Is it that time already?! GRDC plans harvester workshops to prove correct setup pays dividends

Grains Research Development Corporation’s western panel region chair Darrin Lee has urged farmers to come along to a series of five pre-harvest workshops to learn how the best header set-up could equate to “money in the bank”.

The Mingenew farmer said he knew first-hand that calibrating harvest equipment was crucial at harvest time, after 20 years of farming in WA’s Mid West, with this year’s harvest expected to be about 18 million tonnes.

GRDC — Australia’s biggest grains research organisation — has unveiled plans to hold Harvester Set Up Workshops at Hyden, Dunn Rock, Nyabing, Beverley and Cunderdin between 12 and 22, with well-known grower group The Facey Group tasked with delivery.

Mr Lee said the sessions would provide practical, independent information and give farmers confidence to make changes on-farm.

“These workshops bring Australia’s leading harvest specialists — industry experts and researchers — onto farms throughout the grainbelt to deliver the latest in effective harvester set up,” Mr Lee said.

“To actually go to a neighbouring farm, have each of the different makes of headers in the yard, and be able to see and hear from experts first-hand on what’s working and what isn’t, it’s great.”

Mr Lee said farmers attending the workshops in the past had been surprised by the efficiency gains made possible through the use of pans and drop trays to measure harvest losses and calibrate harvester set up.

About four in 10 growers are using drop trays to measure harvest losses — a figure Mr Lee wanted to become higher.

“As growers we need to be taking every opportunity to put more grain in the bin, and money in the bank,” he said.

“Measuring harvest losses every day or multiple times a day can seem tedious to operators.

“But the payoff from adjusting the machine to minimise the loss is worth the hassle. You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

The workshops are also expected to provide a deep dive into the range of issues arising at harvest.

This includes capacity and efficiency, weed seed control and preventing header fires.

GRDC grower relations manager Courtney Ramsey said the workshops were developed in response to industry feedback and were designed to be “independent” without commercial product endorsement.

“Industry specialists from different harvest support services are invited to participate and contribute their knowledge and experiences in optimising performance as part of the crowd-led discussions,” she said.

“Presenters (are) required to only speak to technology types without providing product-specific information.

“This is an essential part of GRDC’s role to invest in research, development and extension on behalf of grain growers.”

GRDC Harvester Set Up Workshops

September 12: Hyden

September 13: Dunn Rock

September 14: Nyabing

September 15: Beverley

September 22: Cunderdin Agricultural College