Croppers encouraged to trial before harvesting to reduce losses

WA croppers are taking harvester drop trays out of plastic bags and fitting them to headers after hearing they could be losing 100 kilograms of seeds per hectare from not calibrating their machines to match the specific crop during harvest.

About 137 croppers attended a hands-on demonstration of how to improve harvester performance for reduced losses, while increasing profits, at the Grains Research and Development Corporation Harvester Set Up Workshop at Beverley on September 15.

The workshop offered attendees six different harvesters to compare their technical internal workings, representing John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Fendt, and CLAAS, as well as a draper front and Vario style front.

GRDC grower relations manager Jo Wheeler said the day was focused on the importance of harvester users ensuring their machines were trialled and set up to maximise performance on various crops — something the industry was failing to do as a whole.

WA croppers have been losing 2-3 per cent of their harvested crops because their machines have not been calibrated properly for the different types of cereals — costing on average about $25,000 per harvested crop in lost seeds.

The workshop was run in conjunction with the Facey Group and Primary Sales Australia, while hosted by Adam and Rebecca Smith of Ferndale Farming Co.

Agricultural engineer and Kondinin Group research manager Ben White independent harvester specialists Kassie van der Westhauizen and Brett Asphar, along with independent international harvester specialist Murray Skayman from Canada lead the discussions.

Mr Smith, who was “dobbed in” by the Primary Sales team to host the event, crops more than 38,000 hectares of wheat, barley and canola, across four farms at Beverley.

He said it was the first time he had hosted an event like it and was happy with the “good turnout”.

He was the only one at the event that used a New Holland harvester and Vario style front — which he had on display.

It was explained that the Vario front produced 1.7 per cent less loses during harvest than other types of fronts because of the way it was designed and how it functioned.

Mr Smith said he started measuring his harvest losses about 10 years ago and when he saw the actual amount left in the drop tray he started making “minor tweaks” to the machine’s rotor settings.

“We did a lot in a short amount of time but have been changing things every year,” he said.

“It’s doing what the computer is telling you.

Ms Wheeler said the harvester workshops had been gaining traction in WA in recent years and the demand for more across the State was ongoing.

“We had about 140 attend the Nyabing workshop (the previous day),” she said.

“We already have plans to hold five other workshops next year.”

The 2023 workshops were held at Hyden, Dunn Rock, Nyabing, Beverley and at the Cunderdin Agricultural College from September 12 -22.