Forage and Harvesting Equipment

Forage crops are grown primarily to:

Produce grain for human consumption only Provide feed for livestock as pasture, hay or silage Replace fertilizer requirements Control soil erosion only

Legume forage crops commonly include:

Wheat and barley Alfalfa and clover species Corn and canola Flax and rye

A forage harvester is designed to:

Harvest grain only Cut, chop and blow forage into a wagon or truck for silage Bale dry hay into small squares Combine oilseed crops

Pull‑type forage harvesters are powered by:

Their own diesel engines only The towing tractor via PTO shaft Electric motors Hydraulic drives from the baler

Self‑propelled forage harvesters include:

Only the header Engine, drive system, cutterhead, kernel processor (if equipped) and discharge spout on one machine Only a bale chamber No cab or controls

Windrowers (swathers) are used to:

Pick up stones from the field Cut the crop and lay it in windrows for drying or later pickup Spread manure Grind grain into flour

Disc mower‑conditioners cut forage using:

Sickle sections on a cutter bar only High‑speed rotating discs with attached knives Shear bolts with no blades Rotary rakes

The conditioning system on a mower‑conditioner is used to:

Increase tractor engine speed Crimp or abrade stems to speed drying Compact bales Separate grain from chaff

Small square balers typically produce bales that:

Weigh several tonnes each Are easy to handle manually and are often stored in stacks Cannot be stacked Are always wrapped in plastic

Large round balers form bales by:

Compressing hay in a stationary chamber with ties Rolling forage into a cylindrical bale using belts, rollers or chains Casting concrete around the hay Using square plungers only

Net wrap on round bales is used instead of twine to:

Increase bale moisture Provide faster wrapping and better weather protection Reduce bale density Eliminate the need for bale shape

Bale density is important because:

Loose bales always preserve feed better Proper density improves storage, handling and feed quality High density always causes spoilage Density has no effect on storage losses

Forage moisture at baling should:

Be higher than 40% for dry hay Be appropriate for hay or silage to avoid heating, mould or spoilage Not be measured Always be below 5%

Combine harvesters perform which FOUR basic functions?

Cooling, heating, steering and braking Cutting, threshing, separating and cleaning the crop Crushing rocks, tilling and seeding Fueling, greasing, painting and storage

The header on a combine is responsible for:

Separating grain from chaff Cutting and feeding crop into the machine Cleaning sample in the sieve area Driving the rear axle

Conventional straw‑walker combines separate grain from straw by:

Passing material through a rotary cage only Shaking straw so trapped grain falls through grates Using air jets alone Mixing grain with chaff

Rotary combines use a rotor to:

Drive the tractor wheels Thresh and separate crop material inside a cylindrical concave area Pump hydraulic oil Pack silage in the bunker

Excessive grain loss out the back of a combine may indicate:

Proper setting of sieves and fan Settings or ground speed that are too aggressive for crop conditions Low engine power only Insufficient header width

Straw choppers and spreaders at the rear of a combine are designed to:

Harvest straw separately Chop and distribute residue evenly over the field Increase grain tank capacity Reduce rotor speed

Pickup headers are commonly used when:

Harvesting standing grain only Crops have been swathed into windrows prior to combining Spraying pre‑seed herbicide Spreading fertilizer

Common replacement parts for forage and harvesting equipment include:

Cab upholstery only Knives, guards, belts, chains, pickup teeth, bearings and drive components Pistons and crankshafts Household wiring

Kernel processors on forage harvesters are used mainly when harvesting:

Dry hay Corn silage to crush kernels and improve digestibility Small grain for seed Oilseed crops

Windrowing methods affect:

Only tractor fuel use Drying rate, pickup efficiency and forage quality Combine engine oil life only Sprayer tank capacity

Header flotation on swathers is important so that:

Header remains rigid on uneven ground Header follows ground contours without scalping soil or leaving high spots Machine can travel faster on the road Cab stays level

Reel speed relative to ground speed on a header should be adjusted so that:

Reel turns twice as fast as possible Reel slightly outpaces crop speed to feed evenly without shattering Reel does not turn at all Reel turns backwards

Hydraulic accumulators on balers or harvesters may be used to:

Store electrical energy Absorb shock loads and maintain uniform pressure Hold grain Lubricate bearings

When operating forage equipment, safety practices include:

Cleaning plugged equipment with PTO engaged Shutting off power, disengaging PTO and stopping engine before servicing Riding on drawn equipment Removing shields for easy access

Moisture testers for forage are used to:

Measure soil pH Determine moisture content to decide on baling or chopping suitability Check engine coolant Test pesticide concentration

Silage is produced by:

Drying hay completely before storage Storing chopped forage at controlled moisture in an oxygen‑limited environment for fermentation Storing grain only Freezing forage

Self‑unloading forage wagons are designed to:

Be unloaded manually only Use chains or belts to move silage to the rear and discharge it mechanically Carry only dry hay bales Tow combines

In the ILM Forage and Harvesting Equipment module, parts technicians are expected to:

Design new harvesting machines Recognize major components, wear items and correct terminology for ordering parts Perform engine rebuilds Calibrate sprayer pumps

Straw walkers and sieves are examples of components found in the:

Mower‑conditioner Cleaning and separating area of a combine Round baler chamber Forage wagon

Pickup teeth on balers and forage harvesters are designed to:

Cut stems Lift and feed crop from the windrow into the machine Measure moisture Spread fertilizer

Drive chains and belts on harvesting equipment require:

No maintenance Correct tension, alignment and lubrication or replacement as specified Removal before each use Painting to prevent wear

A lodged or down crop may require:

Standard settings only Adjustments to header angle, reel position and ground speed for effective pickup No change in operation Harvesting at night only

The grain tank or hopper on a combine is used to:

Store straw Store cleaned grain before unloading Hold fuel Carry water for spraying

Common wear parts on disc mower‑conditioners include:

Cab glass only Knives, skid shoes, discs and conditioning rolls or flails Engine pistons Air filters on tractors only

Straw chaff spread patterns that are too narrow can lead to:

Uniform residue distribution Heavy residue bands that affect subsequent seeding and crop emergence Reduced fuel use Improved header performance