Engineering:Corn harvester

From HandWiki
Short description: Machine used to harvest corn
A kind of corn harvester used in Croatia

A corn harvester is a machine used on farms to harvest corn, stripping the stalks about one foot from the ground shooting the stalks through the header to the ground. The corn is stripped from its stalk and then moves through the header to the intake conveyor belt. From there it goes up the conveying system through a fan system, separating the remaining stalks from the ears. The stalks blow out the fan duct into the field while the ears ride an elevator to a hopper trailer.[1]

This method is done with both fresh corn and seed corn.

History

Made by Massey-Harris in 1930 this horse-drawn machine cut the corn and bound it into sheaves.

Corn was initially harvested by hand picking. This labor intensive process commonly included the work of family members.[2] Developed in the 1870s, the horse-drawn corn binder cut corn stalks and tied them in bundles. Small farmers continued to use the corn knife.[3] A good picker could harvest up to an acre a day.[4]

The first mechanical corn harvester was developed in 1930 by Gleaner Harvester Combine Corporation of Independence, Missouri. The unit was pulled by a tractor with the unit on the left side.[5] Field shelling increased in the 1950s with attachments for mechanical pickers.[6] With agricultural mechanization expanding processing capacity, farmers with large acreages were the first to purchase combines.[7]

By the 1990s, a self-propelled combine could harvest 50 acres of corn a day.[8] Manufacturers consolidated into a few large firms such as John Deere and CNH Industrial.[9] The integration of GPS into combine harvesters in the early 2000s enabled precision agriculture.[10]

Types

Kubota corn harvester (Japan), in the Toyota Automobile Museum

Pull-type harvesters are designed for integration with tractors through power take-off.[11] The PTO shaft typically operates at 540 or 1000 RPM speeds.[12]

Self-propelled harvesters have their own independent engines.[13] They combine all technological operations including cutting, separating, cleaning, and collecting. This allows for rapid harvesting of crops.[14]

Modern technology

Modern combine harvester machines use GPS and AI for autonomous operation and enhancing productivity. Machine vision can detect obstacles and reduce human intervention.[15]

In precision agriculture, sensors allow collection of real-time data and creation of detailed maps on the spatial variability of measured variables.[16] With fertilizer runoff causing dead zones,[17] variable rate fertilizer can reduce environmental effects.[18]

In 2025, John Deere released new combine headers, featuring an 18-row corn head intended to enhance productivity.[19]

Repair costs are high with extreme variation.[20][21] Protests about repair monopolies show demand for right to repair legislation.[22]

References

  1. ↑ Eskin, Michael (2021-05-30) (in en). Quality and Preservation of Vegetables. CRC Press. pp. 133. ISBN 978-1-000-44339-4. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Quality_and_Preservation_of_Vegetables/epsIEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22corn+harvester%22+%22strip%22&pg=PA133&printsec=frontcover. 
  2. ↑ Kutz, Myer (2013-06-10) (in en). Handbook of Farm, Dairy and Food Machinery Engineering. Academic Press. pp. 104. ISBN 978-0-12-385882-5. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Handbook_of_Farm_Dairy_and_Food_Machiner/WDkXF_9aJjoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=before+mechanical+harvesting+corn+gathered+by+hand&pg=PA104&printsec=frontcover. 
  3. ↑ Hardeman, Nicholas P. (1999-03-01) (in en). Shucks, Shocks, and Hominy Blocks: Corn as a Way of Life in Pioneer America. LSU Press. pp. 110. ISBN 978-0-8071-2424-6. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Shucks_Shocks_and_Hominy_Blocks/Id-v7bxSFeMC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=corn+binder+horse+century&pg=PA110&printsec=frontcover. 
  4. ↑ Strickler, Dale (2019-04-30) (in en). Managing Pasture: A Complete Guide to Building Healthy Pasture for Grass-Based Meat & Dairy Animals. Storey Publishing. pp. 205. ISBN 978-1-63586-070-2. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Managing_Pasture/sQGGDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22corn%22+modern+combines+acres+per+hour&pg=PA205&printsec=frontcover. 
  5. ↑ "Harvester Cuts Corn, Shells It, Cleans It and Bins It" Popular Mechanics, November 1930.
  6. ↑ Csorba, Julius Joseph (1964) (in en). Harvesting of Corn, Small Grains, and Related Crops: Data on Practices. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Statistical Reporting Service. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Harvesting_of_Corn_Small_Grains_and_Rela/zKByrJdkP9EC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=corn+field+shelling+attachments+mechanical+pickers+1950s&pg=PP2&printsec=frontcover. 
  7. ↑ Reid, Debra A. (2017-01-23) (in en). Interpreting Agriculture at Museums and Historic Sites. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. pp. 130. ISBN 979-8-216-28464-2. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Interpreting_Agriculture_at_Museums_and/U_h3EQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=corn+1950s+self-propelled+combine&pg=PA130&printsec=frontcover. 
  8. ↑ Dickenson, James R. (March 1996) (in en). Home on the Range: A Century on the High Plains. University Press of Kansas. pp. 219. ISBN 978-0-7006-0758-7. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Home_on_the_Range/XIZ-J3WQxmQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=modern+combines+20+acres+%22corn%22+per+hour&pg=PA219&printsec=frontcover. 
  9. ↑ Niederle, Paulo André; Junior, Valdemar João Wesz (2020-10-29) (in en). Agrifood System Transitions in Brazil: New Food Orders. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-21764-3. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Agrifood_System_Transitions_in_Brazil/Zxb8DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=harvester+industry+consolidation+John+Deere+Case+IH&pg=PT63&printsec=frontcover. 
  10. ↑ Lal, Priyanka; Mishra, Pradeep (2025-05-14) (in en). Transforming Agriculture through Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Food Systems. Springer Nature. pp. 34. ISBN 978-981-96-4795-8. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Transforming_Agriculture_through_Artific/5ttdEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=GPS+combine+harvesters+2000s&pg=PA34&printsec=frontcover. 
  11. ↑ (in en) The Harvester World. International Harvester Company. 1928. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Harvester_World/_YZaAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=corn+pull+%22harvester%22+%22tractor%22+power+take-off&pg=RA25-PT145&printsec=frontcover. 
  12. ↑ Updike, Kenneth Updike Ken (2000) (in en). International Harvester Tractors, 1955-1985. Voyageur Press. pp. 42. ISBN 978-1-61060-416-1. https://www.google.com/books/edition/International_Harvester_Tractors_1955_19/Rf6Ar3CGkXAC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22harvester%22+%22PTO%22+540+1000+RPM&pg=PA42&printsec=frontcover. 
  13. ↑ Wendel, C. H. (2004-04-06) (in en). Encyclopedia of American Farm Implements & Antiques. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-4402-2533-8. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Encyclopedia_of_American_Farm_Implements/yCRjDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22harvester%22+%22self-propelled%22+independent+engine&pg=PT33&printsec=frontcover. 
  14. ↑ Miu, Petre (2015-08-18) (in en). Combine Harvesters: Theory, Modeling, and Design. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-040-06731-4. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Combine_Harvesters/DMKNEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=corn+%22self-propelled%22+harvesters+cutting+one+unit&pg=PP19&printsec=frontcover. 
  15. ↑ George, Thandekkattu, Salu; Rao, Vajjhala, Narasimha (2024-09-16) (in en). Designing Sustainable Internet of Things Solutions for Smart Industries. IGI Global. pp. 121. ISBN 979-8-3693-5500-8. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Designing_Sustainable_Internet_of_Things/iOghEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=modern+combine+harvester+GPS+AI&pg=PA121&printsec=frontcover. 
  16. ↑ Visvizi, Anna; Lytras, Miltiades D.; Mudri, György (2019-06-04) (in en). Smart Villages in the EU and Beyond. Emerald Group Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78769-847-5. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Smart_Villages_in_the_EU_and_Beyond/36adDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=corn+harvester+%22real-time%22+data+strategy&pg=PT104&printsec=frontcover. 
  17. ↑ Hand, Carol (2016-01-01) (in en). Dead Zones: Why Earth's Waters Are Losing Oxygen. Twenty-First Century Books. pp. 5. ISBN 978-1-4677-9575-3. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Dead_Zones/3kqMCwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=fertilizer%20runoff%20dead%20zone&pg=PA5&printsec=frontcover. 
  18. ↑ Hussain, Abid; Tyagi, Garima; Peng, Sheng-Lung (2022-10-18) (in en). IoT and AI Technologies for Sustainable Living: A Practical Handbook. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-000-75534-3. https://www.google.com/books/edition/IoT_and_AI_Technologies_for_Sustainable/7BGHEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=corn+harvester+environmental&pg=PT59&printsec=frontcover. 
  19. ↑ "Michigan Farm News". https://www.michiganfarmnews.com/john-deere-s-model-year-2026-combines-includes-advanced-automation. 
  20. ↑ McNulty, Paul; Grace, Patrick M. (2009-07-28) (in en). Agricultural Mechanization and Automation - Volume I. EOLSS Publications. pp. 102. ISBN 978-1-84826-096-2. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Agricultural_Mechanization_and_Automatio/G-GvCwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=harvester+repair&pg=PA102&printsec=frontcover. 
  21. ↑ Hunt, Donnell; Wilson, David (2015-10-01) (in en). Farm Power and Machinery Management: Eleventh Edition. Waveland Press. pp. 81. ISBN 978-1-4786-3177-4. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Farm_Power_and_Machinery_Management/N3WuCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=harvester+right+to+repair&pg=PA81&printsec=frontcover. 
  22. ↑ McMillan, Charles J. (2023-01-03) (in en). Precision Agriculture and Food Production: From Whence It Came and Where Is It Going?. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 121. ISBN 978-1-5275-8651-2. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Precision_Agriculture_and_Food_Productio/lVGqEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=harvester+%22right+to+repair%22&pg=PA121&printsec=frontcover. 




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