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Re: Buckwheat harvest??
In article <199610080337.VAA15522@cpmt2.cyberport.net>,
josephb@cyberport.net (Joseph Brenneman) wrote:
> I need advice from expert buckwheat harvesters. Specfically how should the
> combine be adjusted? I'm using an IH 915 and seem to be getting a lot of
> trash in the form of small fines that should be carried out by the air from
> the fan, but at the same time it appears as if I'm blowing a fair amount of
> seed out the back. I'm also cracking a number of seeds and am wondering
> about the cylinder speed.
>
> I've never harvested buckwheat before; hence the obvious ignorance regarding
> its harvesting. The combine was set for barley. I'm wondering what the
> settings are for the cylinder, sieves, and fan. And, I guess any other
> information that could make my life easier.
Growers in this area slow the cylinder WAY down to 500 rpm or a little
less. Many remove half the teeth (or wires).
I have had many say that you can't use too much air. The latter may be
surprising, but check what is going out the back; it may be false
kernels. Even though you lose some weight by blowing out small kernels,
the dockage can go down and the test weight up enough to give you a better
return. You have to gauge that carefully, but it's worth considering.
--
Thomas Björkman
Dept. of Horticultural Sciences
Cornell University
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