Stripper Header Update 2006

By N. Lee Pengilly, Researcher and Author

Harvesting for seed and straw using stripper header technology was the subject of a presentation to participants of Flax Day 2006 by Mark Stumborg, P.Eng. with Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, Swift Current. He outlined the challenges of how to take a harvesting system that is geared to optimizing the grain harvest and converting it into a system that optimizes not only the harvest of the grain, but also the straw and chaff. He emphasized that above all else, any change must improve producer economic potential in such areas as: • maintaining or improving grain quality • working in a multitude of crop types • improving the quality and quantity of MOG (material other than grain) • reducing the time of harvest • reducing header inventory and/or • reducing the cost of the combine.

He concluded his talk by outlining future plans for this project which included large scale demonstrations that could more effectively compare stripper header harvesting versus straight cutting. Such factors as straw yield and quality as well as the energy, time and machine depreciation impacts were to be examined. In addition he was looking for a continued evaluation of the biomass collected for thermal, physical and biological processes with the involvement of industrial cooperators, non-government organizations and federal partners. (For a pdf version of Mark’s presentation go the SaskFlax website: www.saskflax.com/producer/fiber.html and click on stumborg.)

When Mark approached Lyle Simonson, a producer in the Swift Current area and a Director on the SaskFlax Board to participate in the trials for a second year, Lyle enthusiastically agreed. Lyle was eager to see the comparison of the straw quality between his rotary combine, a conventional combine and using the stripper header. During the first year, Lyle had used the 14 foot header and combine supplied by the Research Station in Swift Current, but during the summer of 2006 the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission was approached by Mark as to the potential of them investing in a 28 foot header which in turn could be leased out to Ag-Canada and various other groups involved in the research. The Board agreed and Lyle was nominated as the one to look for a header to purchase. Much to everyone’s surprise, he found one in the North Battleford area. Over the course of the summer it was retrofitted to work specifically on flax.

The trial area on Lyle’s farm was the same size as in 2005, consisting of 80 acres with one third of it to be harvested with the stripper header, one third with a conventional combine and one third with a rotary combine. In all cases the straw was baled around the 14th of October. But that is where the similarity on the dates for completion of an operation ends! With a hot dry summer bringing crops on early, Lyle checked his flax in mid-August. Of course, the straw was as green as could be, but the seed bolls were ripe with four to five percent moisture content - ready to harvest by anyone’s standards. He called Mark and they agreed. Lyle could go in and attempt to harvest the flax - and harvest it he did! In fact Lyle confesses to being tempted to harvest all 80 acres. However, there was one draw back; even though he wasn’t putting the straw through the combine he still had to go through it. We all know what green flax straw is like! Because of that, Lyle didn’t feel there was any great savings in fuel consumption, one of the usual benefits reported from using a stripper header.

Because this was Lyle’s second year of involvement, that means he had to have some “stripper-header” stubble to deal with in the spring. Prior to the 2005 harvest, it was decided it would be best to leave some snow strips. Lyle was seeding barley into the flax stubble using his air-hoe drill with shanks. He indicated he had to seed the areas with the snow-strips on the angle, not being able to get through directly. But after he made the realization, everything went smoothly. Lyle figures one could get through it with a disc drill, but for his equipment, he needs to use the angle approach.

When asked about any other observations for the 2006 harvest, Lyle figures even though the straw was green, he was still able to travel a little faster and throw over was minimal, not to mention how early the harvest was complete. “It takes a bit of time and there’s lots to deal with in properly adjusting the [stripper] header and figuring out how high or low you want it to be. So much depends on what the goals are for your straw crop. Do you want it chopped or long? Right now, the longer the straw the better market value it has. But you have to have that market.” When asked if he would be interested in participating in the trials another year, Lyle remains enthusiastic. “It sure is a nice way to harvest flax, and I’d be very interested in trying it on different crops!”

In the southeast corner of the province, Edmond Aime, a past Board Director for SaskFlax, was also a participant in this year’s demonstration. Edmond does have a market for his flax straw and has had for the last several years with the entire production being sold to a Manitoba processor. Because of that, he is particularly interested in looking to improve the quality of the straw he has for sale. He was well aware the stripper header technology had the potential to increase the capacity of his combine in addition to providing for a better fiber sample and more of it. Those reasons and given his life-long interest in being on the leading edge of new developments to improve the bottom line, Edmond was eager to work with Mark and the PAMI technicians who were collecting and compiling much of the data. It took some work to get the stripper header properly set and adjusted on his combine, but once it was, Edmond made some significant discoveries; primarily the speed with which he could efficiently harvest the flax. “Once set, it was unbelievable to a drive a combine as fast as you are comfortable with and not be losing anything! The increased capacity of my combine when it didn’t have to harvest the straw was amazing!” Edmond uses a pre-harvest desiccant, so there was no problem in getting through the straw.

After harvesting the seed, the standing flax straw was rolled and laid down on the soil surface. Edmond relates “Rolling the flax breaks the stems. The straw is allowed to ret for whatever period of time the buyer requires to achieve the standards they want. It is then wheel raked and baled for removal off the field.” Edmond sees that after removal of the straw, the field is left quite bare and he might have to consider leaving strips to hold the snow and prevent any wind erosion on his land.

In summing up his 2006 experience, Edmond is quick to explain, “I appreciated the opportunity to run the stripper header. There are extra field operations to account for and at the end of the day, they have to pay. I see lots of possibilities and I want to see the fiber industry move forward. Someone has to be the guinea pig! I’ve enjoyed working with PAMI and learned lots.” And like Lyle, he sure would like to try the stripper header on another crop and also like Lyle, he is eager to be involved in the project for one more year.

Source: The Saskatchewan Flax Grower newsletter, November 2006, pages 4-5.