Reducing harvest loss in mungbeans [Queensland]
1992
Walsh, P.A. (Queensland Dept. of Primary Industries, Biloela (Australia). Div. of Technical Services)
This work was initiated after a harvest loss survey in 1986-87 showed that there were high levels of harvest loss in mungbeans in central Queensland. A follow up survey demonstrated that harvest loss in mungbean has been halved during the life of this project, largely attributable to the extension component. The economic optimum harvest moisture content is the grain moisture content at harvest that will maximise long term profit - a trade-off between the extra cost of grain drying and the extra return due to reduced harvest losses and reduced probability of weather damage. A number of options are available that are claimed to improve the gathering performance of harvester fronts in mungbean. Testing carried out during this project has shown substantial advantage from double cut knives and 'no-choke' fingers, and from plastic extension fingers. A major limitation to any further reduction of harvest loss in mungbean is the spread of maturity of the current varieties. It is possible to predict potential reductions in harvest losses for any measurable improvement in synchrony of maturity or shatter proneness achieved by plant breeders. Chemical approaches to improved synchrony were also tested.
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