Introduction to major field crops (1+1)

Harvesting and Threshing

When crop attained maturity, the colour of leaves, stem and siliquae turn yellowish-brown. Seeds are dark and produce rattling sound on shaking. Too early harvesting produces wrinkled and small seeds of low viability with low oil content.Late harvesting, results in loss of grains by shattering. Crop should be harvested in the morning to avoid shattering. Crop is harvested with the help of serrated sickle leaving 5-10 cm. The harvested crop should be stacked for 5-7 days before threshing.Plants are threshed by beating the pods with wooden sticks or by running bullocks or tractor. Crop can also be threshed by threshers. Winnowing is done in slow blowing wind or by winnowers.Cleaned grains should be dried well to 8-10 per cent moisture before it is stored.




Fig: Immature siliquae. Fig: Matured siliquae.



Fig: Mustard field.


Fig: Mechanical harvester.