Die Bodenkultur - Journal for Land Management, Food and Environment

S. Ivančan, S. Sito and G. Fabijanić:

Factors of the Quality of Performance of Sugar Beet Combine Harvesters

Summary

The quality of performance of sugar beet combine harvesters implies the size of losses of roots suitable for industrial processing. The most important factors for the quality of topping (heads with foliage) are the crop condition, topping mechanism construction and working speed. Uniformity of the plant spacing within rows and between crown heights of neighbouring beets has the decisive effect on the quality of performance of sugar beet combine harvesters. According to the research results, losses due to the tap root breakage amounted to 8.4 % of yield at a speed of 1.2 km/h, and to 18.3 % at a speed of 6.5 km/h. Surface and underground losses were determined during the trial. Depending on the working speed, surface losses ranged from 2.3 % to 4.1 % of yield, and were caused by the performance of the combine cleaning mechanisms, transportation and the topping mechanisms. Underground losses were a consequence of the performance of the lifting mechanisms and, depending on the working speed, ranged from 1.4 % to 2.6 % of yield. The lowest underground losses were recorded at the speed of 1.2 km/h, and the highest at the speed of 6.5 km/h. Key words: Beta vulgaris ver. saccharifera, sugar beet, combine harvester, quality of performance, crop condition.