Peculiarities of stems flattening at two-phase fiber flax harvesting technology

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Based on the analysis of the morphological features of fiber flax, authors focus on the technical part of the stem, which contains fiber. To improve the quality and for most complete isolation of this product, the process of tissue maceration should be stimulated by stem flattening.
 AIMS: Search of methods and means of obtaining the maximum effect from the use of two-phase flax harvesting technology, by ensuring uniform flattening along the entire technical length of the stems, starting from the earliest stages of harvesting.
 METHODS: It is noted that the greatest effect of flattening can be achieved with two-phase flax harvesting. However, all known methods and devices involve a time gap between the flattening of different parts of a plant, which leads to a delay in the onset of maceration in untreated parts of a stem, delaying harvesting and reducing the quality of the fiber. Therefore, stems should be flattened immediately along their entire technical length at the earliest stages simultaneously with the pulling of flax, without flattening only the remaining part of the total length of plants, on which seed pods are located.
 RESULTS: It has been found that the size of the flattening zone in the plant ribbon is not constant. Therefore, in order to reduce the likelihood of damage to seed bolls by flattening rollers with maintaining the high accuracy of the implementation of the proposed method, it is necessary to place the upper edge of the flattening rollers at the level of the upper limit of the technical length of plants, to form a stem stand, uniform in height, with a compact area of seed bolls, reduce the galloping of flax harvesters when moving over irregularities of field surface and use such working bodies that provide the minimum longitudinal shift of the stems in the formed ribbon.
 CONCLUSIONS: An analysis of the existing means of mechanization showed that preference should be given to the TLP-1.5K trailed flax puller, which is lighter and cheaper and should be equipped with a flattening machine, in order to implement the proposed method.