We harvest corn productively

Corn, today, is one of the key crops that are grown throughout the world. This plant, which has tropical roots, has long since become native to the territories of the current CIS despite the rather unfavorable climate and changeable weather.

But still on these lands you can see a large number of corn fields, from which a sufficiently large amount of the crop is regularly obtained. As for the corn harvesting process itself, there are some nuances that should not be forgotten.

Harvesting corn is a laborious and demanding process. If it is wrong to harvest, you can lose most of the harvested product. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully examine all the details of the process in order not to make typical fatal mistakes.

The collection of corn in its type is divided into grain and silage. They differ not only in the process of collection, but also in terms. Also used different equipment for a particular cleaning. If all the requirements for the process are met, then the product will be very high quality.

Grain cleaning
Silo cleaning

Grain cleaning

The main goal of this type of grain harvesting is to minimize the probability of crop loss, causing various kinds of damage to the product.

To collect the grain with the maximum dry weight, you need to grow special hybrid varieties that are resistant to lodging. Also important is the use of special equipment, which is designed specifically for these purposes.

Corn can be harvested if the level of dry matter on the cob is not less than 60%, and in the threshing grain the level of dry mass should reach 70% and higher. To check whether the plants have reached this level, it is sufficient to estimate the black layer, which should appear at the place of attachment of the grain to the stem. It is undesirable to collect the product when there is a high level of moisture in the grains, because at this time the percentage of various kinds of impurities increases, there can be a lot of crushed kernels, the embryos can be damaged.

All this leads to a significant reduction in the commodity qualities of corn, and the material itself cannot be used as seeds.

The process of harvesting such a crop often takes 2 weeks. For good yields, hybrid corn is often planted, which reaches maturity at different times. If early ripe hybrids were planted, then early harvesting becomes possible, in which the level of dry weight is quite high.

It is impossible to leave corn on the field until the last autumn days, as the seeds will simply freeze under the influence of frost. Rain also has a bad effect on corn, because of the high humidity, fungal diseases develop and spread faster, which leads to a strong drop in the food value of the product.

The issue of agrotechnical requirements for such corn is simple:

Cut the plants at a level of 15 cm from the ground;

In the cob, no more than 6% of damaged grains are allowed in the case of harvesting by a grain combine;

In the case of using special combines to collect corn, the percentage of damaged grains should not exceed 1.5%;

Equipment must collect at least 96% of the total crop;

During harvesting, at least 95% of all cobs should be peeled.

As for the equipment, then corn grain harvesting is quite suitable. combines Kherson-200 and 7, KOP-1 and KSPU-6. In combination with harvesting mechanisms, special corn headers are also used, which significantly improve the quality of the harvesting process itself, as well as reduce product losses.

Silo cleaning

From when corn is harvested for silage, directly depends on the degree of nutritional value, chemical, physical and qualitative composition of the product. The silage that was harvested when the corn entered the period of waxy ripeness or at the very end of the milky-waxy period is considered the best quality and the best in nutrition. At this time, the grains are very wet (64-70%), they have a lot of sugar, and the acid level is at the best level.

If you harvest the crop too soon, the silage from it will be extremely poor quality due to the lack of necessary nutrient compounds in it. For example, if you collect corn for silage at the very beginning of the milky-wax period, then the product will have a lot of liquid, due to which the corn will lose 5% of its dry weight, which will be the cause of more rapid oxidation.

If the silo was harvested correctly, that is, at the stage of waxy maturity of corn kernels, then it will give the animals, which will be given this feed, up to 20% more energy. For this reason, cattle will not need more concentrated feed. This principle applies even in the case of dairy feeds, which require a lot of concentrate to produce milk.

Best of all, good corn silage acts on highly productive cows, since this product largely satisfies animals with energy. If the animal is fed, then this burenka will give enough milk. In addition, even the best corn silage costs less than concentrate.

If a number of agrotechnical requirements for silage corn:

The plants should be cut at a level of 20 cm from the ground surface, but the amount of the resulting crop will be less;

When crushing each grain must be crushed;

Individual parts of the plant should not be longer than 6 cm;

Dry weight should be kept at 30%.

The equipment that harvests maize for silage should be made according to the type of KCC-2.6. A special adaptation of the PNP-2.4 type should be attached to the main combine. A pick-up for rolls and crushing should be attached to this device.