Many older combines do not adequately spread cereal straw during harvest.
This results in concentrations of straw that plug seeding equipment and cause uneven fertility, moisture and soil temperatures.
A 1978 design for a straw chopper-fin modification can easily solve that problem.
“The straw chopper-fin modification is an old design that’s as practical today as it was when it was created by the University of Saskatchewan’s Agricultural Engineering Department in 1978,” said Garry Noble, extension agrologist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Assiniboia, Sask.
“By changing the original shape and size of the straw deflector on the combine, producers can just about double the spreading width of many combine choppers.”
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Any producer could do the modification in his own shop.
Photographs and instructions are contained in an Agriculture Canada publication called Improved Spread of Straw During Combining. Copies are available at Saskatchewan Agriculture rural service centres or by calling 306-787-5150.
“For many producers, this adaptation can be the first step toward residue management, which is a critical part of direct seeding,” said Noble.
The ideal straw spread should be 70 to 80 percent of the width of the cut, but typically, the spread is only 50 percent. The original modification suggested the use of 18-gauge galvanized steel, but some plastics might enhance straw flow and have greater durability.
