This guide brings together the main technical recommendations for maximizing soybean quality at harvest, along with specific guidelines for IP soybeans, Natto and organic soybeans.
Before and During Harvest
Pre-harvest
- Walk through the fields to identify weed patches and plan to harvest those areas last.
- A few nightshade plants may be enough to stain the grain and downgrade the crop. Isolate infested areas and harvest them last.
Cleaning and Traceability
- Inspect and clean all equipment used: the combine and all grain handling and storage equipment. Follow the manufacturers’ recommendations.
Preventing Contamination
- If the combine has harvested azuki beans, wheat, barley, oats or any other cereal before the soybeans, it must be thoroughly cleaned with pressurized water or air.
- During threshing, set aside 2 MT to avoid contaminating the rest of the lot.
- If there is significant contamination by other grains – wheat, barley, oats, other cereals or azuki beans – the soybeans must be stored on the farm. Wait for the results of the submitted sample before delivering to Ceresco.
Target Harvest Moisture
The best moisture level for harvesting soybeans is 14% and less. This reduces cracked beans and seed shedding on the combine table.
General Recommendations
- If some pods remain unthreshed, tighten the concave rather than speeding up the beater drum.
- Maintain an appropriate ground speed to feed the threshing system evenly. Depending on the width of the table, a speed of 5 to 8 km/h helps produce good-quality grain.
- Soybeans should not be handled excessively. They must be threshed as soon as they enter the combine, cleaned quickly and transferred to the hopper without delay.
- When unloading, run the combine auger at a reasonable speed of 1,500 to 1,800 rpm while feeding it at maximum capacity.
- Harvest weed patches between noon and 5 p.m. on a sunny day.
- In the morning, avoid starting with field borders. Wait until the afternoon, once the moisture has dissipated.
- When there is soil on the pods, wait until the standing crop is thoroughly dry to avoid staining the soybeans.
- Regularly clean the elevators, conveyor inlet and rock trap, where soil generally accumulates and may stain the soybeans.
- Adjust the angle of the combine head correctly. Avoid tilting it too far forward, as it will pick up more soil. Consult the combine instruction manual.
- Replace excessively worn fingers and knives so they cut the crop instead of tearing it out or laying it down. This will reduce table losses and the amount of soil that could stain the soybeans.
Harvest Window
It is easier to obtain a good-quality crop in September or early October. After October 10, harvest days are generally shorter because of weather conditions. Repeated rains cause more soil to accumulate on pods close to the ground and increase the risk of staining. After October 15, soybean moisture levels in the field are generally very difficult to lower because of wet conditions.
Guidelines Specific to Each Soybean Type
Some practices differ by soybean type. Pay close attention to the recommendations that apply to your production.
IP Soybeans
Pre-harvest
- A strong infestation of lamb’s-quarters or ragweed can stain and downgrade the crop, particularly during rainy years. Treat affected areas with a pre-harvest herbicide or wait until frost so the weeds dry up, then harvest those areas last.
- Herbicide application stages are important. Consult Ceresco experts and your herbicide supplier to determine the best time to spray.
Adjustments for Broken Grains
If there are too many broken grains, adjust the concave to obtain an optimal opening – neither too narrow nor too wide – and/or reduce the beater drum speed if possible.
Natto
Pre-harvest
Apply the same weed-management guidelines as for IP soybeans: use a pre-harvest herbicide or wait until frost, treat at the proper stage and harvest affected areas last.
Soaking Test and Handling
- For Natto soybeans, the soaking test must be below 7%.
- Of 100 beans selected at random and placed in water for 10 minutes, the number of beans with cracked seed coats and swollen cotyledons must not exceed 7 beans.
- Do not dry Natto soybeans. If needed, ask a Ceresco expert to demonstrate the soaking test before harvest.
- If the soaking test result is too high, adjust the concave to obtain an optimal opening – neither too narrow nor too wide – and/or reduce the beater drum speed if possible.
- Make sure there is not too much return to the beater drum, as this increases the soaking ratio. Adjust the lower screen.
- Weeds put extra load on the beater drum and increase the soaking ratio.
Organic
Pre-harvest
A strong infestation of lamb’s-quarters or ragweed can stain and downgrade the crop, particularly during rainy years. Wait until frost so the weeds dry up, then harvest affected areas last.
Adjustments for Broken Grains
As with IP soybeans, if there are too many broken grains, adjust the concave to obtain an optimal opening – neither too narrow nor too wide – and/or reduce the beater drum speed if possible.
Combine Settings
The following settings are based on observations from previous years. This year’s conditions may require different adjustments.
Swipe the table horizontally to view all columns.
| Setting |
CASE / Inter
Axial-Flow |
John Deere
Conventional |
John Deere
Axial |
New Holland
Double Axial |
Caterpillar
Lexon |
| Approximate Beater Drum Speed |
400-500
rpm |
400-450
rpm |
350-400
rpm |
Approx. 550-600
rpm |
Approx. 200-300
rpm |
| Opening – IP Soybeans |
1-3 |
1-3 |
4-5 |
1-3 |
15-25 |
| Opening – Natto |
0-1 |
0-1 |
0-5 |
0-1 |
10-15 |
| Opening – Rubicon |
1-2 |
1-2 |
4-5 |
1-2 |
10-25 |
| Opening – Organic |
1-3 |
1-3 |
4-5 |
1-3 |
15-25 |
| Zero Setting |
When the beater drum is set to 0, there must be a 1/4 in. opening between the beater drum and the concave. |
| Air Flow |
1,000 to 1,200 rpm |
| Equipment |
Keep the corn/grain equipment: concave, upper and lower screens. |
Standard equipment |
Note on the Organic guide: In the original PDF, the beater drum opening row is labelled “IP.” The values have been reproduced unchanged in the Organic row above.
- For conventional combines of other makes, use the John Deere settings.
- Caterpillar Lexon combine: Remove the plate called the “Intensive Threshing Segment” in the catalogue on the “Threshing System” page.
- Push the trap located at the front right, near the conveyor, so the crop is threshed on the second beater drum.
- Example of an adjustment based on conditions: reduce the beater drum rotation speed if the soybeans are drier, at 10 to 12% moisture.
Storage and Ventilation
Preparing and Filling the Silo
- Use a clean silo with no water leaks.
- Use a clean auger in good condition. An auger measuring 8 to 12 in. is preferable.
- When unloading soybeans into the silo, run the auger at a reasonable PTO speed of 450 to 540 rpm while feeding it at maximum capacity.
- Do not fill the silo to the cap. Leave space between the grain and the roof.
Sampling and Monitoring
- Take a representative sample – 1 handful every 5 minutes while unloading. Submit the complete accumulated sample to Ceresco for analysis.
- Once the silo is filled, preferably remove the equivalent of one truckload to clear out the impurities that have accumulated in the centre, then put those soybeans back on top of the silo.
- Level the top of the grain to optimize ventilation and make it easier to estimate the quantity stored.
- Check the silo at least once a month and after every heavy rain or snowstorm. Remove any snow or wet soybeans and pay particular attention to the smell and temperature of the grain.
Ventilation According to Conditions
- Take the outdoor temperature and humidity, as well as the grain temperature, into account.
- After harvest, ventilate enough to lower the grain temperature.
- During storage, ventilate regularly, approximately every 2 weeks, using dry air at an outdoor temperature close to the grain temperature.
Stop Ventilation at Night
At night, relative humidity rises and the temperature drops, causing soybean moisture to increase as well. Stop ventilation so the soybeans do not regain the moisture they lost during the day. Consult The Weather Network for current conditions.
Equilibrium Moisture Content of Soybeans
Equilibrium moisture content (% wet basis) for soybeans exposed to air, based on temperature and relative humidity.
Swipe the table horizontally to view all columns.
| Temperature |
50% |
60% |
70% |
80% |
90% |
| 0°C (32°F) |
9.5 |
11.5 |
14.4 |
19.2 |
29.0 |
| 5°C (41°F) |
9.3 |
11.3 |
14.2 |
18.9 |
28.6 |
| 10°C (50°F) |
9.1 |
11.1 |
14.0 |
18.6 |
28.2 |
| 15°C (59°F) |
9.0 |
10.9 |
13.7 |
18.3 |
27.8 |
| 20°C (68°F) |
8.8 |
10.7 |
13.5 |
18.0 |
27.4 |
| 25°C (77°F) |
8.6 |
10.5 |
13.3 |
17.7 |
27.0 |
Example: At 70% relative humidity and a temperature of 15°C, soybeans will stabilize over time at a moisture level of 13.7%.
1 Relative humidity is the amount of water vapour in the air compared with the maximum amount the air can hold. It is expressed as a percentage and depends on temperature and pressure.
Silo Ventilation Tips
- Run the silo fans while the combines are harvesting.
- When the combines cannot harvest, stop silo ventilation.
Delivery
Reception Schedule
During harvest, consult the Grain Reception page on the Ceresco website or listen to the reception voicemail message. Ceresco tries to offer the most advantageous receiving hours during this period. Otherwise, the schedule shown in the guides is Monday to Friday, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Make Arrangements and Prepare the Load
- The Operations Team will arrange delivery dates with you and provide an order number for each expected load: 1 number per delivered load.
- Report any particular condition observed, such as high moisture, a high level of waste or corn contamination.
- If you would like Ceresco to make a payment to PGQ or AgriCorp, notify the Operations Team.
- If you cannot deliver as scheduled, contact the Operations Team again to make other arrangements.
- When the carrier arrives to load the soybeans, inspect the entire truck box. Have the trap doors opened and check the back skirt.
- If the truck is not clean, require the driver to clean the box.
Important
Upon delivery, the carrier must sign a record of delivery confirming that the truck box was cleaned before loading to prevent the soybeans from being contaminated by another product.
Ceresco Experts
Need advice before or during harvest? Ceresco experts can help you validate the settings and practices that apply to your situation.
Meet Our Experts