Investigations in suitability of fleet of combines for timely harvesting
2016
Viesturs, D., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia) | Kopiks, N., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia)
The article offers an analysis about the suitability of a fleet of grain combine harvesters in the years 2001-2015. There are combine harvesters of the most widespread brands registered in Latvia determined. The age structure of all the registered combine harvesters is analysed dividing them into age groups. The average age of a combine harvester in 2015 was 23.2 years, 18.3 % combine harvesters were less than 15 years old. In 2015 33 % of the registered combine harvesters were in technical order. The registration procedure allows that a great number of the used combine harvesters are still in the register. A methodology has been developed for estimation of the number of combine harvesters that are sufficient for timely harvesting of the areas under cereals and canola. The methodology is based on calculation of the summary capacity of the engines of the fleet of combines by years and its comparison with the increase in the area under crop and the total yield by years. After the mutual dependence had been evaluated, it was established that the increase in the summary capacity of the fleet of combines allows timely harvesting the essentially increased area under crop, achieving twofold increase in the total yield and shortening the harvesting time at the end of the period in comparison with the beginning. The estimate does not consider the climatic conditions during the harvesting period. As the growth in the areas under crop and the total yield is expected also in the future, the renewal of the fleet of combines should be continued at the present rate – by purchasing, on the average, of 80 to 100 new combine harvesters every year.
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