Checklist for Harvest Equipment Prep

By Jim Steadman|September 20, 2024

Procrastination is not normally a trait you’ll find on a farm, regardless of the crop mix or time of year. Yet with all of the multiple crop-related, business and financial, and maintenance jobs that growers are juggling at any one time, it’s easy to see how something might have to take a back seat from time to time.

At this point in the cotton season, though, harvest equipment maintenance and preparation needs to be high on the priority list. Dr. Ed Barnes, Senior Director, Agricultural & Environmental Research for Cotton Incorporated, reminds growers that the organization has an entire online resource devoted to cotton harvest preparation. He also shares some key management and maintenance principles for both picker and stripper harvesters that growers should keep in mind as harvest season begins.

Inspect each header unit, checking the condition and alignment of the spindles and doffer pads in each header unit, and be ready to replace worn or broken parts as needed. “A good practice is to do this kind of maintenance not just before or during harvest but throughout the year or as a good rainy-day activity for the staff,” he says.

Make sure all fire extinguishers or fire suppression systems are charged and ready to go. “Depending on harvest conditions, especially in a dry harvest season, we often end up with a lot of picker and stripper fires,” points out Barnes. “We have a fire prevention video, and I would encourage growers to have their machinery operators watch it as part of their harvest preparation.”

Pay attention to moisture conditions of the crop. “There’s a growing consensus among ginners that early morning moisture causes more problems than going too late,” he notes. “The fiber and the seeds take on more moisture, and that can create some problems in ginning, including reduced color grade.”