$32,000 of saving and quick to get them
The ‘Bushel Plus’ system – invented by Canadian founder and co-owner Marcel Kringe – works out the exact amount of grain lost on any one harvesting run.
This takes the guesswork out of estimating crop losses - allowing farmers to get the most efficient grain harvesting out of every crop.
The system uses precise, dependable instruments that are easily installed under any harvester and, according to farmers; its cost is quickly recouped.
One farmer to use Bushel Plus is Scott Angwin, who grows a range of mixed crops including wheat, barley, oats, lupins and canola, on his farm about 45 km north-east of Wagin in Western Australia.
Mr Angwin says he is able to keeps his grain losses to less than 1.5 per cent since he began using the Bushel Plus system on his ‘Claas 770’ header.
“Grain losses can easily spike to five per cent or more, if the settings are incorrect,” Mr Angwin said.
“With this easy monitoring system we are able to keep our losses very low. This translates to some huge savings: i.e. for every one per cent of grain saved, this may equate to an extra $12 a hectare.
“For our program alone that equates to about $32,000 a year in potential savings.”
Mr Angwin added that the Bushel Plus system was outstanding because it removed some of the guesswork out of setting up the header.
“With my previous harvesting equipment we manually measured seed loss by throwing a collection pan underneath the harvester – and manually separating the chaff from the grain,” Mr Angwin said.
“However, this method was slow and inefficient and as a result, we didn’t do it frequently enough.
“Since using the phone-based app that comes with the Bushel Plus equipment, calculation is now quick, easy and accurate. It makes it simple to work out the calculations.
“Plus, it also means we check the header performance much more regularly.”
Of course, the methods of using the Bushel Plus system will vary slightly according to the type of header you use - but the basic principle is the same.
The Bushel Plus system works by taking grain samples from the chaff, straw and other material coming out from the back of the harvester.
When the samples are run through the Bushel Plus Air Separator to remove the chaff, it leaves behind just the grain.
This provides farmers with all the information they need to work out exactly how much grain is being lost from the header – allowing the farmer or operator to take the necessary steps to improve efficiency.
And because with the Bushel Plus App the calculations can be made quickly and easily farmers save a lot of time and effort, while also reducing crop losses.
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