Regional adoption of alternative harvester configurations for sustainable harvesting efficiency : SRDC Final report BSS270

Abstract

The project aimed to improve harvester efficiency in a range of crops sizes and conditions by:

Establishing site-replicated strip trials to investigate and quantify the impact of knockdown and basecutter damage on crop yield

Synchronising harvester component speeds with ground speed

Promoting cost-effective and improved retrofit harvester designs

Ensuring adoption by providing information for the next generation of the Harvester Best-Practice Manual, including impact of harvesting on ratooning and crop yield.Whilst trial results and the enhanced module have been shown to industry representatives through the focus groups, no technical details or drawings have been or will be made available to anyone at this stage. The current plan is to maintain contact with aftermarket manufacturers such as EHS to make the most of any commercialisation opportunities to benefit the industry. If commercial opportunities arise with the potential to create adoption of this project?s intellectual property, then the terms and conditions of releasing information would be developed between the researchers? organisations, SRDC and commercial partners.