Abstract: The aim of the present work is to demonstrate the possibility of using the general purpose combine (Case International) to solve the problems appeared in manual or conventional harvesting of sun flower crop. After the crop plants reach the physiological maturity stage, the seed m. c. reaches to 10% which is safe for threshing and even for storage. Meanwhile the heads and stalks remained relatively green at about 50% of moisture content. Results of this study could be concluded in the following points:
- Increasing the forward speed from 1.7 to 2.7 km/h the harvesting, un-threshed, total losses, and field capacity, increased from 3.2, 1.95, 8.75 %, 1.1 fed/h to 4.1, 2.1, 9.36 %, 1.38 fed/h, respectively, and the damaged losses, performance efficiency, decreased from 0.9 , 94.06 %, to 0.7, 92.6%, respectively.
- Increasing the cutting width from 2.4 to 4.8 m the un-threshed losses, performance efficiency, and field capacity, increased from 1.95, 91.25 %, and 0.55 fed/h to 2.92, 94.06%, and 1.1 fed/h, respectively, and the harvesting, damaged, total losses, decreased from 3.2 , 3.36, 8.75 %, to 1.9, 0.9, 5.94%, respectively.
- Decreasing the cutting height from 105 to 55 cm the un-threshed losses, performance efficiency, and field capacity, increased from 1.95, 89.58 %, and 0.55 fed/h to 2.19, 94.06%, and 1.1 fed/h, respectively, and the harvesting, damaged, and total losses decreased from 5.8 , 1.7, and 10.42 %, to 1.9, 0.9, and 5.94%, respectively.
- Using of the wheat header in harvesting decreased the harvesting, total losses, and the criterion cost from 21.6,
27.15 %, and 824 L.E/ton to 3.2, 8.75 %, and 344 L.E/ton, respectively, and increased the performance efficiency from 77.72 % to 92.82 %, than using the corn header combine.
- Unit cost was 110 L.E/ton. The cost of using the case international combine harvester lower than manual operation by 60%.
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