Harvesting Maize

mature maize ears



harvesting maize, jones county, iowa

before 20th century, maize harvesting manual labour, grazing, or combination of those. whether ears hand-picked , stover grazed, or whole plant cut, gathered, , shocked, people , livestock did work. between 1890s , 1970s, technology of maize harvesting expanded greatly. today, such technologies, entirely manual harvesting entirely mechanized, still in use degree, appropriate each farm s needs, although thoroughly mechanized versions predominate, offer lowest unit costs when scaled large farm operations. small farms, unit cost can high, higher fixed cost cannot amortized on many units.

before world war ii, maize in north america harvested hand. involved large numbers of workers , associated social events (husking or shucking bees). 1890s onward, machinery became available partially mechanize processes, such one- , two-row mechanical pickers (picking ear, leaving stover) , corn binders, reaper-binders designed maize (for example, video on youtube). latter produce sheaves can shocked. hand or mechanical picker, entire ear harvested, requires separate operation of maize sheller remove kernels ear. whole ears of maize stored in corn cribs, , these whole ears sufficient form livestock feeding use. today corn cribs whole ears, , corn binders, less common because modern farms harvest grain field combine , store in bins. combine corn head (with points , snap rolls instead of reel) not cut stalk; pulls stalk down. stalk continues downward , crumpled mangled pile on ground, left become organic matter soil. ear of maize large pass between slots in plate snap rolls pull stalk away, leaving ear , husk enter machinery. combine separates out husk , cob, keeping kernels.

when maize silage crop, entire plant chopped @ once forage harvester (chopper) , ensiled in silos or polymer wrappers. ensiling of sheaves cut corn binder formerly common in regions has become uncommon.

worldwide maize production

for storing grain in bins, moisture of grain must sufficiently low avoid spoiling. if moisture content of harvested grain high, grain dryers used reduce moisture content blowing heated air through grain. can require large amounts of energy in form of combustible gases (propane or natural gas) , electricity power blowers.