Loss Of Shattering Research Articles

Evaluation of Tractor Mounted Axial Flow Combine Harvester for Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.)

A cost-effective, tractor mounted axial flow combine harvester designed to minimize harvesting losses was evaluated. Performance evaluation of the machine was done on summer mung bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) under various operational conditions: three forward speeds (FS): 2.1, 3.0, and 4.8 km h-1, three-cylinder peripheral speeds (PS): 11.08, 13.16, and 14.79 m s-1, and days after irrigation (DAI): 2, 4, and 6 days after last irrigation. Threshing efficiency, cleaning efficiency, broken percentage, shattering losses, and non-collectable losses were estimated. Cost of operation of the combine harvester was compared with manual harvesting and subsequent threshing using a spike tooth type thresher. The results show that the threshing efficiency and grain breakage increased by 1.1% and 1.01%, respectively, with an increase in DAI and PS, however, both these parameters decreased with an increase in FS. The non-collectable loss increased by 0.9% with an increase in FS and DAI; however, PS did not affect the non-collectable losses. The cleaning efficiency increased with an increase in FS, but it decreased with an increase in PS and DAI. The shattering loss increased with an increase in FS and DAI, although PS had no impact. The best combination of operational variables for threshing operation was found for treatment combination of 6 days after last irrigation, with a cylinder peripheral speed of 14.79 m s-1 and a forward speed of 3.0 km h-1. At this combination, threshing efficiency, non-collectable losses, grain breakage, and cleaning efficiency were 99.28%, 4.53%, 2.96%, and 95.89%, respectively. This combine-harvester saved 91.75% in labor costs and 53.71% in harvesting costs compared to the combination of manual harvesting and subsequent threshing using a spike tooth type thresher.

Study of Changes in the Amino Acid Composition of Spiked Cereals during the Ripening Process

Introduction. The amino acid composition of compound feed is of great importance in feeding all kinds of animals. The lack of one or another amino acid limits the assimilation of other amino acids, resulting in excessive compound feed consumption, deterioration of the metabolism in the bodies of animals and increasing of their susceptibility to diseases. The use of grain heaps of wheat in the early ripening stages as feed raw materials is a promising direction for the development of the fodder base that will provide a balanced amino acid composition of compound feed with a lower content of expensive fish meal, which is the main source of protein in compound feeds. Aim of the Article. The article is aimed at determining the optimal ripening stage of spiked cereals, at which a high content of protein and proteinogenic amino acids is observed. The proposed technology and technological tools for early harvesting of spiked cereals will reduce agrotechnical terms of harvesting, reducing losses from shatter losses, and get grain of enhanced nutritive value. Materials and Methods. To study the amino acid composition, 4 samples of a winter wheat grain heap were taken: the winter wheat varieties Admiral and Luchezar, the perennial winter wheat (trititrigia) variety Pamyati Lyubimovoy and the gray wheatgrass variety Sova. Harvesting the wheat of these varieties was carried out by a combing-threshing unit in 5 phenological stages (growth stages are presented on the BBCH scale): 77 – late milk ripeness, 83 – early phase of wax ripeness, 87 – gold wax ripeness, 89 – full ripeness, 92 – overripeness. Results. The results of analyzing amino acid composition of 4 samples of wheat grain heap showed a high content of almost all the amino acids studied in the phase of gold wax ripeness, except of aspartic acid and asparagine, glutamic acid and glutamine, and tryptophan. Discussion and Conclusion. Grain heap of waxy ripeness wheat is a promising grain raw material for the production of compound feeds, which will reduce the amount of expensive components, such as fishmeal.

Test Trials and Analysis of Pod-Shattering Characteristics of Harvested Rapeseed Silique

In order to reduce the silique shattering loss of the rapeseed mechanical harvesting process, based on the state of force on the silique during the rapeseed harvesting reel branch stage, Ningza 1810, Zhenyou 8, and Fengyou 306 were used as research objects, and the experimental research on the factors affecting rapeseed silique shattering was carried out using the swing impact method. The experimental analysis showed that rapeseed varieties, silique moisture content, silique growth position, collision material, impact speed, force position, and other factors had significant effects on silique shattering. The impact velocity was less than 1.5 m·s−1, the difference in the effect of each factor on pod shattering was not significant, and it was not easy to shatter when the moisture content of the rapeseed silique was higher. The impact resistance of the front side of rapeseed was two to four times that of the bonding surface of rapeseed petals, the shattering rate of the top rapeseed silique was twice that of the bottom siliques, and when siliques were supported, they were more likely to shatter under external forces than when they were unsupported. The experimental study of the mechanical properties of rapeseed siliques was carried out using the impending fracture method; the experimental analyses showed that the support position and force position of the silique, the loading speed, and the growth position of the silique had a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the silique. The maximum cracking force was higher and the bending strength was stronger when the body of the silique was supported; the range of the maximum cracking force was 3.05 N to 4.16 N, and the bending strength range was 8.48 MPa to 11.57 MPa. The maximum cracking force and bending strength of the silique were stronger when the front side of the silique petal was pressurized than when the bonding surface of the petal was pressurized. Based on Pearson’s correlation and grey correlation analysis, the morphological characteristics of rapeseed siliques were ranked in order of their influence on the performance of siliques in terms of the angle between the silique and stalk, stalk diameter, petal thickness, beak length, silique thickness, silique width, and silique length. This study can be used as a reference for the design and optimization of the rapeseed harvesting reel branch mechanism and the selection of machine-harvestable rapeseed varieties.

Advances in Rice Seed Shattering.

Seed shattering is an important trait that wild rice uses to adapt to the natural environment and maintain population reproduction, and weedy rice also uses it to compete with the rice crop. The loss of shattering is a key event in rice domestication. The degree of shattering is not only one of the main reasons for rice yield reduction but also affects its adaptability to modern mechanical harvesting methods. Therefore, it is important to cultivate rice varieties with a moderate shattering degree. In this paper, the research progress on rice seed shattering in recent years is reviewed, including the physiological basis, morphological and anatomical characteristics of rice seed shattering, inheritance and QTL/gene mapping of rice seed shattering, the molecular mechanism regulating rice seed shattering, the application of seed-shattering genes, and the relationship between seed-shattering genes and domestication.

The Transformation of Aesthetic Precedent in the Art of Sieg Maandag

The oeuvre of the Dutch artist and Holocaust victim Sieg Maandag constitutes an important addition to the psychoanalytic discourse around the art of trauma. The author enumerates and underlines the cumulative traumatic losses that mark Maandag's experience as a child in the Bergen-Belsen Nazi concentration camp, including the loss of much of his family, and argues that these losses factor significantly among those traumas that could not sustain articulation, but pressed for figurative and symbolic expression and representation in visual art. The author identifies art-historical references that Maandag adapted, including works of his prominent aesthetic influences, Giorgio De Chirico, Jean Dubuffet, Edvard Munch and Francis Bacon. The subsequent revision and synthesis of these references marks them as part of a transformative attempt at mastery over trauma, including shattering loss.

A Convincing Finnish Move: Implications for State Identity of Persuading Sweden to Jointly Bid for NATO Membership

This article examines the consequences for Sweden’s state identity by the decision of Finland and Sweden to apply for membership in NATO. Taking its starting point in Sweden’s shattering loss of its easternmost provinces in the 1809 Treaty of Fredrikshamn, it explores Sweden’s initial formulations of a policy of neutrality and its evolution until the end of the Cold War. The article then directs attention to how Social Democratic leaders managed to institutionalise a Swedish “active foreign policy”, exerting a lasting, formative infl uence on Sweden’s state identity. It also addresses the rapprochement of Finland and Sweden after the end of the Cold War and the consequences of the bilateral dynamics that characterised their EU-membership applications. The article critically discusses how Sweden reformulated its concept of neutrality into a nebulous concept of nonalignment and adopted a security policy rooted in a cooperative security approach. Based on key findings drawn from this historical account, this article addresses the processes that lead to Finland and Sweden unexpectedly deciding on jointly applying for NATO membership. It concludes with a forward-looking assessment of how a Swedish NATO membership will ultimately stabilise Sweden’s adaptable state identity and its implications for the Nordic countries’ regional military strategy.

RNA-Seq and Genome-Wide Association Studies Reveal Potential Genes for Rice Seed Shattering

The loss of the shattering ability is one of the key events in rice domestication. The strength of the seed shattering ability is closely related to the harvest yield and the adaptability of modern mechanical harvesting methods. In this study, using a population of 587 natural rice cultivars, quantitative trait loci associated with seed shattering were detected by genome-wide association studies (GWASs). We consider the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) qBTS1 and qBTS3 to be the key loci for seed shattering in rice. Additionally, the abscission zone (AZ) and nonabscission zone (NAZ) of materials with a loss of shattering (DZ129) and easy shattering (W517) were subjected to RNA-Seq, and high-quality differential expression profiles were obtained. The AZ-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of W517 were significantly enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, while the AZ-specific DEGs of DZ129 were enriched in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. We identified candidate genes for the lignin-associated laccase precursor protein (LOC_Os01g63180) and the glycoside hydrolase family (LOC_Os03g14210) in the QTLs qBTS1 (chromosome 1) and qBTS3 (chromosome 3), respectively. In summary, our findings lay the foundation for the further cloning of qBTS1 and qBTS3, which would provide new insights into seed shattering in rice.

A stepwise route to domesticate rice by controlling seed shattering and panicle shape

Asian rice (Oryza sativa L.) is consumed by more than half of the world's population. Despite its global importance, the process of early rice domestication remains unclear. During domestication, wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) acquired non-seed-shattering behavior, allowing humans to increase grain yield. Previous studies argued that a reduction in seed shattering triggered by the sh4 mutation led to increased yield during rice domestication, but our experiments using wild introgression lines show that the domesticated sh4 allele alone is insufficient for shattering loss in O. rufipogon. The interruption of abscission layer formation requires both sh4 and qSH3 mutations, demonstrating that the selection of shattering loss in wild rice was not as simple as previously suggested. Here we identified a causal single-nucleotide polymorphism at qSH3 within the seed-shattering gene OsSh1, which is conserved in indica and japonica subspecies but absent in the circum-aus group of rice. Through harvest experiments, we further demonstrated that seed shattering alone did not significantly impact yield; rather, yield increases were observed with closed panicle formation controlled by SPR3 and further augmented by nonshattering, conferred by integration of sh4 and qSH3 alleles. Complementary manipulation of panicle shape and seed shattering results in a mechanically stable panicle structure. We propose a stepwise route for the earliest phase of rice domestication, wherein selection of visible SPR3-controlled closed panicle morphology was instrumental in the sequential recruitment of sh4 and qSH3, which together led to the loss of shattering.

Technological Machines Operation by Identification Method

In order to effectively organize the process of agricultural enterprises, it is reasonable to involve management tools to build optimal models of interaction of individual components of the production process. The most significant part concerning the technical and economic efficiency is the technological process. However, the harvesting and postharvesting process is of the highest priority. The current stage of the management paradigm development includes the attraction of mathematical modeling in the organizational process. The construction of mathematical models is necessary at the stage of planning, organization, control, and is aimed at choosing such parameters of the technological process that will ensure the highest economic efficiency. At the same time, the validation process of the optimal parameters of machines and equipment that separate the grain receiving is of the most importance. While solving this problem, it is necessary to consider various efficiency criteria, the main of which are “loss volumes” and “reduced costs”. The criteria for the efficiency of the technical equipment of postharvesting grain process are the permissible values of agrotechnical requirements that consider the time of safe storage of freshly harvested grain mass without pretreatment and grain shatter losses due to its overripe. It is necessary to consider the maximum allowable volumes of losses during the postharvesting technological process. In order to define the best organizational solutions the iteration principle is used until a solution that meets the restrictions on the reduced costs level is found. The mathematical modeling in technological processes is carried out with the involvement of regression models that allow predicting the qualitative indicators of the operation of the pre-cleaning machine. As a result, it is possible to choose such a mode of equipment operation that ensures the production of grain that meets the regulatory requirements for the quality of the resulting product. The novelty of this study lies in the development of optimal ways for combine harvesters functioning. The article presents the methodology and procedure of optimizing the technological process during the postharvesting process of grain. The characteristics received as a result of experiments allow us to organize the technological process in an agricultural enterprise in the most optimal way so that it is economically and technically efficient.

Revealing a Significant Latent Loss of Dry Matter in Rice Based on Accurate Measurement of Grain Growth Curve

Against the background of increased population and resource depletion, managing food losses means conserving agricultural production resources and increasing farmer income. This paper mainly introduces the discovery and value of latent loss. In 2019, our experimental team formulated the 5T management method, which concerned the rice harvest period. Moreover, to promote the 5T management method, our team conducted relevant experiments about rice grain growth curve and found an accidental reduction in the dry matter weight of rice. To ensure the accuracy of the results of the latent rice loss in 2019, easy-to-use nuclear magnetic resonance is a non-destructive, rapid evaluation method, which is suitable for accurately determining high-moisture content and multi-variety rice. Overall, the experimental results in 2020 showed that if rice was harvested at the optimal time, the rice loss rate could be reduced by 3.5346%, which is equivalent to a yield of 235,051 tons of rice. The results are in agreement with evidence from field trials and suggest that the latent loss of dry matter caused by delayed harvest not only causes yield losses and economic losses but also increases postharvest grain loss and rice seed shattering loss. This significant factor, the optimal harvest time, in harvest period is strictly controlled to prevent the dry matter loss caused by innate knowledge and traditional management and to provide new possibilities for increasing the amount of available fertile land and generating income.

Moral Injury in Veterans: Application of the Roy Adaptation Model to Improve Coping.

The objective of this article is to provide validation, application, and understanding of the concept of moral injury and build provider awareness to reduce veteran self-harm. Two focus groups were conducted: one to identify characteristics of moral injury and the other to refine the concepts and generate clinical approaches that address maladaptive coping strategies. The focus group sessions verified moral injury's existence, and focus group consensus centered on loss of role identity and shattering of the veteran's core integrity. The veteran's inability to self-reflect is identified as a significant contributor to the maladaptive thought process, creating internal triggers based on violations of deeply held beliefs. A Supplemental Digital Content video abstract is available at http://links.lww.com/ANS/A33.

Growth, Yield and Shattering Dynamics of Seeds of Twelve Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) Accessions

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is an important crop grown in tropical and subtropical climates with huge nutritional, economic and industrial benefits. The plant undergoes explosive shattering to disperse seeds after physiological maturity leading to high loss of seeds at the time of harvesting. A field experiment was carried out to determine the effect of different harvesting stages on the growth, yield and shattering dynamics of seeds of twelve Roselle accessions in the Department of Horticulture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi from March to November, 2019. A 3x12 factorial design in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used for the study, where factor one was harvesting stages at three levels (physiological maturity, one week after physiological maturity and two weeks after physiological maturity) and factor two was accessions at twelve levels. The study revealed that accession HS08 performed best in terms of growth (plant height, the number of leaves, number of branches and stem girth) and reproductive parameters (number of days to flowering) and accessions HS27 and HS08 produced the highest yield (number of pods, number of seeds per pod, and total seed yield). Harvesting of seeds at the physiological maturity stage happened to be the ideal time because seeds were harvested safely without any losses (0%) due to shattering as compared to the other harvesting stages. The study also established a very strong, positive and significant relationship between seed yield and number of leaves (r=0.7093) and the number of branches (r=0.9241). However, there was a strong but negative and significant relationship between seed yield and percentage seed shattering loss (r=-0.9633). There was a very strong, positive and significant relationship between number of leaves and stem girth (r=0.7769). The number of seeds per plant correlated positively with the number of pods (r=0.7358). A regression model which was given by the equation; Y (Seed yield)=670.96-0.3152 (Shattering loss), R2=0.9279, p<0.0000, indicated that shattering loss significantly affected seed yield to an extent that it contributed 93% of the variation in the seed yield.

Current status and prospect of research on combine harvester header for rape

Rapeseed is one of the most important oil-bearing crops in China. Because of its poor efficiency, the planting area is in a trend of declining year by year. In order to change the status quo of low efficiency and stimulate farmers’ enthusiasm for planting oilseed rape, it is of great significance to vigorously promote the mechanized harvest in the process of rapeseed production. The rape header is an important part of the rape combine harvester. It is different from the header structure of common rice and wheat combine harvesters, and the header depth is larger. At the same time, in order to solve the problem of dense branches and cross-linking of rapeseed, in addition to the main cutter, reel and screw conveyor, the rape header also needs to be equipped with a vertical splitting cutter on the side. In this way, the entangled branches are cut and the loss of shattering can be reduced. Head loss accounts for a considerable proportion of the total loss during the rape harvest. By reasonably configuring the structure of the rape header and optimizing the working parameters, the vibration of the header and the power consumption of the header can be reduced, and the work efficiency can be improved. It is of great significance to reduce the mechanical harvest loss of rape and increase the efficiency of rape planting. This article introduces the current status and progress of the research on the working structure of the rape header at home and abroad. Point out the existing problems and put forward suggestions for the development of rape header in the future.

José Mario Molina: Life and legacy of a man who helped to save Earth’s ozone layer

On October 7, 2020, history entrusted us with a moment of profound significance where we rejoiced to see two distinguished women—Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna—be honored with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, while we also reckoned with the shattering loss of a much respected and honored academic, a humble and generous man dedicated to the understanding of how our planet functions, and to the virtues and values of striving toward a better world for all to live and thrive in: Dr. Mario Molina, 1995 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. José Mario Molina at MIT in 2002. Image credit: L. T. Molina (photographer). José Mario Molina was born in Mexico City on March 19, 1943. Enjoying the benefit of role models, like his father, a lawyer and professor at the National University of Mexico (UNAM), and the Mexican Ambassador to Australia, Ethiopia, and the Philippines, Mario was raised within the atmosphere of an educated and supportive family. From an interview with Mario’s brother, Roberto, we can glimpse the early life of Mario, who already showed a clear interest for science (telephone interview with Roberto Molina on October 29, 2020). Mario enjoyed looking at microorganisms through a toy microscope and transformed a home bathroom into his first chemistry laboratory, where he enjoyed investigating, using toy chemistry sets. His aunt, Esther Molina—also a chemist—stimulated that interest by helping him undertake more sophisticated experiments in that “bathroom lab.” Noticing Mario’s scientific potential, his parents sent him, at age 11, to Switzerland for 2 years to learn German, a language then deemed critical to pursue a scientific path. Back in Mexico, after high school, Mario enrolled in UNAM’s School of Chemistry in 1960, where he graduated as a chemical engineer. It is from this period that Mario’s life-long friend, Dr. Francisco Barnés, also a chemistry major … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: rdirzo{at}stanford.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1

Pod indehiscence in common bean is associated with the fine regulation of PvMYB26.

In legumes, pod shattering occurs when mature pods dehisce along the sutures, and detachment of the valves promotes seed dispersal. In Phaseolus vulgaris (L)., the major locus qPD5.1-Pv for pod indehiscence was identified recently. We developed a BC4/F4 introgression line population and narrowed the major locus down to a 22.5 kb region. Here, gene expression and a parallel histological analysis of dehiscent and indehiscent pods identified an AtMYB26 orthologue as the best candidate for loss of pod shattering, on a genomic region ~11 kb downstream of the highest associated peak. Based on mapping and expression data, we propose early and fine up-regulation of PvMYB26 in dehiscent pods. Detailed histological analysis establishes that pod indehiscence is associated with the lack of a functional abscission layer in the ventral sheath, and that the key anatomical modifications associated with pod shattering in common bean occur early during pod development. We finally propose that loss of pod shattering in legumes resulted from histological convergent evolution and that it is the result of selection at orthologous loci.

Same Locus for Non-shattering Seed Pod in Two Independently Domesticated Legumes, Vigna angularis and Vigna unguiculata.

Loss of pod shattering is one of the most important domestication-related traits in legume crops. The non-shattering phenotypes have been achieved either by disturbed formation of abscission layer between the valves, or by loss of helical tension in sclerenchyma of endocarp, that split open the pods to disperse the seeds. During domestication, azuki bean (Vigna angularis) and yard-long bean (Vigna unguiculata cv-gr. Sesquipedalis) have reduced or lost the sclerenchyma and thus the shattering behavior of seed pods. Here we performed fine-mapping with backcrossed populations and narrowed the candidate genomic region down to 4 kbp in azuki bean and 13 kbp in yard-long bean. Among the genes located in these regions, we found MYB26 genes encoded truncated proteins in azuki bean, yard-long bean, and even cowpea. As such, our findings indicate that independent domestication on the two legumes has selected the same locus for the same traits. We also argue that MYB26 could be a target gene for improving shattering phenotype in other legumes, such as soybean.

Effect of some Pre-Harvest Treatments on Quality of ʺCrimson Seedlessʺ Grapes During Cold Storage and Shelf Life

This work was carried out during two successive seasons (2017 and 2018) to examine the response of ʺCrimson Seedlessʺ grapes to some pre-harvest treatments i.e. jasmonic acid (JA) at (4 and 8) mM/L and grapefruit seed extract (GSE) at (0.5 and 1) mM/L on some berries quality parameters under cold storage and shelf-life conditions. Vines were sprayed in two application times at (25th and 30th August) during 2017 and 2018, respectively. The non-ionic surfactant Tween-20 at 0.05% (v/v) was added to all treatments to reduce the surface tension and increase the contact angle of sprayed droplets. Results showed that both jasmonic acid and grapefruit seed extract treatments at different concentrations were significantly effective in reducing weight loss, berry decay, berry shatter, and total loss in cluster weight percentages during the cold storage period and shelf life as compared to the control. Also, the previous treatments significantly increased berry firmness, soluble solid content (SSC%), SSC/acid ratio, and total anthocyanin contents, where it was caused a significant decrease in total acidity percentage during the cold storage period and shelf life in comparison with control. Furthermore, the lowest values of weight loss, berry shatter, berry decay and total loss in cluster weight were founded by JA at 8 mM and GSE at 1 mM at the end of shelf life in comparison with other treatments. It could be concluded that JA at 8 mM and GSE at 1 mM as preharvest treatments are applicable for improving the storability of ʺCrimson Seedlessʺ grapes and maintaining their quality during cold storage and shelf life.

Important agronomic characteristics of yielding ability in common buckwheat; ecotype and ecological differentiation, preharvest sprouting resistance, shattering resistance, and lodging resistance.

Common buckwheat is recognized as a healthy food because its seed contains large amounts of protein, minerals, and rutin. However, the yielding ability of common buckwheat is lower than that of other major crops. The short growing period, moisture injury, occurrence of sterile seeds due to lack of flower-visiting insects, and yield loss due to lodging and shattering cause low and unstable grain yield. Therefore, many common buckwheat breeders have tried to increase yielding ability by improving various characteristics. Recently, new breeding objectives for improving yielding ability by increasing preharvest sprouting resistance; reducing shattering loss; introducing self-compatibility; the ecotype, and semidwarf have been reported. In this review, we introduce the research on the important agronomic characteristics, preharvest sprouting resistance, ecotype and ecological differentiation, shattering resistance, and lodging resistance in common buckwheat.

Effects of polymer cyclohexane application on lentil pod shatter in semi-arid region of Turkey

Pod shattering in lentil which is vital plant of dry lands is a crucial feature for high yield. Selection of lentil variety is very important in order to reduce pod shatter. Some of lentil varieties are very productive; however, shattering loss decreases profitable yields. In this study, reduction of pod shatter in lentil varieties was investigated with application of polymer cyclohexane compounds. An experiment was conducted with split-split-plot experiment design with two lentil varieties (‘Firat-87’ and ‘Cagil’), two application time (podset and 15 days before harvest (DBH)) and three application doses (0, 0.5, 2 l·ha<sup>–1</sup>) as triplicate during two years. Effects of application time on podset were found statistically insignificant and application of 0.5 l·ha<sup>–1</sup> dose was found effective for 15 DBH application time. As a result, 0.5 pod shatter polymer cyclohexane and 15 DBH was found as optimum doses and application time, respectively in order to reduce pod shatter loss by nearly 1% for semiarid region of Turkey.

Harvesting and threshing methods their impact on seed quality: A review

Harvesting and threshing operations contribute to overall post harvest losses. The speed of manual cutting operations risks significant crop losses due to delayed harvesting in developing countries. When harvest is delayed, shatter loss is the most-often mentioned cause of losses. Estimates of harvest losses range from 5 to 16% for rice and 8 to 18% for a range of different cereal crops. All of the cereal, oilseed and pulse crops have a narrow range of moistures for optimally-low harvest losses and high crop quality. The optimal moisture for harvest of all crops is nearly always too high to allow safe storage. Increased harvest mechanization can enable more timely harvest with lower losses, and would likely to create a gender shift in harvest workers. Training is essential for developing mechanized harvest operator skills. Most non-mechanized threshing systems have an inadequate means for separation and containment of harvested grains, oilseeds, and pulses. Threshing, separating and cleaning losses for well-trained combine operators can be very low, rice 0.3%, maize 0.4%, soybeans 0.75 - 1%, and wheat 1% of yield or less. Losses will go higher when the header is included but in general, rice should be less than 1.25 - 2.2%, maize less than 1.8%, soybeans less than 3%, and wheat less than 2% of yield in good standing crop.