What are the tips for a successful crop harvest?
- Make a plan for equipment maintenance and safety preparation
- Make sure to slowly drive farm equipment
- Watch out for pests
- Look out for debris
- Determine when your crops are good for harvesting
- Create a fertility plan for the next harvesting season
All farmers are waiting for that day to come when they can finally harvest the crops that they took care of for months. It’s a fulfilling experience to be able to harvest using your rice harvester, corn harvester, or any other harvester in the Philippines. Unfortunately, some farmers miss the details and even neglect safe practices during crop harvesting causing problems. In this blog are 6 tips for a successful crop harvest that every farmer must know. Taking enough time to prepare for harvest can help to ease your stress and urgency to avoid accidents, and injuries, and to make sure that you harvest your crops successfully. Continue reading to learn more!
Make A Plan For Equipment Maintenance And Safety Preparation
Before you harvest your crops, make sure to plan out everything for equipment maintenance and ensure that your safety is also your priority during crop harvesting.
Check your equipment and make sure they all have proper safety features such as rollover protective structures (ROPS) on tractors, working lights, and such to prevent accidents.
Unfortunately, tractor accidents are the main cause of death for farm workers so to help prevent this during your harvesting season, add a ROPS and use it with a seatbelt which is an effective way to prevent an accident.
It’s also important to prepare the grain bins and dryers before the day of your crop harvest. Gran handling is a dangerous activity therefore farmers should have a plan for grain bin safety. You can undergo training about safety measures to help you create an emergency plan in case an accident happens.
Make Sure To Slowly Drive Farm Equipment
Harvesting crops is not easy for farmers, especially since the farm equipment they’re using is heavy and needs to be handled well. Unfortunately, some farmers forget to safely pass slow-moving farm equipment from one field to the next. This is important if you’re driving on a big field or during peak commuting times and facing traffic.
These are the safety rules you should keep in mind:
- Put a slow-moving vehicle sign on the back of your tractor implement.
- Make sure that you can clearly see the implement you’re towing. Check and see if your flashing lights are visible around the implement.
- Make sure you know the number of implements you can tow at one time.
- Always clear your signals to avoid any driving accidents.
Watch Out For Pests
Pests are the number one enemy of farmers and there are instances when these pests have already harvested your crops before you have the time to harvest them yourself.
It’s always important to watch out for pests that can go after your plants and prepare for preventive measures such as netting, fences, and using pest organic chemicals.
Look Out For Debris
Here in the Philippines, typhoons are unpredictable and it’s also one of the problems of farmers when their crops are washed out by typhoons.
If your field location is a flooded area or a landfall of typhoons, make sure to be more observant by looking for debris that you may have found in your field after rainfall or a typhoon occurs that can seriously damage your crops.
Determine When Your Crops Are Good For Harvesting
For some farmers, it’s hard to tell when their crops are good for harvesting. Fortunately, you can tell if your crops are good for picking by reading the seed packets to know the expected harvest date for each of the plants in your field. It will lessen waste and you can enjoy the freshest food all season long.
In addition, you can keep track of your crops by making notes on the calendar. It’s also ideal to know which vegetables can be harvested during the summer season and before the rainy season to avoid getting panicked when the harvesting season comes.
Create A Fertility Plan For The Next Harvesting Season
Once you know your plants’ needs before and during harvesting season, it’s easier for you to plan out everything for a successful crop harvest. Determine what types of fertility programs work best by testing them on your plants.
Don’t miss the opportunity of using high-quality and advanced farming equipment to boost your crops and prevent them from getting attacked by pests and other events.
Key Takeaway
It’s beneficial for all farmers to know all the tips for a successful crop harvest, so they can harvest rice, corn, sugarcane, and other crops in the most optimal condition.
When harvesting your crops, remember to wear proper attire and protective equipment, and use advanced tractors and implements to help you harvest easily. Other than that, make sure to know all the safety measures to avoid any incidents.
If you’re interested in using high-quality and affordable farm machinery in the Philippines for your harvesting needs, send us a message here at Ford Tractor! We can help you choose the best tractor that aligns with your needs on your farm as we also offer tractor maintenance for our clients.
