How to harvest sunflower seed for large-scale production

How the sunflower seeds harvest passes

Modern technologies of sunflower harvest allow cropping output yield with high quality under any weather conditions, minimizing possible losses and procuring the high speed for cultivating sown land. During harvesting, the average loss rate for harvesters is about 3 centers per 1 hectare. The most valuable are cut and uncut heads, which are still entire after harvest, and the seeds, which didn’t get in combine separator. Direct losses may be caused by a decrease of crop due to late harvest and seeds falling off.

The optimum for harvest and modern agrarian technologies

The most effective sunflower harvest is fulfilled when the plants are in the top of maturity.  If the plant is ready, the leaves, body, and anthodium are getting dry and becoming brown. In this period the plants have cumulated the maximum quantity of oil, the seed becomes hard and obtains gray or black color, depends on the breed. It is rational to plan the beginning of a harvest season for the period when the quantity of sunflowers with the yellow, not drying heads, makes about 15% of the total area of a crop area. In a forest-steppe zone ripeness of sunflowers comes in the period of rains, therefore, seeds don’t manage to dry, natural moisture aggravates a situation and humidity of the reaped crop can reach 25%. To accelerate terms of maturing of sunflower seeds and to exclude the adverse influence of weather conditions, on sunny days the plants are processed with desiccants. Regular sprayings provide the following result:

• reducing the vegetative period of an oil-bearing crop,  seeds  mature quicker, keeping natural properties;
• on average, harvesting process falls on a week before traditional term, allowing to avoid rains;
• the level of productivity of sunflower considerably increases, seeds have an admissible indicator of humidity;
• yield of vegetable oil from 1 hectare significantly increases, the productivity of the harvest equipment elevates.

Usage of desiccants is safe for human health, environment, and doesn’t influence composition of the soil and its further exploitation.

Equipment for sunflower harvest

Harvesting of sunflower is carried out by combines equipped with mechanisms for crushing of stalks of plants, leaving them on the processed field. Stalks which weren’t cut off together with a root is crushed by harrows subsequently. Headers for collecting sunflowers are actively used in all regions of cultivation. Headers cope with any methods of planting crops and under any weather conditions, at the same time.

Correctly chosen time for a harvest season, usage of modern agricultural machinery and usage of agrarian technologies for acceleration of maturing of seeds promote the maximum results of harvesting and production of sunflower oil.