Quick Tips for Harvesting Sunflower, Corn & Soybeans

Physiological Maturity

Common Threshing Mistake to Avoid

Optimum Harvest Moisture

Harvest Equipment Tip

Acceptable Harvest Loss

Storage Moisture

Bracts yellow/brown; Little green remain- ing back of heads.

Combining too dry: heads will shell out

Combine at 14-15% moisture and dry down to under 10% moisture.

12" pans best for 30" row spacings; 9" better for other row sizes and solid seeding.

About 3% for oil sunflower (i.e., about 20 seeds/sq. ft or 100 lb/acre).

Below 10% for overwinter storage.

Kernel black layer forms at tip of kernels; kernel moisture about 30%

Pushing through the crop too fast; stalks ride over the sieves resulting in more separating loss.

15.5%-18% dry to 15.5%

All-crop header will work but is slower than corn head. Operation of cylinder/rotor can affect corn kernel damage more than any other setting.

Try to keep it under 2%. Two kernels/sq.ft = 1 bu./acre.

15% for short-term, 13% or less long-term.

Pods turn yellow to tan in color. Beans begin to shrink and separate from white membrane inside pod.

Combining too dry, which results in shattering.

12%-15%. Under 12%, you risk cracks and splits.

Have sharp sickle; combine settings critical to avoiding cracks and splits.

1.5-2 bu./acre. 4 beans/sq. ft. = 1 bu./acre.

11-12%

Source: Duane Berglund, NDSU extension agronomist