response of the agricultural background. (Materials and methods) The authors have revealed the fundamental criteria for the implementation of fi eld operations based on a multifactorial model of crop cultivation: reduction of the weed content, reduction of soil compaction sites and re-processing, and environmenta response. They have demonstrated weed circulation in traditional cereal production technologies, identifi ed the development dynamics of weeds and their distribution in the agricultural background. (Results and discussion) The authors controlled weed seeds on spring wheat fi elds under production conditions during the harvest seasons of 2016 and 2017. They experimentally found an increased content of miliary weed seeds in the selected threshing products, the mass of which ranged from 5 to 16 grams per m2. The share of weed seeds in grain hopper amounted to 2.9 percent. It was revealed that weed seeds isolated by a combine remain viable after autumn tillage. Transverse tillage increases the area of contamination in 2 times or more. The authors propose a comprehensive system of weed control at all stages of fi eld operations, taking into account the environmental response of the agricultural background. It is shown that the separation and destruction of weed seeds at the harvest stage is of particular importance. The authors present technical and technological solutions to reduce weeds and ensure a favorable ecological situation. (Conclusions) The authors have designed a comprehensive system to reduce weed contamination, thus reducing the overall impact of plant protection remedies by 30 percent.

The research results of creating new highly productive materials of winter triticale using spelt wheat(Triticum spelta L.) in the breeding process are presented in the article. The research was conducted during2006–2015 at Uman National University of Horticulture. Spring triticale Khlibodar Kharkivskyi, winter triticaleRosivska 6 and samples of spelt wheat from the foot of the Carpathians were used as initial material forthe research. Hybrid progeny F2-5 was analyzed for the manifestation of morphological characteristics andeconomically-valuable indices such as plant height, spike length and color, ear density, grain threshing outfrom the ear, the weight of 1000 grains, gluten content, protein content, and so on. Control testing was carriedout during 2012–2015. The systematic method of plot placement was used for control variety testing.The accounting area of the plot was 10 m2. The experiment was conducted in four replications. State scientific-technical expert examination was carried out during 2015–2018 in 17 State regional centers of plantvarieties expertise in different regions of Ukraine. The initial stage of the research was the hybridization ofthree-species Rosivska 6 winter triticale variety with spelt wheat and the following F1 hybrids crossing withKhlibodar Hharkivskyi spring triticale variety. While using multiple individual selection, sample 491 wasselected among the progeny. This sample was analyzed in competition variety testing, where it significantlyexceeded the average group standard as to the yield capacity (5.97 t/ha) and was not inferior in gluten content(21.7 %), the weight of 1000 grains (47.8 g). In 2015, sample 491 was transferred to the State scientifictechnicexpert examination under the name of Navarra. During this period the variety average yield capacityin Polissia zone was 5.46 t/ha, 1.0 t/ha exceeding the average yield indices in the zone; in the Forest-Steppethe yield was 5.26 t/ha. The variety successfully combines high productivity with high grain quality (proteincontent − 13.1 %, the weight of 1000 grains − 48.6 g) and high resistance to unfavorable environmental factors.According to the results of State scientific -technical expert examination, Navarra variety was enteredin the list of the State register of plant varieties, suitable for distribution in Ukraine in 2019, and recommendedfor cultivation in Polissia zone.

One of the main conditions for cultivating grain crops is the production of high yields of high quality grain. However, even well-formed healthy-looking seed are not always of good quality. Wheat grain infestation with mycoflora occurs at different times, e.g. in the period of vegetation, during harvesting, especially in conditions of high humidity, during threshing, during storage of seeds with high humidity. Mycoflora on the seeds can be saprophytic (penicillas, mucor, alternaria, aspergillas, etc.) and pathogenic (helminthiosporium, fusariosis, septoriosis, etc.). The purpose of our research was to study the level of winter wheat infestation with pathogenic microorganisms, to determine their species composition and to investigate whether the level of grain infestation affects protein and gluten content. The species composition of the epiphytic mycoflora of winter wheat grain during the harvesting period and its influence on the food quality of grain are studied, measures are taken to limit its harmfulness.

Millets are high energy and nutritious foods recommended for the health and well- being of infants, lactating mothers and elderly people. Threshing of this crop still poses a lot of problems to local farmers. To make millet farming integral in Ghana, engineers are making concerted efforts to produce simple farm implements. This will complement other measures adopted by other stake holders to ensure that there is food security. This paper therefore presents a community based millet thresher to reduce the burden farmers go through in threshing pearl millet. The millet thresher has a thresher welded to a steel shaft and then supported on a frame. Connected to the thresher are; an input mounted on the thresher and an output fitted to the exit of the thresher. The output comprises a sieve and a tray. A centrifugal fan supported on the frame supplies air that winnows the threshed grain coming out of the tray and the cleaned millet grains fall into a collector. The millet thresher mainly employs the effects of friction (taking advantage of the fact that millets can be effectively threshed by rubbing the panicles on a rough surface) for threshing. Results show that the thresher rotates in the anticlockwise direction at a speed of 950 revolutions per minute with shaft diameter of 30.88 mm calculated from the equivalent torque. The millet thresher would reduce the long laborious hours spent in threshing and improve the quality of the grains since the possibility of the wind introducing foreign materials into the millet is reduced.

Cereals were a significant part of the Roman diet, yet knowledge about their cultivation, distribution and consumption in certain regions is particularly lacking. In Europe, studies generally suggest that from the Iron Age to the Roman period there was a reduction in barley cultivation, an increase in spelt over emmer, a preference for free-threshing wheat over glume wheats, as well as the increased cultivation of rye and oats. Up till now, there was little evidence on crop cultivation in Croatia, but the discovery of around 24,000 cereal grains from the oven of a 2nd-4th c. AD Roman villa in the modern town of Osijek provides important insights into diet and subsistence in the Roman province of Pannonia. Here, the dominance of free-threshing wheat, spelt and rye with only a relatively small amount of other cereals, chaff and weeds corresponds well with this pattern seen elsewhere in Europe. The relatively clean grain deposit suggests that this sample represents processed grain ready for final food preparation and consumption at the villa. The morphological variation and overlap seen between the carbonised spelt and free-threshing wheat grains, as well as the identification of ‘stunted’ cereal grains, is also discussed.

Multiseed (msd) mutant sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] lines with greatly increased seed numbers were developed. It was originally thought that the msd trait could increase grain yield several times in comparison with the wild type from which the mutant was derived. However, in a small plot trial, msd seed yield decreased when compared to the parent line. Herein we report results that msd seed yield remained either unchanged or slightly increased in comparison to the parent line. We suggest that attempts to measure msd sorghum seed yield were complicated due to systematic errors associated with the post-harvest processing methods, including threshing and pneumatic winnowing equipment that was used for harvest. That is, seed recovery and seed loss from individual panicles were affected by the post-harvest processing. When evaluating sorghum grain yield of types with different seed sizes, threshing and seed cleaning harvesting methods should be optimized for each sorghum line.

Background and objective: Long-term fertility study is one of the important factors to monitor changes in yield because of different nutrient management options and cropping systems involved in Asian regions. Many short-term and long-term fertilizer trials were conducted for intensive irrigated rice cropping patterns mostly to provide fertilizer rate, but did not considered sustainable soil management for soil health. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of missing nutrient elements for a long time on rice yield, photosynthetic rate and residual soil fertility. Materials and Methods: The experiment was initiated on a permanent layout at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) farm, Gazipur during 2000 to 2008 in wet season. Seven treatments in randomized complete block design with four replications were imposed. Grain yield was determined at physiological maturity from three 5 m2 areas within each plot followed by bagging and threshing. Photosynthetic was measure by Li Cor 6400 (USA) machine during study period. Soil sample was analyzed for following standard methods. Results: It was found that grain yield was in decreasing trends for the missing elements that were similar with BR 11 and BRRI dhan 31. On an average, grain yield reductions were 11.6, 7.0, 10.6, 1.1 and 3.4 percent for -N, -P, -K, -S and -Zn, than complete fertilizer treatment (NPKSZn) respectively. Under no fertilization, the ability of soil was to produce 2.9 t·ha-1 of BR11 and 3.1 t·ha-1 of BRRI dhan 31 respectively. Photosynthetic rate of rice plant was always higher in complete fertilizer treatment (NPKSZn) than missing of any nutrient element. The decrease in photosynthetic rate was more pronounced with N missing than others for both the rice varieties. Conclusion: It is concluded that balance chemical fertilizers (NPKSZn) are to be used for sustained and/or increased rice production and to maintain soil fertility.

The structure of barley varieties were studied, using structured and semi-structured queries, at Legambo, Tenta and Worailu districts of South Wollo, Ethiopia. Eight local barley varieties (Belg, Ginbot, Sene/Nech, Tikur, Holker, Traveler Tegadime and Temezhi) were identified, and got their names found on seed color and planting season. According to farmers, Tegadime is the production leader among all, but the source of seeds and the market chain are the limiting factors for its popularity and this is why it’s not famous is because of the low price of the seed. Thus, Sene/Nech found to be popular and shared 46.91% at Tenta, 48.47% at Legambo and 51.55% at Wereilu followed by Tikur and Ginbote. High barley diversity was noted at Tenta (E = 0.773) followed by Wereilu (E = 0.678) and Legambo (E = 0.606). Sene/Nech (0.67), Belg (0.62), Tegadime (0.59), Tikur (0.55) and Ginbote (0.54) were found to be shared, but Traveler, Holker and Temezhi were rarely found. At farm, most farmers were plowing twice before sowing using horse. Biological fertilizer usages were well practice at Tenta, Legambo and Were’ilu, respectively. While, inorganic fertilizer usage was better at Wereilu, but none at Legambo. Pest management was better at Wereilu and hand weeding is a common system, but low at Legambo, and mowing by sickle, threshing by horse and store in Gotera were a shared practice. Farmers use outdated tools for agricultural practice and the yield is losing due to unavailable of update machinery. So, different managing approaches and new harvesting technologies should address.

Plant domestication, at least in cereals, is associated with the loss of the shattering allele. In such species, grains are manually harvested and threshed, leaving behind naked seeds. This could have led to the loss of maternally borne seed microbiomes and their associated benefits in modern-day domesticated species.

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) is an important pulse crop in the Indian diet and one of the most important sources of dietary protein for the population. In the context of the fourth phase of the Indo-Swiss Collaboration in Biotechnology, an assessment how farmers and consumers perceive new pigeon pea cultivars and what are their preferred traits was conducted. This investigation assessed India’s food security implications due to stagnating and low yield of pigeon pea and ascertain farmers’ preferences of pigeon pea varietal traits, production constraints and farmers’ coping strategies in diverse pigeon pea production environments. Results indicated that production constraints in the studied regions were basically similar, with majority of the farmers identifying pod borer & pod fly as the major pest, and wilt as the major disease and drought as a major production constraint. Farmers indicated the use of clean seed, high yielding varieties, inter & mixed cropping, planting density, and manure application as some of the strategies they used to cope with the production constraints. In terms of preference for new cultivars, farmers want high grain yield with drought tolerance, medium to early maturity, pod borer resistance, tolerance to wilt disease, moderate plant height and ease of threshing without compromising other preferred attributes. The analysis of processors’ preference of grain types for dal processing showed that uniform size, oval shape, orange coloured seed and most importantly moderately hard seed coat are highly desirable. Consumers lacked awareness on the varieties, but considered traits like uniform seeds and reduced cooking time traits more desirable.

Perennial grains could simultaneously provide food for humans and a host of ecosystem services, including reduced erosion, minimized nitrate leaching, and increased carbon capture. Yet most of the world’s food and feed is supplied by annual grains. Efforts to domesticate intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrumn intermedium, IWG) as a perennial grain crop have been ongoing since the 1980’s. Currently, there are several breeding programs within North America and Europe working toward developing IWG into a viable crop. As new breeding efforts are established to provide a widely adapted crop, questions of how genomic and phenotypic data can be used among sites and breeding programs have emerged. Utilizing five cycles of breeding data that span eight years and two breeding programs, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, and The Land Institute, Salina, KS, we developed genomic selection (GS) models to predict IWG traits. Seven traits were evaluated with free-threshing seed, seed mass, and non-shattering being considered domestication traits while agronomic traits included spike yield, spikelets per inflorescence, plant height, and spike length. We used 6,199 genets - unique, heterozygous, individual plants - that had been profiled with genotyping-by-sequencing, resulting in 23,495 SNP markers to develop GS models. Within cycles, the predictive ability of GS was high, ranging from 0.11 to 0.97. Across-cycle predictions were generally much lower, ranging from -0.22 to 0.76. The prediction ability for domestication traits was higher than agronomic traits, with non-shattering and free threshing prediction abilities ranging from 0.27 to 0.75 whereas spike yield had prediction abilities ranging from -0.22 to 0.26. These results suggest that progress to reduce shattering and increase the percent free-threshing grain can be made irrespective of the location and breeding program. While site-specific programs may be required for agronomic traits, synergies can be achieved in rapidly improving key domestication traits for IWG. As other species are targeted for domestication, these results will aid in rapidly domesticating new crops.

Grain loss is inevitable during harvesting operations and attempts are made to identify and minimize that. In this study, field performance of five different harvesting methods were assessed which included three indirect harvesting methods of (i) manual cutting + threshing by a tractor driven thresher (T1), (ii) rice reaper + threshing by a tractor driven thresher (T2), (iii) rice reaper + threshing by universal combine harvester equipped with pickup type header (T3), and two direct harvesting methods of (iv) head-feed rice combine (T4), and (v) whole-crop rice combine (T5). The results revealed that the maximum and minimum effective field capacity related to whole-crop combine (0.361 ha h-1) and manual cutting (0.009 ha h-1), respectively. Quantitative losses (grain and panicle shattering) in harvesting and threshing obtained to be 2.58% and 2.33% in average on indirect harvesting (T1, T2 and T3) and direct harvesting (T4 and T5), respectively which were not significant statistically. The average qualitative losses (broken, husked and cracked grains) were 2.30% for indirect harvesting and 0.61% for direct harvesting that showed a decline of 63.3% compared to indirect harvesting. Total harvesting losses were 5.07% for T3 (maximum) and 2.74% for T4 (minimum). The harvesting method affected the percentage of broken rice after milling significantly. The average broken rice for T1, T2 and T3 was 23.72, 23.28 and 24.56% respectively which were significantly higher than T4 (21.05%) and T5 (20.87%). Also, in the view of loss reduction, applying rice combine harvesters had priority respect to indirect harvesting methods.

Domestication is an evolutionary process with humans in the role of selection agents. The two critical steps initiating a suite of changes that characterize domesticated cereals dealt with altering the dispersal strategies of wild grasses: grain retention on the mother plant for direct harvest and easy release of the grain by threshing. In addition to human manipulation of evolutionary processes, other natural hybridization events increased diversity and adaptability of domesticated cereals and cereal weed race complexes. Each of the major grains has followed a distinctive path from wild to domesticated forms with one or more progenitor species involved and in some cases, an associated development of weed races. Barley, maize, pearl millet, oats, rice, rye, sorghum, and wheat are the dominant grain staples in acreage, market share, and research attention. Yet, a far larger number of cereal species are the mainstay in subsistence farming communities throughout the developing world. Phylogenetic reconstruction of both domestication and the natural speciation processes shaping cereal grains is still underway. Developing more detailed pictures of the underlying relationships and causative evolutionary mechanisms will provide researchers with precise roadmaps for exploiting genetic diversity. Similarly, application of the knowledge gained from genome sequencing of the major grains and development of the Brachypodium and Setaria grass model systems will open a wider range of avenues for improving agronomic traits.

Non-parasitic seed disorders are the abnormalities in seeds caused by environmental and nutritional stresses, alterations in genetic makeup, or some mechanical injuries caused to the seeds during harvesting and handling of the crop. These disorders are not caused by any infectious agent, but they can make the seed susceptible to infection by many pathogens. This chapter describes the identification, cause, and management of seed disorders of field and vegetable crops. Disorders caused by environmental stresses like high or low temperature, humidity, moisture, frost, and drought are generally irreversible; however, their incidence can be minimized by opting suitable sowing and harvesting time along with providing adequate seed storage conditions. Disorders like yellow berry, hollow heart, and marsh spot, which are caused by the deficiency of different nutrients, can be avoided by providing a balanced nutrition to the seed crops by soil and foliar application of the deficient nutrients. Mechanical injuries during threshing and seed processing also result in many seed disorders. Baldhead or snakehead in beans, for example, is a common disorder that occurs due to injury at any stage including harvesting, threshing, cleaning, or during seed sowing operations. Disorders caused by genetic mutations can be reduced by breeding for stress-resistant cultivars of various crops by gene transfer and devising efficient screening protocols to screen genotypes against various abiotic stresses.

Vernonia (Centrapalus pauciflorus) is a potential novel industrial crop due to high demand to its natural epoxidised oil, which can be used for the manufacturing of polyvinyl chloride, adhesives, petrochemicals, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. The study was conducted by focusing on cultivation, utilization, morphological description and distribution in order to provide a clue for germplasm conservation and further research using 80-accessions of C. pauciflorus that grown in alpha-lattice design with two replications at Melka Werer and Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Centers. The seed yield and yield components of accessions grown at Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Center exhibited higher than those grown at Melka Werer Agricultural Research Center due to prolonged vegetative and reproductive growth. Seed yield per hectare was positively associated (P ≤ 0. 05) with a number of heads per plant (r = 0.72), number of seeds per head (r = 0.50) and seed yield per plant (r = 0.47). The path coefficient analysis also showed that the number of heads per plant exhibited the highest positive direct effect on seed yield per hectare. These genetic variabilities reveal that the existence of variations in the material used, and have a good chance of improvement through selection. Since cultivation and commercialization of C. pauciflorus are limited by factors such as non-uniform maturity, seed shattering, plant height, not adapted to mechanized harvesting, seed threshing, and modern molecular tools should be applied for genetic improvement of the crop, in traits such as plant height, uniform maturity and seed retention.

Proso millet is an important short-duration crop that adapts well to varied climatic conditions and is grown worldwide for food, feed and fodder purposes. Owing to a lack of genetic improvement, the crop has experienced no yield improvement and provides low income to farmers. In this study, 200 accessions of proso millet originating in 30 countries were evaluated in two rainy seasons to assess phenotypic diversity for morpho-agronomic and grain nutritional traits and to identify high grain-yielding and grain nutrient-rich accessions. Proso millet diversity was structured by geographical region, by country within region, and by racial group. Race patentissimum showed high diversity and ovatum low diversity, and diverged widely from each other. The lowest divergence was observed between races compactum and ovatum. Eighteen high grain-yielding, 10 large-seeded, and 26 two or more grain nutrients-rich accessions were identified, and highly diverse pairs of accessions within and between trait groups were identified. They included IPm 9 and IPm 2661 for high grain yield and large seed size; and IPm 2069, IPm 2076, and IPm 2537 for high Fe, Zn, Ca, and protein contents. IPm 2875 had a seed coat that is readily removed by threshing. This study provides valuable information to proso millet researchers about agronomic and nutritional traits in accessions that could be tested for regional adaption and yield for direct release as cultivars, and could be used in breeding for developing high grain-yielding and nutrient-rich cultivars. Keywords: Proso millet, Common millet, Diversity, Race, Germplasm, Grain nutrient

The results of studying, evaluating and describing 637 accessions of the millet collection of Ustymivka Experimental Station of Plant Production in terms of performance and adaptability traits in 2011–2015 are presented. Our objective was to select a group of promising accessions from the changing gene pool of the National collection of millet, basing on previous studies, and to comprehensively assess them for a set of economic and breeding-valuable traits. Material and methods. Ustymivka Experimental Station of Plant Production investigated the assortment of breeding varieties, which were generated in different years, landraces and local forms differing by harvest site and time, resistance to diseases and pests, suitability for mechanized harvesting, grain and groat quality and by other traits. Results and discussion. The comprehensive study using field and laboratory assessments made it possible to identify sources of economically- and breeding-valuable traits: 46 accessions with increased yield (over 500 g/m 2 ), 62 accessions with large grains (1000-grain weight >8.0), 40 accessions with increased plant performance (7–10 g), 33 accessions with increased panicle performance (>6.0 g), 38 accessions with increased grain number per panicle (> 800–1,000), 27 accessions with resistance to panicle drooping, 20 accessions with lodging resistance, and 24 accessions with shedding resistance (after maturation, during transportation and threshing). Ten accessions were recognized as the most suitable for direct mechanized harvesting (the maximum sum of points from lodging resistance, panicle drooping and post-maturation grain shedding scores). Seven accessions with the maximum sum of points from resistance to biotic factors scores were also identified. Conclusions. The millet gene pool accessions were comprehensively studied under various weather conditions by field and laboratory assessments, which allowed us to select material with increased parameters. The valuable accessions are recommended to develop new millet varieties.

Ethiopia is one of the major producers of barley in Sub-Saharan Africa and has a growing malt beverage sector. Yet, despite a favourable bio-physical environment, malt barley productivity is much lower than the potential yield due to traditional land management systems, poor agro-technical crop management practices, and lack of high-quality seeds. Field experiments were therefore conducted to evaluate the improved malt barley varieties under a range of inter-row spacing in two different growing locations, for their yield and other associated traits. The treatments were arranged in randomized complete block design consisting of six malt barley varieties (i.e. Holker, HB1963, Sabine, Ibone174/03, EH1847, and Freygebse), and three levels of inter-row spacing (i.e. 20, 25, and 30 cm) in two divergence growing locations (i.e. Miligebsa and Kino). Agronomic practices such as weeding, fertilizer application, harvesting, and threshing were uniformly applied for all experimental units. The data presented under this dataset article includes phenological traits (i.e. days to 50% heading, and days to 90% physiological maturity), seed yield and yield components (i.e. seeds spike−1, spike length, number of effective tillers, 1000-seed weight, total aboveground biomass, and straw yield). All the collected data were subjected to a statistical analysis software package using the general linear model (GLM) procedure of the SAS 9.2 version. This dataset article therefore provides information about how optimization of inter-row spacing varied variety to variety. Additionally, it provides how the environment diverges the efficiency of inter-row spacing for maximum potential yield. Hence, this information can allow other researchers to review the supplement data, methods, and make detailed analysis, which possibly giving rise to new lines of inquiry. This can also give rise to new collaborations and boost the reputation of the present research results within the scientific community. This dataset article is aimed to provide a dataset collected from an intensive malt barley field experiment for public use and to make it available to everyone around the subject matter to use as they wish.

Harvesting is one of the major costs for rice production. Although the use of machine for harvesting rice in Bangladesh is increasing day by day and the machines are either combine harvester or reaper and thresher. Farmers of Bangladesh don’t have specific information to the choice of these machines. So to determine the cost of use of each machine, a study was conducted in Doyalsara, Bogra and Mymensingh region. Data were collected for rice in the Aman and Boro season of 2015 to determine the cost of harvesting by combine harvester and reaping and threshing by reaper and thresher. It was found for combine harvester operational cost and for carrying rice bag and straw to the plot side was Tk.10,447/ha. On the other hand, for reaper and thresher, the reaping, binding, carrying the rice to the plot side, threshing and cleaning required Tk.6,940/ha. The percentage of cost of combine harvester in relation to reaper and thresher for the same work is higher by 50.53%. In the socio-economic condition of Bangladeshi farmers, harvesting and threshing operations done by using self-propelled reaper and close drum thresher is cost effective and reasonable.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 10(1): 133-136 2017

As chemical management options for weeds become increasingly limited due to selection for herbicide resistance, investigation of additional nonchemical tools becomes necessary. Harvest weed seed control (HWSC) is a methodology of weed management that targets and destroys weed seeds that are otherwise dispersed by harvesters following threshing. It is not known whether problem weeds in western Canada retain their seeds in sufficient quantities until harvest at a height suitable for collection. A study was conducted at three sites over 2 yr to determine whether retention and height criteria were met by wild oat, false cleavers, and volunteer canola. Wild oat consistently shed seeds early, but seed retention was variable, averaging 56% at the time of wheat swathing, with continued losses until direct harvest of wheat and fababean. The majority of retained seeds were >45 cm above ground level, suitable for collection. Cleavers seed retention was highly variable by site-year, but generally greater than wild oat. The majority of seed was retained >15 cm above ground level and would be considered collectable. Canola seed typically had >95% retention, with the majority of seed retained >15 cm above ground level. The suitability ranking of the species for management with HWSC was canola > cleavers > wild oat. Efficacy of HWSC systems in western Canada will depend on the target species and site- and year-specific environmental conditions.Nomenclature: False cleavers, Galium spurium L. GALSP; volunteer canola, Brassica napus L. BRSNN; wild oat, Avena fatua L. AVEFA; fababean, Vicia faba L.; wheat, Triticum aestivum L.

Experiments were conducted to determine the extent of Fusarium langsethiae infection in wheat, barley and oats grown under identical experimental conditions. In total, four experiments were conducted with both winter and spring sown experiments at two locations. The amount of F. langsethiae infection was determined by quantifying F. langsethiae DNA and quantifying the combined concentration of the trichothecene mycotoxins HT-2 and T-2 (HT-2 + T-2) in cereal head fractions (grain and rest of the head) after threshing at harvest. Results of the study showed that under identical experimental conditions, oats had the highest F. langsethiae DNA and HT-2 + T-2 concentrations compared to wheat and barley. This indicates that the high levels detected on UK oats compared to wheat and barley from surveys of commercial crops is a consequence of genetic differences rather than differences in agronomy applied to the cereal species. The concentration of HT-2 and T-2 per unit of F. langsethiae DNA in oats compared to wheat and barley was also significantly higher indicating host differences in either the stimulation of HT-2 and T-2 production or in the metabolism of HT-2 and T-2. The study also showed that the proportion of F. langsethiae DNA in threshed grains was significantly lower than that in the rest of the cereal head.

The Harrington Seed Destructor (HSD), a novel weed control technology, has been highly effective in Australian cropping systems. To investigate its applicability to conditions in western Canada, stationary threshing was conducted to determine the impact of weed species, seed size, seed number, chaff load, and chaff type on efficacy of seed destruction. Control varied depending on species, with a range of 97.7% to 99.8%. Sieve-sized volunteer canola seed had a linear relationship of increasing control with increasing 1,000-seed weight. However, with greater than 98% control across all tested seed weights, it is unlikely that seed size alone will significantly influence control. Consistently high levels of control were observed at all tested seed densities (10 seeds to 1 million seeds). The response of weed seed control to chaff load was quadratic, but a narrow range of consistently high control (>97%) was again observed. Chaff type had a significant effect on weed seed control (98% to 98.6%); however, seed control values in canola chaff were likely confounded by a background presence of volunteer canola. Overall, the five parameters studied statistically influence control of weed seeds with the HSD. However, small differences between treatments are unlikely to affect the biological impact of the machine, which provides high levels of control for those weed seeds that can be introduced into the harvester.

Performance of a Yanmar DB 1000 mechanised paddy thresher was comparatively assessed against manual threshing by impact method using a locally-made wooden box for Amankwatia and AGRA rice varieties under farmer’s field conditions at Nobewam in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The mechanised thresher was evaluated at various threshing drum speeds (550 rpm, 600 rpm and 650 rpm) and feeding rates (200 kgh-1, 400 kgh-1 and 600 kgh-1). Results showed that threshing was satisfactory at grain moisture content between 16.9% w.b and 18.0% w.b. for both rice varieties. Threshing efficiency increased from 94.6% to 95.8% with no significant difference observed whereas cleaning efficiency decreased significantly from 84.2 % to 81.6 % with increasing feed rate irrespective of rice variety. Again, threshing efficiency increased with increasing drum rotational speed, irrespective of feed rate and rice variety. Percentage broken grain and grain loss both increased with increasing peripheral drum speed and paddy feed rate irrespective of rice variety. Average fuel consumption, physical energy requirement and threshing capacity increased significantly with increasing drum speed and feed rate. Crop moisture content and shattering ability influenced the threshing efficiency, threshing capacity, grain loss, broken grain, fuel and physical energy requirement at threshing. AGRA rice variety generally performed better than Amankwatia under both mechanical and manually threshing methods. Mechanised threshing was significantly better at reducing grain loss and physical energy demand whilst yielding over 200% higher threshing capacity than manual threshing by impact using the wooden box. Mechanised threshing was financially rewarding, yielding over 500% higher profit margin than the manual threshing option. Further research on optimum crop moisture content for improved threshing of different rice varieties is suggested.

Purpose: This aim of this study was to develop a pick-up type pulse crop harvester for harvesting cut and dried pulse crop. Methods: The pick-up type pulse crop harvester was designed and constructed. Its specifications and operating performance were investigated. Results: Compared with conventional bean harvesters, the pick-up type pulse crop harvester adopted seven rows of chains with tines to pick-up the cut and dried pulse crop on a flat or ridged field, two transverse threshing drums with steel wire teeth to reduce the threshing speed, and a tilt plate and plastic bucket elevator for conveying clean grain to reduce damage. The threshing speed and the oscillating frequency of the separating and cleaning parts according to crop type and condition could be varied easily to efficiently use engine power and to improve harvesting performance. The harvester showed forward speed ranges of 0 ~ 1.5 m/s during harvesting operation, and 0 ~ 2.5 m/s during road travelling. The pick-up width of the harvester was about 1 m. Conclusions: The pick-up type self-propelled 51.5 kW harvester was designed and constructed to harvest cut and dried pulse crop. The effective field capacity of the harvester was predicted as above 40 a/h.

To know the position, problems and suggestion of harvest mechanization of rice, the study conducted in 21 upzillas under seven regions (Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Comilla, Bogra, Rajshahi and Rangpur) based on different agro-climatic condition and cropping intensity and 126 farmers participated in the interview. For collecting data, a structured questionnaire was used and statistical analysis of the collected data was carried out. In study area, the average cultivable area was 225 to 1239 decimal (1 decimal = 40 m2) and 97.60% farmer reaping by sickle and only 0.80% used combine harvester. Cut paddy transported by head (13.49%), shoulders (12.7%) or both of them of 11.11% farmer and 44.44% of farmers used small truck or field threshed. Threshing was mainly done using (49.21%) closed drum thresher and open drum thresher (26.20%), likewise 1 of 126 farmer use head-feed combine harvester. The study area, most farmers (37.3%) used kula for the cleaning of rice, but only 8.74% of farmers used winnower. In considerable amount, 80.95% of farmers had machinery, while the remaining (19.05%) did not have machines. Farmers agreed that harvesting was a labor-intensive method (35.71%) and time consuming (28.57%). Transporting of harvested paddy was dangerous and painful for head, shoulder, hand, waist, backbone, leg, etc. With mechanization and the introduction of machinery, 40.48% of farmers identified the main ceiling as the price of the machine and information/lack of credit system (21.43%). In survey area, most farmers (36.51%) identified the vital advantage of mechanized harvesting as lower labor requirement, while 21.43% of farmers said that a lower loss of rice. All farmers who participated in the interview expressed their need for machinery and mentioned agricultural credit with easy terms and conditions, subsidy for buying machinery and the ensuring of a fair market price for their rice.

The aim of this study is using the mechanical harvesting to suit the harvesting of the planted wheat crop on raised beds with respect to harvesting grains losses, cutting height, energy, and cost for exploiting the advantages of the raised beds cultivation. Three different machines were used for harvesting wheat crop planted on raised beds namely: Claas, Yanmar combines as well as the front mounted reciprocating mower which harvested wheat in rows that followed by threshing machine were tested and compared to each other. The practical experiments of this study were carried out to evaluate the performance of the harvesting machines under four forward speeds of 1.2,1.8, 2.5 and 3.7 km/h, four grain moisture content of 12.5, 15.2, 17.3 and 19.7% taking into consideration the total grain losses, actual field capacity, consumed energy and criterion cost. This study recommended to use the Claas combine for harvesting the planted wheat crop on raised beds at forward speed of 1.8 km/h and grain moisture content of 19.7 % for achieving lowest criterion cost of 374.48 LE/fed and actual field capacity of 1.18 fed/h with 4.05 % of total grain losses, and consumed energy of 31.33 kW.h/fed. The highest criterion cost with Claas, Yanmar combine and front mower were 621.25,739.48 and 959.69 LE/fed at forward speed of 3.7 km/h and grain moisture content of 12.5%.

Mechanical intervention in rice (Oryza sativa L.) postharvest operation especially harvesting, threshing and carrying is increasing due to shifting labour from agriculture to non-agricultural sector. It was hypothesized that mechanical intervention in rice postharvest operation will increase the postharvest losses. A two-year study (2008-2010) was conducted during Aus, Aman and Boro seasons in six locations of sadar upazila at Gazipur district to test the hypothesis. The widely used varieties of BR11, BR23, BR26, BR27, BRRI dhan28, BRRI dhan29 were used to assess the losses during harvesting to drying. In the study areas, farmer’s common practices (harvesting paddy by sickle; transportation by head, shoulder and power tiller operated trolley; threshing by open drum and close drum thresher; cleaning by traditional cleaning device kula and winnower and sun drying) were used to assess the postharvest losses. The average postharvest losses from harvesting to drying recorded 10% in three rice growing seasons. Losses due to mechanical threshing and traditional sun drying were 3.16% and 3.14% respectively. Power tiller operated trolley showed the lowest carrying loss compared to shoulder and head carrying methods. Both kula and winnower were observed as the most appropriate method of grain cleaning. Mechanical intervention in threshing increased the losses, whereas decreased in transportation and winnowing. These data might be used for policy makers to assess the national food grain loss and for researchers to design and development new technology to reduce the postharvest loss. The study should be continued to other regions for consistent results.Bangladesh Rice j. 2016, 20(1): 23-32

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the profitability of four selective mechanization systems in rice cultivation. Methods: Field experiments were conducted in the farmers` field during the wet season (June to November) of 2015 in Bangladesh. Mechanization systems were applied to evaluate four different selective levels (treatment) in eleven consequent operations. Seedlings were raised in a traditional seedbed and trays for manual and mechanical transplanting, respectively. Land preparation, irrigation, fertilizer, pesticide, carrying, and threshing and cleaning operations were performed using the same method in all the experimental plots. The mechanical options in the transplanting, weeding, and harvesting operations were changed. The mechanization systems were S1 = hand transplanting + hand weeding + harvesting by sickle, S2 = mechanical transplanting + Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) weeder + reaper, S3 = mechanical transplanting + BRRI power weeder + reaper, and S4 = mechanical transplanting + herbicide + reaper. This experiment was performed in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Power tiller, rice transplanter, BRRI weeder, BRRI power weeder, self-propelled reaper, BRRI open drum thresher, and BRRI winnower were used in the respective operations. Accordingly, the techno-economic performances of the different technologies were calculated and compared with those of the traditional system. Results: The mechanically transplanted plot produced 6-10% more yield than the hand transplanted plot because of the use of tender-aged seedlings. Mechanical transplanting reduced 61% labor and 18% cost compared to manual transplanting. The BRRI weeder, BRRI power weeder, and herbicide application reduced 74, 91, and 98% labor, respectively. The latter also saved 72, 63, and 82% cost, respectively, compared to hand weeding. Herbicide application reduced the substantial amount of labor and cost in the weeding operation. Mechanical harvesting also saved 96% labor and 72% cost compared to the traditional method of harvesting using sickle. Selective mechanization saved 15-17% input cost compared to the traditional method of rice cultivation. Conclusions: Mechanical transplanting with the safe use of herbicide and harvesting by reaper is the most cost- and labor-saving operation. The method might be the recommended set of selective mechanization for enhancing productivity.

The quality of seeds is influenced by the climatic conditions of the production field. The identification of characteristics of the best forage seed fields allows the improvement of the sector. In this study, the aim was to identify climatic characteristics of producing regions that may affect the physical and physiological quality of Brachiaria brizantha cv. BRS 'Piatã' seeds. Seeds from 10 lots were evaluated for purity, other seeds, mass of a thousand seed, water content, germination, dormancy, emergence, seedling emergence in sand and seedling emergence in the field. Temperature and precipitation data of each production field from flowering to harvest were obtained. The means of treatments were compared by the Scott-Knott test at 5% probability. In order to discriminate which environmental factors influenced seed quality, multivariate statistical analysis was applied through Principal Component Analysis. It was concluded that production fields with temperatures above 30 °C in flowering, threshing and harvesting periods are related to the production of 'Piatã' grass seeds of lower physical and physiological quality. Fields with accumulated rainfall above 500 and 137 mm in the flowering and harvesting period, respectively, are unfavorable to seed vigor. RESUMO A qualidade das sementes é influenciada pelas condições climáticas do campo de produção. A identificação das características dos melhores campos de sementes de forrageiras permite o aprimoramento do setor. Neste estudo, objetivou-se identificar características climáticas das regiões produtoras que podem afetar as qualidades física e fisiológica de sementes de Brachiaria brizantha cv. BRS 'Piatã'. Sementes de 10 lotes foram avaliados quanto à pureza, outras sementes, massa de mil sementes, teor de água, germinação, dormência, emergência, primeira contagem de emergência de plântulas em areia e emergência das plântulas em campo. Foram obtidos os dados de temperatura e precipitação de cada campo de produção desde o florescimento até a colheita. As médias dos tratamentos foram comparadas pelo teste de Scott-Knott, a 5% de probabilidade. Para discriminar quais fatores ambientais influenciaram a qualidade das sementes aplicou-se a análise estatística multivariada através da Análise de Componentes Principais. Concluiu-se que campos de produção com temperaturas acima de 30 °C nas épocas de florescimento, degrana e colheita estão relacionados à produção de sementes de capim-piatã de menor qualidade física e fisiológica. Campos com precipitações pluviométricas acumuladas superiores a 500 e 137 mm no período de florescimento e colheita, respectivamente, são desfavoráveis ao vigor das sementes produzidas.

When harvesting winter oilseed rape (WOSR), leaving higher (~0.3–0.4 m) crop stubble is an effective method of reducing fuel consumption and contaminant emissions of a combine harvester equipped with the tangential threshing apparatus and straw walkers. At a speed of 4kmh−1, when the stubble height of WOSR was increased from 0.2 to 0.4m, the mass of material other than grain (MOG) fed to the harvester was reduced by 7th−1, resulting in a reduction of 6.2lh−1 in fuel consumption, 5.7kgh−1 in carbon equivalent (CE), and 16.3kgh−1 in CO2 emissions. A more accurate estimate of harvester performance is the fuel consumption per ton of threshed seeds. On increasing the MOG mass feed rate to 15.6th−1, the fuel consumption per ton of threshed rapeseeds decreased to 3.33lt−1, CE reached 40.2kgh−1 or 3.0kgt−1, and CO2 emissions reached 121.3kgh−1 or 9.2kgt−1 of threshed rapeseed. When optimizing the automatic speed control system of the combine harvester, the MOG mass feed rate, the permissible limit of seed losses, and fuel consumption per ton of threshed seeds must be considered.

The present study was aimed at optimizing operational and crop parameters influencing the mechanized harvesting and threshing of mung-bean crop with combine harvester. Two varieties of summer mung-bean SML-668 and SML-832 and one variety of kharif mung-bean ML-818 were selected for the study. Concave clearance was kept as 25 mm at front side and 10 mm from rear side. The height of cut the crop ranged from 8-9.5 cm. Threshing efficiency was more than 98% at cylinder peripheral speeds C3 and C4 in all varieties except SML-832. The percent grain damage was higher for higher cylinder peripheral speed and lower for higher forward speed. The grain damage ranged from 1.54 – 3.22 percent for C1, C2 and C3 cylinder peripheral speed in all crop varieties. Peripheral speed of 18.91 m/s and forward speed of 1.5 km/h was found to be optimum for harvesting mung-bean with combine harvester for all crop varieties.

Pigeon-pea is very thick and woody stem crop, therefore the harvesting and threshing of this crop is a drudgery and time consuming. At present in India pigeon-pea is harvested manually with sickle and after that the crop is left in the field in the form of heaps for 7-10 days for sun drying. After sun drying the crop is threshed with suitable thresher or beating with stick etc. Lack of mechanization of harvesting and threshing operation is one of the limitations to the increase production and productivity of pigeon-pea. Therefore, the present study was aimed at optimizing operational and crop parameters influencing the mechanized harvesting and threshing of pigeon-pea crop with combine harvester. PAU-881, AL-1856, AL-1817 and AL-1811 of extra-short duration pigeon-pea were selected for the study. The moisture content of crop and grain varied from 38 to 48% and 22 to 25% on wet basis respectively for crop varieties AL-1817 and AL-1811 and it was 48 to 53% and 24 to 27% on wet basis respectively for crop varieties PAU-881 and AL-1856. Concave clearance was kept as 16 mm at front side and 7 mm from rear side. Threshing efficiency was more than 98% at cylinder peripheral speed of 26.61 m/s and 34.85 m/s in all varieties except PAU-881. The percent grain breakage was higher for higher cylinder peripheral speed and lower for higher forward speed. The grain damage was below 1% for 23.85m/s, 26.61 m/s and 34.85 m/s cylinder peripheral speed in all crop varieties except AL-1811. The optimum values of peripheral velocity and forward speed of combine harvester harvesting pigeon-pea were 26.61 m/s and 2.0 km/h for all selected varieties.