A combine harvester is a versatile machine which has been used to harvest a variety of grain crops in an efficient manner. The name of this marvellous machine has been derived from the 4 different harvesting techniques that it combines.
Reaping, threshing, gathering and winnowing are the 4 different harvesting techniques that are combined in a single process using this machine. It is a boon for many in the harvesting season and has many benefits.
This machine can be used to harvest a wide variety of crop like wheat, barley rye, oats, corn, sunflower, sorghum and many more. The stem left after processing the harvest is either left on the field and ploughed back in, or can be used as limited feed for livestock as it has some nutrients. A combine harvester is a vital invention which exponentially reduces labour and maximises output in an efficient manner.
We will be discussing about the different benefits posed by a combine harvester and the ways through which it reduces workload and helps you in enhancing your harvest.
The 4 Elements Of A Combine Harvester
Before starting with the benefits, let us have a look at and understand the 4 different processes that are combined in this machine. This will help you in getting good grasp on how a combine harvester works and the magnitude of workload reduction that occurs by using a combine harvester.
Without this incredible machine, all the 4 processes, i.e. Reaping, Threshing, Gathering and Winnowing, are done separately and it takes lots of time. This, coupled with added labour makes the use of a combine harvester a boon for many.
With a combine harvester, all these 4 processes are amalgamated into one and the end product is reduced time and increased efficiency. Let us now have a look at the 4 processes that are combined together in a combine harvester.
- Reaping
- Threshing
- Gathering
- Winnowing
Reaping
It is the process of cutting and gathering crops at the harvest. It is done once the crops are ripe.
Threshing
This process involves loosening the edible part of the grain. It is loosened from the chaff to which it is attached and this process usually takes lots of time if a combine harvester is not used.
Gathering
As the name suggests, this is the process of gathering the edible part of the grain and aggregating it together.
Winnowing
It is an agricultural method used in separating the grain from the chaff. The simplest way of winnowing was to blow the grains in the air and the lighter chaff would then get carried away. This process was cumbersome and also resulted in the loss of grain. With a combine harvester, there occurs no loss of grains.
4 Benefits Of Using A Combine Harvester
A combine harvester is a great machine that makes the work of harvesting very efficient and user friendly. There are ample benefits of using this machine and more and more farms are now relying on a combine harvester for making the work easy in the harvest season. This machine offers a wide variety of added advantages including –
- Improving grain yield
- Saving time
- Speed to market
- Increases quality of grain
Improving grain yield with a combine harvester
What farm owner wouldn’t want this? More grains from your harvest means more profit and more sustainability of your farm. A combine harvester plays a key role in giving you more grains as its efficient functioning ensures that minimal grains are lost during the whole process of harvesting. The manual cutting and transport of the harvest from one place to another, leads to loss of crop grains.
Using a combine harvester allows for about 5 % to 10 % increase in the total harvest collected at the end of the season. Getting additional grains is one of the most important benefits posed by combine harvester and it is also one of the many reasons that this revolutionary invention has paved its way in almost every other farm around the globe.
Saving time & reducing labour with a combine harvester
A lot of time is spent in cutting the crops and winnowing. It is a tedious process and a lot of manual labour is required for it. The time taken for this whole process is also substantial.
A combine harvester reduces the manual labour to a bare minimum which includes operating the machine and overseeing the smooth functioning of the harvester. The reduced labour also means reduced cost of hiring labourers and saves money.
The time taken to harvest a crop is also reduced substantially after using a combine harvester. Harvesting your crop may take days and may leave you tired- both mentally and physically. Using a combine harvester will allow you to save energy and time.
This amazing machine will allow you to harvest your crop without losing much time. One day may be enough for a stock of crop and you may be able to store and even start the distribution process pretty soon. A combine harvester can easily harvest and thresh one acre of land in an hour.
Reduce time needed to get grain to market
The time taken to process the crop and then take it to the market to sell it off is also reduced by the use of combine harvester. It is a machine that will harvest your crop in a day at max and you can start selling your crop the very same day.
This is a great benefit as it allows you to cash your crops in a minimal duration. You can easily sell off your crops without worrying for labour, storage and transport costs that would otherwise span over a course of few days.
Reduced harvesting and transporting cost makes up for larger profits and a well maintained crop over the course of the year, will have higher yield if you use a combine harvester during the harvest season. The reduced financial and physical labour is one of the many advantages offered by a combine harvester.
Selling your crops soon after harvesting allows you to sell them at a higher price. This bring us to the next benefit offered by a combine harvester.
Cleaner higher-quality grain equals better prices
As discussed above, the whole process of threshing and winnowing is executed to perfection by a combine harvester. It also makes up for a cleaner grain quality and this premium version of your grains can then be sold at higher price than normal.
Markets are always on the lookout for better quality of crop and a crop which is harvested using a combine harvester is always taken in at a premium price.
Cleaner grain also means that you can have a better name and can associate your brand with quality. Once the word spreads that your harvest is always of premium quality, buyers would be ready to bid for your produce.
They may even offer you better rates and may buy your crop from the farm itself, reducing your transportation cost by a great degree. Using a combine harvester can allow you to experience this luxury too.
The Net Benefit
As we have discussed till now, a combine harvester is an innovative and ingenious machine, designed to make the life of people like you, a lot easier. The numerous benefits offered by this machine can all be reduced down to one simple aspect – cost benefit. By using a combine harvester for your crop, you not only save money involved in transport and storage of the new cut crop but save a boatload of money that is usually spent in manual labour.
Time is another factor that is even more vital than money. This machine saves a lot of time as it can easily harvest 1 acre of land in an hour. You can be done with harvesting your crop in a day at max and then proceed to either store or sell the harvest. The cost benefit and reduced time are the biggest reasons that more and more farm owners are now switching to using a combine harvester for their farms.
So, if you are ready to reap the fruit of your hard work and the harvest season is around the corner – use a combine harvester and harvest your crops with ease.