Improvements in broom corn harvesting process

Introduction. Solving the problem of harvesting broom corn (Sorghum vulgare var. technicum) with minimal expenditure of labor and resources, and high quality is possible through improving existing or developing new processes and equipment for harvesting. At the same time, the proposed new processes and equipment should ensure the reduction or complete elimination of the share of manual labor. The purpose of the work is to improve the process for harvesting of broom corn based on a complex performance criterion. Materials and Methods. The methodological basis for choosing an effective process for harvesting broom corn was the theory of efficiency of technical systems. According to it, the latter is estimated using the value of a complex criterion that includes a set of particular indicators and their relative importance. Results. It is proposed to evaluate the efficiency of the broom corn harvesting process according to a complex criterion that takes into account particular indicators and their relative importance. A developed process for harvesting broom corn includes: threshing of standing broom corn in the direct flow offset threshing chamber of a combine harvester with simultaneous mowing of the threshed plants using the combine harvester thresher; collecting the threshed and mown plants in the tractor trailer and the threshed grain in the hopper; transportation of threshed and cut plants to the place of storage; and stacking of threshed plants with drying them using active ventilation. Based on experimental studies, the values of all the studied particular indicators and their coefficients of relative importance were determined; a comprehensive performance criterion for the existing process for broom corn harvesting and the proposed process was calculated. Discussion and Conclusion. The calculated values of coefficients K* 1 and K* 2 for the existing and proposed processes for harvesting broom corn were used to determine the complex performance criterion, which is φ(Wi ) = 15.54 for the existing process and φ(Wi) = 2588.75 for the proposed one respectively. According to the complex criterion, the proposed harvesting process is more efficient than that currently used more than 160 times.