Reducing seed losses and fuel consumption in rapeseed harvest

Abstract

Rapeseed harvesting starts in the Baltics as soon as seed moisture content decreases to 12%. While the variation in seed moisture content is not affected by short-term precipitation, prolonged precipitation leads to ca. 2% increase in the moisture content. 0.2 m high stubble of winter rapeseed accounts for the share of 49.87% in the total stem mass. Its moisture content is 10.39% higher than of the remaining share of the stem mass. Increase of the stubble height to 0.3 m leads to 15.52% reduction in the stem mass fed into a combine harvester, and 1.79% reduction in moisture content of the stem mass. In this case, fuel consumption per hectare of harvested rapeseed is lower by 2.74 l, and per ton of threshed seeds – by 0.27 l. Relationship between the rate of rapeseed feed into a combine harvester, shatter loss from straw separation and chaff cleaning, and fuel consumption per ton of threshed seeds has been found. The rate limit of rapeseed feed into the combine harvester is reached, when fuel consumption per ton of threshed seeds has stopped reducing, but shatter loss from straw separation and chaff cleaning is still within the tolerable range. In the case of winter rapeseed harvesting under processing conditions, fuel consumption per ton of threshed seeds ranged from 2.5 to 6.5 l, while in the case of rational rate of rapeseed feed into the combine harvester, fuel consumption per ton of threshed seeds reached 2.93±0.23 l.