There’s something special about harvest time. All your hard work throughout the season comes to fruition for this moment. It’s both joyous and a little sad to see the season come to an end. But we all know that break is short lived and soon enough you’re at it once again prepping for next year. So, it begs the question, did you get the most from your harvest? What combine updates could make next year’s harvest even better? Some things – like the weather – are out of our control, but we can better prepare ourselves for the expected and unexpected. Let’s consider some of the U.S. harvest conditions we saw this year and how Kondex KX7 high-performance concaves can lead to a more successful harvest next year.
Drought Impacts Wheat
Wheat production was down 10% from 2020. The reasons vary, but one large contributor was drought in northern U.S. states. As drought continues to trend upward, those in affected regions may consider better equipping their combine to handle what will likely be a more difficult harvest. Many farmers chose to harvest what wheat crop they had earlier than normal to prevent heat damage or crop failure. This can make it more difficult to thresh the grain. Fortunately for KX7 concave users, hard-to-thresh conditions are where our concaves shine! Beyond offering a more aggressive up-front thresh, our concave system with its removable boxes and modular design offers greater flexibility for farmers to customize the amount of threshing needed for extreme conditions or specialty crops. Kondex is also in the process of developing additional box designs specifically for hard-threshing small grains (stay tuned for more updates in early 2022).
Prolonged Soybean Season
Much of the Midwest saw prolonged moderate temperatures in 2021, which was hard to complain about while still wearing shorts in October. This did, however, extend the soybean season. Typically, an early frost kills the crop and initiates the drying process. That frost hit the snooze button numerous times, leaving moisture levels much higher than normal when bean cutting typically begins. The waiting game then ensued leaving many farmers wondering if they’d be out harvesting in the snow if they waited much longer. While a challenge for most concaves, KX7 concaves are more forgiving and effective at managing mixed moisture levels thanks to its earlier threshing and greater separation.
Increased Crop Prices
Crop indexes looked very promising early in the year, and while they dipped slightly from spring predictions, fall harvest payouts were still higher than they’ve been in years for most crops. This offset some increased expenses experienced from supply shortages, giving farmers a pocketbook boost. With little to no rotor loss, KX7 concave users were in the best position to get the most for their harvest by retaining their grain and not leaving it behind the combine.
As you prepare for #harvest2022, consider the impacts of an upgrade to KX7 performance concaves. If you’ve experienced any of the above challenges, this next year is your opportunity to make a change for the better. Use the tools below to get started and Take Control of Your Harvest!