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Combines are large machines for harvesting soybeans and other grains including corn and wheat. The header on the front of the combine cuts and collects the soybean plants. The combine separates the soybeans from their pods and stems and collects the soybeans into a holding tank in the back of the combine.
How do farmers harvest soybeans?
A corn head has long pointy cone-shaped fingers on the front called snouts. In between each snout, a stalk will be gathered and drawn into the front auger. A soybean head cuts off plants near their base and a large, rotating reel with skinny fingers rakes the soybean plant into the machine.
What machine is used to harvest soybeans?
The modern combine harvester, or simply combine, is a versatile machine designed to efficiently harvest a variety of grain crops.
How do you manually harvest soybeans?
HOW TO HARVEST SOYBEANS WITHOUT A COMBINE. Grasp every pod on the stem and pull gently to remove it from the plant. Avoid squeezing the pods to avoid damage to the beans. Pick up the base of the plant stem, gently pull it out of the soil, and immediately harvest the entire plant.
What month do you harvest soybeans?
When the days get shorter and temperatures start to cool, leaves on soybean plants slowly turn yellow. By mid-October and November, these leaves turn brown and fall off, leaving the mature soybean pods behind, ready for harvest.
How long can soybeans stay in the field?
Under average weather conditions, soybean will reach 13 percent moisture in about 12 days following maturity. However, if weather conditions are conducive, grain dry down can be achieved in as early as nine days after maturity.
Can you eat soybeans out of the field?
Many plant foods are perfectly safe to eat raw, but soybeans aren’t among them. Some of the components found in raw soybeans can cause short term digestive problems, as well as possible long-term health issues. Cooking or fermentation neutralizes some of the negative side effects raw soybeans could have on your health.
How much does it cost to plant an acre of soybeans?
Average costs per acre for soybean ranged from $168 to $204 and average cost per bushel ranged from $3.30 to $4.19. Average returns per acre ranged from $62 to $194. Better efficiency (low cost per bushel) occurs with higher yields.
Why do farmers grow soybeans?
Many farmers grow soy beans as cash crops that they can send to places such as tofu processing plants. Soybean plants are legumes. The bacteria on the nodules takes nitrogen from the air and fixes it into the soil, so that other plants that require nitrogen can use it as well.
What do soybeans look like when harvested?
What Do Mature Soybeans Look Like? Fully mature soybean pods should be gray, tan or brown, but the seed should not be rattling loose in the pod. A mature crop that is ready for commercial harvest will have individual seeds or beans that are firm and oval-shaped. The moisture content of these beans will be about 13%.
How do you know when soybeans are ready to pick?
As the days get shorter and the temperatures get cooler, the leaves on soybean plants begin to turn yellow. By mid-October and November, the leaves will turn brown and fall off, exposing the matured pods of soybeans. The soybeans are now ready to be harvested.
Where do soybeans go after harvest?
After harvest, they are either stored in a grain bin or sold directly (via truck) to Cenex Harvest States – a soybean processing plant. CHS processes soybeans into soybean meal, which is used for livestock feed. Soybean oil is extracted from the soybean to make food and industrial products such as soy oil and plastics.
Why are soybeans harvested at night?
“Sometimes soybeans cut better after dark than they do in the daytime because there’s more moisture on the surface,” Warfel said. “In the late afternoon and early evening, bean pods are really brittle, and it’s easy for them to pop and fly all over instead of into the combine.
How long does it take to grow a soybean?
Soybeans for shelling and fresh use are ready for harvest 45 to 65 days after sowing. Dry soybeans require 100 or more days to reach harvest. Soybeans reach maturity at the same time; pull the whole plant and hang it upside down to dry. Shell dry beans once the pods are fully dry.
Can you harvest soybeans in the morning?
Harvest overly dry soybeans in the morning after the dew burns off or after a rain when pods are damp and there is less risk of shattering. 5. Remember, the risk of shattering losses becomes greater after pods have been through several wetting and drying cycles, so harvest these risk-prone fields early in the day.
How much does a farmer make per acre of soybeans?
For 2020, the projected soybean yield is 72 bushels per acre, the soybean price is $11.20 per bushel, giving crop revenue of $806 per acre.
Can you harvest soybeans in the spring?
If weather conditions don’t improve, some producers may consider leaving the beans in the field over the winter and harvesting them in the spring. This is a risky practice. Producers that consistently harvest soybeans in November should consider planting earlier maturing soybean varieties.
Will soybeans grow on top of ground?
Soybean seed germinates best when planted at a depth of ½ to 1 ½ inches…but don’t worry too much if some is a little deeper and some seed is still on top the ground. Once you see most of the seed in the ground (some will always be on top using this method) you are finished planting.
