Harvest
Conditions
There are many
other factors that can affect how plentiful a harvest will be. Some losses can
be minimized by combining as soon as the crop is ripe but not too dry. If the
timing is not right or the signs given by the crops are misread, the crop may
not be as plentiful and discoloration and sprouting in wet weather may occur.
Many things
can affect the loss of a harvested crop. Weather could be a major factor, such
as rain, hail, snowfall, or wind. Insects could also adversely affect the crop.
Some of these factors are beyond the farmer's control. Some other factors that
affect grain losses, however, are timing, knowledge of when to harvest, knowing
how to operate the equipment, and what processes of harvesting should be
performed.
A sense of
timing is particularly important for a farmer. As a crop gets close to being
ready for a harvest, it will also become more fragile. It is,
therefore, important to harvest very carefully so the crop will not be damaged. Different grains, oilseeds or pulse grains exhibit differences in
size
and weight. Much of the equipment a farmer uses, therefore, is adjustable to
both the
crop and the conditions during harvesting.
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