Combine Clinic Helps You Pick Up Your Profits

From Alberta Canola Producers Commission

June 17, 2011

Canola growers who attend the Combine Performance Clinic in Westlock, Alberta July 18 and 19 will learn how to limit costly harvest losses

Research and in-field evaluations have shown that canola growers lose up to five bushels per acre out the back of their combines. That skims a lot of profit off the top and adds to volunteer canola costs in following years.

Alberta Canola Producers Commission and the Canola Council of Canada will host a Combine Performance Clinic at the Agricultural Grounds in Westlock July 18 and 19 to help growers learn how to properly measure and reduce these losses. Space is limited to 500 people and pre-registration is required.

Attendees have three sessions to choose from: Monday, July 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday, July 18 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Tuesday, July 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Les Hill, manager of business development and technical services with the Prairie Agriculture Machinery Institute (PAMI), leads off with general solutions for common harvest loss issues. Hill will explain, for example, why watching the harvest loss monitor isn’t enough. “Unless you get out and measure loss on the ground, you have no idea what the monitor is telling you,” he says.

Hill will also help growers determine an acceptable level of loss based on time, machine capacity and overall profitability. It would be impossible, within the short harvest season, to achieve zero loss. For some, 1% loss is worth striving for. For others, 3% might be acceptable if it means they can harvest an extra quarter section per week.

After Hill’s talk, attendees will break into groups and get a hands-on lesson from five combine manufacturers. Representatives from Case IH, John Deere, Lexion, Massey Ferguson and New Holland will have combines on hand to explain how to make adjustments for greater efficiencies.

Cost is $100 per person, including GST. Lunch is included for the daytime events. Snacks are included for the evening event. To register, go to http://canola.ab.ca/combine_performance_clinic_2011.aspx, or call 204-982-2122