How and when wheat is harvested: timing, methods and further storage

Wheat harvest time depend on the natural and climatic conditions of the region. The grain is harvested several days a year. If harvested earlier, it will be immature; if a little later, there will be large grain losses due to shedding. We will tell you how wheat ripens, when it is harvested from the fields and what harvesting technologies are used.

Terms of harvesting wheat from fields

Harvesting processes differ depending on the type of crops - winter crops or spring.

Winter

Winter wheat is harvested when the grain moisture content is no more than 20%. If the harvest is not completed within 3-4 days, the wheat will overripe and begin to crumble, which can lead to very large losses - up to half of the harvest.

Spring

Spring wheat is harvested in one or two phases. One-phase harvesting is carried out at the beginning of full ripeness with a grain moisture content of 18-19%, the work is completed within no more than 5 days. Otherwise, over-sowing is possible, which worsens the characteristics of the crop: glassiness decreases, the mass of 1000 grains decreases, flour-grinding, baking and sowing properties deteriorate.

Two-phase harvesting is carried out in case of large weediness of crops or their occurrence. It begins in the middle of waxy ripeness, when the grain moisture content is 25 to 35%. Harvesting starts 5-6 days earlier, the download height is set to 15-20 cm.

By region

In the southern regions of Russia, the harvesting campaign starts from mid-June, in the Central Black Earth region - from the second decade of July, in the central regions - in August, in Siberia and the Far East - in September.

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When it is ripe, how to determine maturity

How does wheat ripen? The grain has three degrees of ripeness:

1. Milk ripeness - the initial phase of maturation. Begins 14-15 days after flowering. The duration is 10-15 days. Plants are still green, the bottom of the stems and lower leaves turn yellow and die off, the grain is green, when crushed, it releases a milky-white liquid. The grain is still defective.
2. Wax ripeness: the whole plant has turned yellow, the grain becomes waxy in consistency and stops accumulating organic matter. Cleaning usually starts during this period.
3. Full ripeness. The grain loses all excess water, becomes hard, does not break, crunches when sampled per tooth, easily crumbles, contains 13-14% moisture, therefore, cleaning is done before the beginning of this stage.

Preparation of fields for harvesting work

In order for the harvest to take place with maximum efficiency, a complex of organizational and physical work is performed:

1. They repair and prepare access roads, think over the location of the headlands.
2. Determine the optimal ways to move the harvesting equipment.
3. Divide the fields into "corrals". With the calculation of the work of equipment for 1-2 days, the ratio of the length and width of the site usually ranges from 1: 5 to 1:10, the lodged areas are allocated in a separate "corral".
4. Areas and the space between the "pens" are mowed.
5. They make fire-prevention plowing between the "pens".

Harvesting methods

The most common method is direct combining. This is one-phase cleaning in one pass of the harvesting unit. This method is used with uniform ripening of ears and a small amount of weeds.The disadvantage of this method is the greater number of equipment used, which leads to an increase in the cost of wheat.

Attention! One-phase harvest is carried out in sunny weather or at least 5 hours after the end of the rain.

The separate method is used for dense sowing of wheat, the presence of a large number of weeds, uneven ripening of ears. Principle of operation: first, the rolls are mowed and formed, after the humidity drops to 17-18% (after 2-3 days) the rolls are selected and threshed.

How is wheat harvested in this way? Currently, the processes are mechanized, they are carried out by a combine with the appropriate equipment. A long interval between works cannot be done, as the grain begins to crumble, which leads to crop losses.

How wheat was harvested by hand in the old days

Harvesting in the old days was carried out by hand - with the help of sickles and scythes. The wheat was mowed, the harvested ears were tied into sheaves, which were folded into grandmothers. Then the sheaves were stacked in the fields, dried, threshed with flails.

Wheat moisture during harvesting

In the phase of waxy ripeness, the moisture content is 25-35%. The percentage required for grinding is 12-15.

Primary processing and storage of crops

Immediately after harvesting, the grain cannot be sent for storage or put on sale, since it has high humidity, is clogged with various debris and impurities. It is required to carry out a set of measures to prepare grain for storage.

After entering the current, the grain is cleaned, dried and sorted. Then they are sent for revision to a conditional state - they are cleaned of grain and weed admixtures, dried again. Only after these works are they removed for long-term storage.

Warehouses for storing grain must be dry and ventilated. The temperature in the warehouse is from 6 to 8 ° C, humidity is 60-70%. To avoid debate and self-heating, the grain is periodically stirred.

Grain is stored for 3-4 years. Seed grain is stored for no more than a year.

Conclusion

A cleaning company is a complex and responsible process. Its correct implementation affects the size of the harvested crop. Loss of grain in case of improperly organized work is 50-60%.