The Results of the Laboratory Studies of Harvesting the White Lupine by a Stripper Header with Fingers for Large Seed Crops

Abstract

Introduction. Agricultural machinery and devices used for harvesting white lupines do not provide a complete collection of seeds, which leads to the violation of agricultural requirements for the harvesting of leguminous crops. It is necessary to find new technological and technical solutions to reduce losses of seeds during this process. The most perspective solution to the problem of white lupine harvesting is the application of industrial flow line technology together with the improvement of the method to comb standing plants by a stripper header. Materials and Methods. The article presents the design of a laboratory setup with experimental working bodies, which allows simulating the process of harvesting white lupines by separating the seed part of plants in the field. The empirical method based on the theory of multi-factor experiment was used to substantiate the parameters and operating modes of the stripper header with fingers for large seed crops. The algorithm and results of experimental studies to determine the completeness of seed collection are presented. Results. The results of the laboratory studies of the stripper header with fingers for largeseeded crops to determine the qualitative indicators for the completeness of the collection of white lupine seeds are presented. It is determined that the maximum completeness of seed collection is 99.5%. Discussion and Conclusion. In studying the technological process of harvesting white Degas lupine seeds by a combing header with fingers for large-seeded crops under laboratory conditions, the physical and mechanical properties of plants were experimentally studied, their morphological characteristics were clarified, and the regimen-technological parameters of the harvesting header were determined to ensure seed loss within agrotechnical requirements (0.5%).