Overcoming Today’s Farm Challenges With Advanced Combine Technology

Editor’s note: This is part 1 of 2 posts about how the right combine can help overcome a range of challenges on today’s farms.

I can’t believe it’s already summer! Time really flies by. Winter is gone … Easter is gone … and even the rare solar eclipse seems to have happened a long time ago. A lot of changes have occurred. Some good and some challenging. From weather whims to market fluctuations, we face a myriad of hurdles that can test our patience and resilience. However, fear not!

I’d like to share nine tried-and-true solutions to help you navigate these obstacles with grace and efficiency by having the right combine that is best for your farm. Additionally, I wanted to add more value by bringing you key resource links for additional reading enthusiasts like me. Given there are many challenges, as you well know, we divided this article into two parts to ensure we could cover many of the challenges faced by all types of farmers: from small family-loving farms to big farming businesses!

1. Weathering the Storm:

The unpredictable weather patterns in the Midwest can wreak havoc on crop yields. According to the USDA, extreme weather events including droughts and heavy rains have become more frequent in recent years, impacting agricultural productivity.

One way to help mitigate these risks is investing in weather-monitoring systems and irrigation technologies. According to Purdue University Extension, adopting practices such as cover cropping and conservation tillage can also improve soil resilience to extreme weather conditions.

When it comes to choosing the right combine, weather variations such as unpredictable rain events or early frosts can narrow the harvesting window, increasing the pressure to complete harvesting operations quickly. Before deciding, always compare three crucial elements: ground speed in miles per hour (an indicator of productivity-acres per hour), grain loss in bushels per hour (an indicator of true harvesting and grain quality), and unloading cycles needed to complete the total harvest area (it’s a combination of grain tank capacity – in bushels – and unload rate in bushels per second). If there could be a high yield variation or different crops, adding versatility is key: compare features such as adjustable concaves, threshing systems, and sieve settings that enable operators to optimize crop separation and cleaning performance, even in challenging harvesting conditions.

Even though every yield is different from one farm to the next, choosing a combine with high harvesting capacity, versatility and throughput can help farmers efficiently harvest crops within limited time frames, minimizing the risk of yield losses due to adverse weather conditions.

2. Managing Pests:

Pests and diseases can cause significant crop losses if not effectively managed. According to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, common pests in the region include corn earworms, soybean aphids and tobacco budworms.

One solution approach to take is called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). This method combines biological, cultural and chemical control methods that have been shown to reduce pesticide use while maintaining pest control efficacy. The University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment provides resources and training on IPM techniques tailored to local pest pressures.

With regard to selecting the right combine, there are two important things to consider. The first is residue management. Make sure your residue management systems are capable of chopping residue into smaller pieces and evenly distributing them across the field. Ask for true samples from manufacturers or participate in real-life demos to see it with your own eyes. This reduces the accumulation of crop residue in the field, which can harbor pests and diseases, and promotes faster decomposition, enhancing soil health. The second is timely harvesting. Efficiently harvesting crops at their optimal maturity will reduce the risk of pest and disease damage and proliferation.

3. Adapting to Market Trends:

Market volatility impacts farm profitability. Anyone who paid attention to the markets from December to March understands what this can mean for profitability.

According to the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, diversifying marketing channels can help farmers mitigate price fluctuations and reach new customers. Additionally, here are some other tactics, some more creative than others, that could mitigate sudden changes in market trends:

1. Direct-to-consumer sales: such as farmers’ markets and farm-to-table restaurants, have experienced steady growth in recent years, offering opportunities for farmers to capture higher margins and build customer loyalty.
2. Contract farming: involves entering into agreements with buyers or processors to produce crops according to predetermined specifications and prices. These contracts often provide farmers with price guarantees and access to stable markets, reducing exposure to price volatility. Participating in contract farming arrangements can also incentivize crop diversification by offering premiums for specialty crops or value-added products. However, farmers should carefully review contract terms and consider potential risks, such as production quotas and quality standards, before entering into agreements.
3. Futures and options hedging: involves using financial instruments to protect against adverse price movements in the commodities market. Farmers can use futures contracts to lock in prices for future delivery of their crops, providing price certainty and reducing market risk. Similarly, options contracts allow farmers to purchase the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell commodities at predetermined prices within a specified time frame. By hedging their crop sales through futures and options contracts, farmers can minimize the impact of market volatility on their profitability and revenue.
4. Value-added products: involve processing raw agricultural commodities into higher-margin products with added value. Examples include processed foods, beverages, and artisanal goods made from farm-grown ingredients. By diversifying into value-added products, farmers can capture a larger share of the consumer food dollar and differentiate themselves in the market. Value-added products also offer opportunities for branding, marketing and direct-to-consumer sales channels, such as farm stands, online platforms and specialty retailers.
5. Cooperative marketing: involves collaborating with other farmers or agricultural producers to collectively market and sell their products. By pooling resources and leveraging economies of scale, farmers can access larger markets, negotiate better prices and reduce marketing costs. Agricultural cooperatives, farmer’s markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs are examples of cooperative marketing initiatives that enable farmers to reach consumers directly and build brand loyalty. Cooperative marketing also fosters collaboration, knowledge sharing and collective bargaining power among farmers, strengthening the agricultural community as a whole.

You may be familiar with many of these concepts, but hopefully this list can spark some new innovative ideas to mitigate crop prices. For growers in Kentucky, the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development offers interesting workshops and resources to help farmers explore alternative marketing strategies and value-added products.

4. Addressing Labor Needs:

In recent years, labor shortages have been listed as the top challenge for many farms in Indiana and Kentucky, particularly during peak seasons. According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the average age of farmers in these states is increasing, highlighting the need to attract and retain younger workers.

Combine manufacturers have addressed some of those concerns by increasing both the capacity and the level of automation in their machines. Higher capacity machines can harvest crops more quickly, often requiring fewer combines – and by extension, combine operators. By automating much of the decision-making within a combine through the use of sensors and artificial intelligence, features such as the CEMOS AUTOMATIC from CLAAS can automatically and autonomously improve harvesting speed and grain retention – even with inexperienced operators in the driver’s seat. Not all combines come with this kind of technology. Be sure to do your homework before making a purchase.

In addition to using technology to your advantage, one of the keys to low employee turnover is competitive wages and benefits. Be sure to provide training and advancement opportunities that can help attract and retain skilled labor. Check with your equipment manufacturer about available training tools or clinics that could add value and employee retention.

Check out Part 2 of this article here.

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Written by Patricio L. Frangella.
Head of Commercial Development, CLAAS FARMPOINT
Patricio.frangella@claas.com