Effect of cereal stubble management on the combine harvester performance and energy requirements

Abstract

Combine harvesting is one of the most energy consuming field operations in arable farming. The power demand of combine harvester depends strongly on the mass flow through the machine, and one approach to reduce the energy consumption is thus increasing the stubble height in harvesting. In this study, the energy saving possibilities by increased stubble height and different straw management in cereal harvesting were examined. In addition to combine harvesting, the mulching of the tall stubble with a tractor powered rotary mower after the harvest was investigated. The results indicated an energy saving of 22%–24% in combine harvesting of spring wheat “Quarna” when the stubble height was increased from 13 cm to 35 cm, and 17% with 13 cm stubble when the combine chopper was inactivated. When mulching of the tall (35 cm) stubble as a separate work was included in the analyses, the total energy consumption was increased by ca. 10% compared to the short (13 cm) stubble. It was concluded that increasing the stubble height offers potential for energy savings in cereal harvesting, as long as the tall standing stubble does not complicate the following cultivation operations. With proper management, the magnitude of combined energy consumption of harvesting and mulching the long stubble can be comparable to the short stubble in combine harvesting.