Effects of Threshing Devices, Maize Varieties and Moisture Content of Grains on the Percentage of Maize Grains Broken in Harvesting

Abstract

Maize is one of the most important economic crops in the world. The integrity of maize grains directly affects the economic value of the maize as a main commodity that depends on the percentage of grains broken (POGB) in mechanized harvesting. Decreasing grain processing breakage is key to achieving mechanical harvesting with high quality. It is difficult to ensure a low POGB, because it depends on different maize varieties, their moisture contents, threshing devices and harvester working speeds. In this paper, the effects of these factors on the POGB are investigated when the working speed of the harvester is 1.0 m·s−1, 1.5 m·s−1 and 2.0 m·s−1, respectively. The different threshing forms, including tangential-axial-flow (TAF), axial-flow with nail-tooth (AFN), axial-flow with rasp bar in big space (AFRBBS) and axial-flow with rasp bar in small space (AFRBSS), are summarized. The POGB of TAF was 5.4% and it was the lowest of four threshing devices when the working speed of the harvester was 1.0 m·s−1, which was suitable to thresh maize at a low working speed. Maize Demeiya No. 1 (DMYN1), XianDa205 (XD205), Demeiya No. 3 (DMYN3) and Hayu189 (HY189) were harvested at different harvester working speeds, and the POGB of maize DMYN1 was the lowest among the four maize varieties. The POGB increased with increases in the working speed of the harvester and the moisture content of the maize grains. The POGB reached a minimum value of 3.5% when maize XD205 with the lowest moisture content was harvested. The results can provide a reference for choosing the maize variety, its moisture content, the threshing device and the working speed of the harvester for decreasing grain processing breakage.