AAAAA1) Considerations at the origin of the stubble chopper behind the header

AAAAAMinimum tillage and direct seeding are developing quickly for environmental and economic reasons. However, the main obstacle remains the residue’s management.

AAAAADuring these last years, appreciable improvements have been carried out to the harvesters: chaff spreader and straw chopper more capable. But the stubble remains and constitutes a problem when it is long. It is possible to reduce it by mowing low but at the expense of an important degradation of the harvesters’ performances. Another practice, which is very costly, consists in chopping the stubble after the harvest.

AAAAAIt is why the principle consisting in chopping the stubble during the harvest seems particularly rational. This principle gave birth to the concept of BSC: stubble chopper behind the header.


AAAAA2) Frequently asked questions

AAAAADoes the driver need to be doubly watchful because of this equipment? It must generate an additional stress?

The driver has controls in cab for the device management. As soon as the chopping height is fixed, the functioning of the stubble chopper is entirely automated:


a) When the header is lifted, the stubble chopper is held up.
b) When the header reaches its work level, the stubble chopper meets the chopping level fixed by the driver.
c) The chopper follows automatically the irregularities of the ground.
d) The chopper compensates for all changes of the level of the coupe, so it is possible to put down the header in order to harvest a flattened area without caring about the chopper.
e) In pound, the chopper is held up.
f) The rotation control and the lifting up in case of hurdle are assured permanently.

AAAAASo the stubble chopper does not constitute in any case an extra work for the driver who can concentrates on the crop.


AAAAA For the same results, isn’t it easier to mow very lowly?

AAAAAIt is only an illusion perpetuated today by the available powers on the modern combine-harvesters. Indeed, the power is really existent but it remains true that bigger is the volume of straw which goes in the device, lower are the performances of sorting out.

AAAAAIn the current economic context, it is inconceivable to use a combine under its optimal capacities just to make the straw pass in the interne circuit.

AAAAAAs for the stubble chopper, it allows to leave the stubble very short (5 cm) and torn to pieces (decomposition furthered) without overloading the sorting out instruments.

AAAAAIs the power taken by this equipment not too important?

AAAAAIn fact it turns out that the power taken is lower than if we make the straw pass in the harvester. This phenomenon is much more marked with the engines with sorting out forced.

AAAAAThe stubble chopper demands more or less 9 horse power by meter of header. This power is easily disponible on the actual combines. It does not act as a brake upon the combine forward movement.


AAAAA3) The stubble chopper’s contributions

AAAAAAAa) In relation to a harvest with low header

- Simplified work: the stubble chopper enables to leave the stubble much shorter and more easily than the header table: 5 cm and even less.
- Saving of time thanks to the optimal use of the combine harvester, the sorting out instruments being not overcharged by the straw.
- Saving of fuel since a power lost is avoiding in not making the straw pass by the separation systeme part.


AAAAAAAb) In relation to a chopping after the harvest

- Saving of time: passage of a tool eliminated
- Saving of workforce: one driver less
- Saving of fuel: the consumption of the harvester caused by the stubble chopper will be always inferior to/lower than the one of a chopping ulterior.


AAAAAAAc) And in all cases

- Plot (of land) immediately available for a ground work without a lost of coolness.
- Straw decomposition improved and speed up, which allows a mobilization of the available nitrogen.
- Possibility of tackling the minimum tillage with a classical equipment much less costly than the specialized tools.
- Save of time, fuel and workforce fitting the tense economic background to which the farmers are submitted.