A CROP HARVESTER FOR FORAGE PLOTS1

Transcription

1 A CROP HARVESTER OR ORAGE PLOTS1 J. G. Knltr exo Wrrl. KeLsrI-BrscH Cn Deprtment oj Agriculture, Ottw, Ontrio freceive for publiction Jnury 29, 1956] ABSTRACT The smll crop hrvester escribe is esigne to cut yiel smples from forge experimentl plots. 'fhe mchine, bse on the principle of flil type forge hrvester, is mounte on stnr 2-plough trctor by conventionl three-point hitch n the rotor mechnism is riven from the trctor power tke-off shft. The unit cuts swth 35 inches wie. The choppe forge mteril is elivere irectlv to n ttche collection box which hs cpcity for 80 lb. of green- choppe mteril n cn be unloe from the rer. This evice opertes efficiently on grss or legume crops of ny ensity with height up to 30 inches n it chops the mteril into suitble lengths for smpling purposes. INTRODUCTION At present, most forge plots re cut with some type of gren trctor hving sickle-br mower. Subsequent to cutting the crop is normlly collecte in some form of pn or bg n following this the mteril is choppe by nother evice to secure smple for ry mtter yiel etermintions. These numerous opertions involve consierble time n Ibour. Accoringly, new type of forge plot hrvester hs been evise which combines the opertions of cutting, collecting, n chopping the crop in single opertion. DESCRIPTION AND CONSTRUCTION The new hrvesting evice for forge plots is esigne s flil-type evice r,r'hich cuts n chops the crop by impct n blows the cut mteril into collection box. The entire mchine is bout 3 feet wie n 5 feet long n is mounte on stnr 2-plough trctor by conventionl three-point hitch linkge. Por,ver to operte the rotry cutter is obtine from the power tke-off shft of the trctor. When being trnsporte, the hrvester is crrie by the trctor in rise position entirely free of the groun. When operting on plots, the hrvester rests on two cster wheels which support the unit n lso serve to control the height of cut. The complete unit is illustrte in igure 1. The rotor of the mchine consists of 3-inch hevy uty pipe to which re ttche 16 flil-type cutters obtine from n Economy Moel Lunell orge Hrvester. Ae weights re require on the rotor for ynmic blnce. The hoo over the rotor irects the cut mteril into the collection box. The top of the box is covere with l/8 X 1/8 inch metl screening to provie n outlet for the ir strem crete by the rotting cutters. The bottom of the box is slope so tht the choppe mteril cn be reily remove through the rer hinge oor on to trpulin to be weighe. -icorlibotior trom the ielcl Husbnry, Soils n Asriculturl Engineering Division, Experimentl rms Service. 418

2 October, 1957] KEMp AND KALBLEIScTT-A crop HARVESTER or orage Plors 419 rcunn 1. A sie view of the complete plot hrvester, showing the unit ttche to the trctor n in operting position. The cster wheels re set within the frme of the mchine so tht they will run on the cut stubble. Verticl iustment on the wheels controls the height of cut. The line rwing in igure 2 shows sie view of the mchine n inictes vrious etils of construction. The cost of mterils for the unit ws pproximtely $ n 100 mn-hours of lbour were require to construct the hrvester. rcunb 2 Detils of the rrngement of the principl prts of the unit.

3 420 CANADIAN TOUR\AL O PLA\T SCIENCE [\'o1.37 Icunp 3. A clen cut in blv loee lflf n timothv crop. IELD OPERATIONS The hrvester, with the trctor in first ger, is cpble of hnling ny height n ensity of forge crop. Bly loge forge crop ws cut clen s shown in igure 3. A trctor with live power tke-off mkes it possible for the rotor to be brought up to cutting spee before the unit is move into the plot for cutting, n lso llows the forwr motion of the unit to be stoppe t the en of the plot while mintining full rotor spee. The 2-plough trctor supplies mple power for the opertion of the unit. A minimum rotor spee of 1500 r.p.m. is require to ensure tht the choppe mteril is elivere into the box. At this rotor spee, n forwr trvel of 1$ to 2 m.p.h., the mteril is choppe into lengths rnging lrom 2 to 12 inches which is suitble for smples for ry mtter etermintions. It is evient from fiel trils tht the suction crete by the rotting cutter picks up ust n chff long with the smple. The new hrvester requires crew of four to five men s compre to seven to eight for the sickle-br mower metho. The time require by both methos is bout equl for clipping of short crops where collection pn cn be use on the sickle-br mower. On tller crops, where the mteril cut by the sickle-br must be collecte n choppe, the hrvester is t lest twice s fst.

4 October KEMp AND K.\LBLETscH-A crop ITARvESTDR or orage Plors 421 tr -o.. or ) z->,*.y\o!o id 01 r o\ o\o 35 c; J* N 'c; N o. 6! e ts z I >l. e mo -o./. = l o4 Z,* ) ^h ZE.. tr.o zq ;>r o c 9o r \o +ro\rn :e * N i t os -i1 H 6!..1 ^ >N IN ON!2^ 9o G T Eo <r <, \o OO =NSnO\ i:h.o,h!o<,n\o P td 6 O\ e o T +j /NQ \ ;t b XN l.50 \o X c cn*o 'o'po5\ ==! 9y!- EC **

5 422 CANADIAN JOURNAL O PLANT SCIENCE [Vo1.37 The trctor use for the hrvester is the only power unit require for fiel opertions. The sickle-br unit is often ccompnie by powere chopper n smll fiel trctor to move equipment to new sites. IELD TESTS Tests were conucte on four ctl-ps to compre the plot hrvester with conventionl sickle-br mower for collecting smples. Ech unit ws use to cut swths from 5 X 30 foot plots. The methos of hrvesting were replicte three times in test No. 1 n six times in Test 2, 3, n 4 in rnomize block lyouts. The efficiency of collecting or hrvesting the crop mterils ws bse on yiel per cre of green choppe mteril obtine by both methos. Any ifferences in the mount of trsh picke up were etermine by protein n crue fibre nlyses. Differences in the mount of erth (ust) picke up with the smples were etermine by sh nlyses. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Accoring to the t in Tble 1, the hrvester is s efficient s the sickle-br mower in the collection of forge plot smples. The significnt ifference in protein in Test No. 4 my inicte tht some trsh ws picke up by the hrvester, or my hve been cuse by slightly lower height of cut. The very significnt increse in sh content of the hrvester smples in Test No. 4 ws likely cuse by ust collecte with the smples. A possible solution to the ust problem my be the use of cutters from Stnr Moel Lunell Hrvester. These cutters re not specificlly esigne to blow choppe mteril but my crete sufficient ir blst to crry the mteril the short istnce to the collection box. In the fiel, the smll crop hrvester opertes in n efficient mnner sving both time n lbour. Crop yiels re comprble with those obtine by other methos but smples for chemicl nlyses shoul be evlute on silicon-free bsis. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The uthors wish to express their pprecition to. S. Nowos n members of the orge Division for their technicl vice regring plot technique. Thnks re extene to R. B. Crson, of the Chemistry Division, Science Service, for the chemicl nlysis of the smples.