Corn harvesting involves some LOSSES. These LOSSES result in decreased benefits. It is almost impossible to lower LOSSES to zero percent but it can be controlled in an acceptable level. As a result of this research, appropriate methods are introduced to decrease LOSSES and reduce waste. In this project, LOSSES in different part of COMBINE were measured and evaluated according to the available standard method (ASAE S396.2 & S343.3).Harvesting LOSSES include preharvest and during harvest LOSSES comprising ear loss and kernal loss in the header, cylinder and cleaning LOSSES.This project was conducted on farmers’ lands in Gazvin province. Some assessments related to yield factors were evaluated in different parts of farm with specified area, e.g. Plant height, ear number, stem diameter, ear diameter, cob diameter, row/ear and seed/row. All LOSSES evaluated in three treatments which they were: seed moisture content (w.b.) in three levels of 19%, 23% and 27%, ground speed in three levels of 0.8, 1.2 and 1.6 ms-1 and cylinder speed of 400, 600 and 800 rpm. The split plot experimental design based on the randomised complete block design (RCBD) was used to evaluate treatments.Measured LOSSES compared with standard values to introduce the proper methods to decrease LOSSES and proper adjustments. The results show that appropriate seed moisture content, cylinder and ground speed were 23%, 400 rpm and 1.2 ms-1, respectively. They had minimum total loss whichWAS 1.55%, 2.65% and 2.34%, respectivily. The results also show that there was an ear loss in preharvest loss (because of bad weather condition) that was 0.95-5.42%, also kernal loss on the header and cylinder loss which all related to improper adjustment of COMBINE but total loss was in an acceptable level and standard. It was variable from 1.55% to 4.02%. Other parameters such as using inexperienced driver, improper COMBINE adjustment, and also nonuniformity of field and ear moisture content in different parts of field prevent using the outputs and recommendations of this research.

The most important agricultural products in our country is wheat that plays an important and distinct role in preparing food for people.Like other products of agriculture, we see many LOSSES in this product from producing to consuming. According to the results in harvesting irregular or old COMBINEs can affect the products by breaking grains or not separating the wheat from chaff. Doing this study, some parts of Varamin which have most wheat farming land have been chosen such as Javad Abad, Ghaleh Sin and Khaveh. The average of LOSSES in Varimin has been estimated 7 percent for one hectare. Amount of LOSSES was like this damage LOSSES 4.2 percent, quantitative LOSSES.1.6 percent, cylinder LOSSES 0.6 and sieve LOSSES 0.6 percent. It can be said that the main reasons for these LOSSES were: age of COMBINE, speed of machine, cuter bar height, planting method, lack of adaptation between reel speed and COMBINE speed, the farmer’s lack of fumiliarity with the COMBINE, incongruity speed of fans, weed pollution, unsuitable of grain wheat during harvesting and irregularity of sieve. Accordingly, there are some suggestions: Land leveling, determination of useful age of COMBINEs and the best time for replacing, farmer’s and operators training, arrangement of COMBINE device parts and using suitable ways for planting and irrigation.

Wheat is one of the most important food staff in consumption pattern of each country. More than 50 percent of energy is provided by bread in the developing countries. The aim of this study was measuring wheat LOSSES during pre-harvest and harvest stages in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province of Iran in year 2013. Wheat LOSSES at harvest stages were measured to wheat varieties in 2 levels of Omid and Alvand were chosen and COMBINE types in 2 levels: JD 955 and JD 1165 while were chosen. The data analyzed using and means were compared using SAS Software’s and Duncan's Multiple Range Tests were. The results showed that higher amount of LOSSES were in the Omid variety and JD 955 with totally 6.83% (307.4 kg ha-1) that 10.5% of them attributed on the cleaning, 34% on Header, 16.5% on Drum, 21%on impurity and 18% broken grain LOSSES. The lowest LOSSES related to JD 1165 and Alvand variety with 3.97% (178.66 kg ha-1) that 10% of them attributed on the cleaning, 38% on Header, 13 % on Drum, 22% on impurity and 17% broken grain LOSSES. Also, average pre-harvest LOSSES amount was in all fields the study 24.5 kg ha-1 that 9.8% of total LOSSES represent the measured total LOSSES Alvand 20.5 kg ha-1 and the variety of Omid 28.5 kg ha-1 respectively.

A considerable amount of wheat is lost during the production and consuming process in Iran. Therefore, die first step to control of LOSSES is cslimation oftlie amount of LOSSES and recognizing die factors affecting them. In this research, 68 samples were selected and surveyed wheat harvest with COMBINEs in 2001. The results showed that the average wheat loss in Fars province during the harvesting process was about 4.81% of total product.! he highest amount of LOSSES (68%) was related 10 the head of COMBINE. The natural LOSSES, seive and straw walker LOSSES, threshing cylinder LOSSES, and quality LOSSES had taken the next places respectively. Effective factors the total LOSSES of wheat during the harvest were; Planting dale, land fragmentation each faimer, the farmer knowledge about COMBINE, age of the COMBINEs, Planting method, speed of (liereel, height of the cutter bar, yield and training of COMBINE operator. Grain LOSSES during the transportation process was 0,081% of total product. This LOSSES was affected by transportation distance. The cost of wheat LOSSES in harvesting and transportation process in 2001 was about 179 billion Rials in Fars Province.

Rapeseed cultivation in Iran is growing rapidly while this product has been facing specific problems. Every year a significant portion of edible oil is imported to the country from other countries. Despite this deficit, a great amount of canola is being lost every year. Therefore, in compliance with technical points, adding a suitable platform to the exisiting machineries may reduce the LOSSES. A field study was conducted in Moghan Agricultural Research Centre to study the technical and economical characteristics of harvesting machineries and evaluate Canola harvesting LOSSES in different maturity stages, using three different COMBINE harvester heads. The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized split split plot design with four replications. The main plot included seed maturity stage at three levels: A) 60%, B) 70% and C) 80%, and the subplot was the harvester’s ground speed at three levels: A) 1.5, B) 2.5 and C) 3.5 km h-1. The sub-subplot was COMBINE head type with three forms: A) Mechanical, B) Hydraulically Joybar and C) Hydraulically Biso's Head. The results of ANOVA showed that maximum cutter bar LOSSES occurred with Mechanical Head (5.36%) while the loss of Hydraulically Joybar's and Biso's head were 4.28 and 4.13 %, respectively. The results also showed that the maximum cutter bar LOSSES occurred when 80% of seeds were matured and adequate time for canola harvesting was 70% of seeds maturity. The results of analysing the effects of harvesting ground speeds showed that the maximum cutter bar LOSSES occurred with the speed of 3.5 km h-1. Finally, the results showed that the minimum cutter bar loss was obtained with Hydraulically Joybar's head considering the benefit per cost ratio. The cost for Mechanical head and Hydraulically Biso's head were 13500 and 262500 Rial ha-1, respectively.

The effective factors of forward speed, cylinder rotation, and clearance between a COMBINE’s cylinder and concave on wheat kernel breakage and seed germination were studied in Karaj area using a 955 model John Dear COMBINEs. This study was conducted on three levels of adjustment for each of the variables, 1.2, 1.8 and 2.5 Km/hr for forward speed, 800, 900, 1000 rpm for cylinder rotation as well as 15, 20 and 25 mm for the clearance between cylinder and concave. Results indicated an increase in kernel breakage and a decrease in seed germination to arise from a decrease in forward speed, increase in cylinder rotation and decrease in clearance between cylinder and concave. The interaction between forward speed and cylinder rotation indicated a least kernel breakage of 5.47% along with the most seed germination of 96.61% arising from a forward speed of 1.8 Km/hr together with cylinder rotation of 800 rpm. Also, an interaction between cylinder rotation, and cylinder concave clearance indicated a least kernel breakage of 5.38% at 900 rpm and 25 mm for the former and latter variables respectively. A maximum seed germination of 96.6 % was observed for the same condition of cylinder rotation and clearance between cylinder and concave. Interaction between forward speed, and cylinder concave clearance was observed to be non-significant (p<5%). Also, non-significance was observed in interaction among forward speed, cylinder rotation, and cylinder concave clearance (p<5%). The results revealed the adjustments 800-900 rpm, 1.8 Km/hr and 25 mm for cylinder rotation, forward speed, and cylinder concave clearance respectively, while using a 955 model John Deer during wheat harvest in Karaj.

IntroductionIn conventional COMBINE harvesters, wheat chaff is typically removed from the end of the machine and deposited on the field surface. Depending on the wheat cultivar, cultivation method, and growing conditions, the amount of chaff produced can range from 0.8 to 1.5 times the amount of grain harvested per hectare (Tavakoli, 2012). On average, this translates to an annual production of approximately 14 million tons of chaff, which is valued at around $240000000 based on regional prices in 2018-2019 ($1000 per kilogram). If collected, these chaff residues could be used as animal feed for livestock. Additionally, the long stems protruding from the back of conventional COMBINE harvesters can interfere with subsequent cultivation efforts. Chaff COMBINE harvesters have a similar structure to conventional machines, but feature a modified end that includes a tank and blower for collecting and depositing crushed chaff. Apart from the threshing unit, all other components of the harvester remain unchanged.Materials and MethodsThis study was conducted in 2019 in dryland wheat fields to determine the performance of Chaff COMBINE harvesters in Kurdistan province. The study used 15 COMBINE harvesters, including John Deere models equipped with chaff threshers from Shiraz, Bookan, and Hamedan, as well as the Hamedan Barzegar specific chaff collector COMBINE. These COMBINEs were evaluated and compared based on natural LOSSES, head and chaff storage LOSSES, field capacity, purity percentage, and yield in field conditions in Kurdistan province. The total number of COMBINEs evaluated was 15, using a completely randomized design. Among these, 33% belonged to Shiraz company (5 samples), 33% to Bookan (5 samples), 20% to Hamedan (3 samples), and 14% to Hamedan Barzegar (2 samples). Sampling included measurement of natural LOSSES, header LOSSES, threshing tank LOSSES (LOSSES of the threshing unit, separating unit, and cleaning unit), and quality LOSSES (broken grains and impurities) in the COMBINE tank.Results and DiscussionThe results showed that the average yield, natural loss, and COMBINE loss were 1,698.14 kg.ha-1, 2.39%, and 4.92%, respectively. In terms of the loss rates in different parts of the COMBINE, 43.49% was related to the chaff storage of the COMBINE, and 56.50% was related to the COMBINE head.The natural loss rate in this province was 2.39%. The total COMBINE loss was 5.18%, with 40.44% of that related to chaff storage and the rest related to the COMBINE head. The results also showed a significant difference between the treatments in terms of field capacity, chaff storage loss, and purity percentage at a probability level of 5%.The total loss of the Hamedan Barzegar COMBINE was 6.67%, which was higher than the other COMBINEs. The chaff storage loss of the Shiraz, Bookan, Hamedan, and Hamedan Barzegar COMBINEs were 0.87%, 2.64%, 0.78%, and 4.28%, respectively, showing a significant difference at a 5% level. There was also a significant difference between the treatments in terms of total grain loss.Based on these results, it is recommended to use the Hamedan, Bookan, Shiraz, and Hamedan Barzegar COMBINEs, with total LOSSES of 4.33%, 4.33%, 4.52%, and 6.56%, respectively.ConclusionThe average purity of harvested grains was 96.62%, and there was no significant difference between the COMBINE harvesters in this regard.There was a significant difference between the COMBINEs in terms of field capacity at a probability level of 5%. The field capacity of the Bookan, Hamedan Barzegar, Hamedan, and Shiraz COMBINE harvesters were 0.83, 0.87, 0.83, and 0.73 hectares per hour, respectively.In Kurdistan province, the average grain COMBINE loss in dryland wheat harvesting with chaff COMBINE harvesters was 4.92%, which is higher than in other provinces.The loss in the chaff tank of the Shiraz, Bookan, Hamedan, and Hamedan Barzegar COMBINE harvesters was 0.87%, 2.64%, 0.78%, and 4.28%, respectively. Regardless of head LOSSES, the loss in the Hamedan COMBINE was less than other COMBINE harvesters.The total LOSSES of the Hamedan Barzegar, Bookan, Shiraz, and Hamedan COMBINE harvesters were 6.56%, 4.32%, 4.52%, and 4.30%, respectively, with the Hamedan Barzegar and Hamedan COMBINE harvesters having the highest and lowest LOSSES, respectively.Based on the results obtained from this study, using the Hamedan COMBINE is recommended in the dryland conditions of Kurdistan due to its low LOSSES, high purity, and field capacity.AcknowledgementThanks to the Agricultural Jihad Organization of Kurdistan Province, specifically the deputy of the Plant Production and Mechanized Technologies Department, for their assistance and cooperation in the implementation of the project.

The present study investigated the thermal properties of canola pods (thermal conductivity, specific heat, and thermal diffusivity), canola LOSSES (natural LOSSES, platform LOSSES, and total COMBINE harvester LOSSES), and unbroken pods in three common canola varieties cultivated in the North of Iran (Hyola 420, Hyola 401, and Hyola 50) at three times of pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest. Furthermore, the relation between the thermal properties of canola pods and the amounts of LOSSES during harvest was studied. Thermal conductivity coefficient, specific heat, and thermal diffusivity were determined using line heat source, mixture method, and calculation methods, respectively. Seed LOSSES were calculated, using a built grain collector. The results revealed that adjustments, variety, and sampling time had significant effects on thermal conductivity and specific heat of canola varieties at the probability level of 1%. The effect of the interaction between variety and time on thermal conductivity, specific heat, and thermal diffusivity was considerable at the probability levels of 1% and 5%, respectively. Furthermore, the effects of canola varieties and harvest time on natural LOSSES, total COMBINE harvester LOSSES, as well as unbroken pods were substantial at 1% probability. In addition, a notable relation was observed between thermal conductivity coefficient and platform LOSSES at 5% and unbroken pods at 1%. However, unbroken pods indicated a substantial relation with specific heat and thermal diffusivity at 1%.

IntrodutionNowadays, supplying the needed food for people is one of the main global issues. Among foods, rice as the second vital crop has an important role in the world. The amount of global rice LOSSES is about 21 percent and in Iran is reported between 16 to 30 percent that the most amount of it belongs to harvest (mowers and crushers) part. The measuring device for rice picker COMBINE LOSSES at lab scale is a tool which could report the LOSSES of separating and cleaning units. One of the advantages of this device is choosing maximum speed by the operator with considering the acceptable amount of seed LOSSES. Therefore, research about detecting and decreasing this type of LOSSES is important. In this research, only the LOSSES of the harvesting step, especially at the end of a COMBINE harvester machine was addressed. Different methods included piezoelectric and acoustic sensors, load cell, and FIS controller were used as the measuring device of rice picker COMBINE seed LOSSES. In this research, on the contrary with other studies, the slope of meshed plate and humidity of product was measured using a piezoelectric sensor at lab scale under different conditions of the rotational speed of meshed plate. Therefore, the general purpose of this research was design, construction, and evaluation of the measuring device for rice picker COMBINE LOSSES based on the piezoelectric sensor at lab scale to measure the seed LOSSES in the straws at the end of the machine at rice picking.Materials and MethodsA meshed plate with the 100 × 60 cm2 dimension was one of the main parts of the measuring device of seed LOSSES. The diameter of its meshes was 7 mm based on the rice seed size. It separates the rice seeds from straws. Separated seeds from this part were fallen on the other plate which is mounted under the meshed plate. The seeds through four separated routes were fallen on the sensors and output pulses from sensors were sent to the operator plus shown at a monitor. The used seeds at tests were selected from Fajr rice cultivar with a high yield and short height. The used piezoelectric sensor had the ability to convert imposed force and pressure to voltage and vice versa. After the seed falling on the sensor and its vibration, the piezoelectric sensor worked as a beam fixed at one end. The used  Integrated Circuit (IC) was ATMEGA328, which receives the needed data through the sensor as a processing and action system. An electric motor was used to create the rotational speed of meshed plate. The LCD indicator was used for monitoring the obtained data from the test. The amount of seed LOSSES at the end of rice picker COMBINE machine was studied using the piezoelectric sensor with high sensitivity for detecting seeds to separate the seeds from straws. The tested sample in this research was 1 kg straw plus 52 g seed which was equal to 3 percent loss at the end of the harvest COMBINE machine. The experimental design was a simple randomized complete design with three replications. The used treatments included the rotational speed of meshed plate at 3 levels (50, 75, and 100 rpm), the slope of meshed plate at 3 levels (25, 37, and 45 deg) plus humidity at 3 levels (12, 18, and 24 percent). Then the data analysis was done using the conducted test design. The GenStat software was used for data analysis.Results and DiscussionThe analysis of variance table showed that all treatments have a significant difference in the number of rice lost seeds at 1% probability level. The interaction between the rotational speed of meshed plate and seed humidity had a significant difference at the 1% level. On this base, the best separation of seed from straw recorded at 100 rpm and 12% humidity. The reason was the higher vibration of the meshed plate at high rotational speed and better separation of seeds at low humidity. Increasing the slope of meshed plate and humidity of seeds caused decreasing in the device efficiency. Because the motion speed of the sample on the meshed plate increased with increasing the slope of the meshed plate, a lower period was needed for separating the seeds from straws, and this separation at higher humidity was done hardly. The highest efficiency at this condition was obtained with 12% humidity and 25º slope. Increment of the rotational speed of meshed plate and decrement of meshed plate slope caused the best separation by the device. Its reason was high vibration at the high rotational speed and having enough time for separating the seeds from straws at a low slope of the meshed plate. The best angle for separating was 37º. Increment of the rotational speed of meshed plate, decrement of meshed plate slope, and sample humidity caused increasing the device efficiency. The reasons were high vibration at high rotational speed, having enough time for separating seeds from straws, and decreasing the compression at low humidity amounts. The results showed that the best device efficiency with 95.51% was obtained at 100 rpm rotational speed, humidity of 12%, and 25º slope of the meshed plate.ConclusionIn this research, a measuring device for detecting the amount of seed LOSSES COMBINEd by straws at the end of a rice picker COMBINE machine was designed and constructed, and then was assessed. The results of lab tests showed that increment of the rotational speed of meshed plate plus decrement of meshed plate slope and sample humidity causes an increment of device efficiency. With installation and evaluation of this device on the rice picker COMBINE machine, the needed correction at the farm will be done and the amount of LOSSES will be decreased.

Grain loss monitors are installed on COMBINE harvester and make it possible to measure grain loss on different parts of the COMBINE. The instrument permits the operator to adjust a proper ground speed to keep grain loss within an acceptable range. In this study a loss monitoring system was implemented to measure grain LOSSES continuously on straw walker and sieves. Two grain loss monitors (KEE and TeeJet) were installed behind the straw walker and the sieves of JD-955 and JD-1165 COMBINE harvesters. Harvesting performance parameters such as COMBINE total and processing LOSSES were then measured. To evaluate the precision and accuracy of the instruments, the measured and monitored LOSSES were compared and investigated. The results of a two-year research showed that the average processing loss of the COMBINE harvesters with 10-12% grain moisture content and 750 rpm drum speed was 0.82% which is whitin the acceptable range recommended by ASAE Standard No.S343.3. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the measured and monitored values of processing loss.