Grain has been lost 4% in the harvesting process, how to save grain losses from the field

China Business Daily (reporter Ma Jiawen/photo) The situation of grain losses in the fields is serious. Recently, a set of grain loss rate data in the harvest link has attracted attention: according to expert estimates, the post-harvest loss and waste of grain in farmers is more serious, and the total loss rate of reserves, consumption and harvest links is 11.39%, of which the average harvest loss rate of the three staple grain crops (rice, corn and wheat) is 4.09%. The recently released "Food Conservation Action Plan" (hereinafter referred to as the plan) clearly states that by 2025, the grain saving and loss reduction measures in all links of the grain industry chain will be more hardened and refined, and more obvious results will be achieved in promoting grain saving and loss reduction. How to save grain from the source of grain production?

Before it comes to the table, the grain is seriously lost and wasted during the harvesting process.

4% of the food is lost during the harvest

In the whole grain industry chain, in addition to the consumption link, the harvest link may be the most serious post-harvest loss and waste of grain. According to the research data of Professor Wu Laping's team of China Agricultural University on the field harvest loss of eight major grain and oil crops such as wheat, rice and corn since 2015, the post-harvest loss and waste of grain in farmers is more serious, and the total loss rate of harvest, reserve and consumption is 11.39%. Among them, the average harvest loss rate of the three staple crops (rice, maize and wheat) was 4.09%, of which rice loss accounted for 3.55%, wheat loss accounted for 4.41%, and maize loss accounted for 2.58%.

This set of data also means that before the grain comes to the table, there is a serious waste in the field. Wu Laping, a professor at the College of Economics and Management of China Agricultural University, told the China Business Daily reporter: "The 'harvest link' can be divided into four small links: field harvesting, field transportation, threshing and grain cleaning, and the most serious loss in these four links is the field harvesting link, and the average harvesting loss rate of the three major staple grains is 1.97%. ”

"The loss of the field harvesting link mainly comes from the harvesting method, such as mechanical differences, etc., some farmers will also encounter extreme weather such as rain and snow during the harvesting process, resulting in losses; followed by the threshing link, the loss rate of the three major staple grain threshing links is 0.74%; the loss of the grain clearing link and the field transportation link is lighter." Wu Laping said.

In view of the problems of extensive sowing, insufficient refinement of harvesting machinery, non-matching agricultural machinery and agronomy, and irregular operation of machine hands, the plan proposes to speed up the selection and breeding of suitable varieties for breeding and breeding, and promote the application of precision sowing machinery and key technologies; focus on promoting fine harvesting of grain, strengthen the integration of agricultural machinery, agronomy, and varieties, and improve the rate and coverage of key technologies. Formulate and revise technical guidance specifications for harvesting and reducing losses from rice, corn, wheat, and soybean machines, and guide farmers to choose the opportunity to harvest in a timely manner.

It is worth noting that farmers can lose at least 50 catties of grain in one mu of land. During this year's autumn harvest, parts of the country suffered continuous rainy weather, reducing the losses caused by mechanical harvesting of grain and also allowing farmers to see tangible benefits. Sun Jianlong, head of the Yinjiawei Grain and Oil Plant Protection Agricultural Machinery Professional Cooperative in Wuxing District, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, told reporters that when it rains continuously, ordinary harvesters cannot get off the ground, and the cooperative adopts crawler harvesters. Harvesting an acre of land with a crawler harvester can reduce the loss of about 50 catties of grain.

The reduction of grain savings in the field is equivalent to increasing production

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about 14% of the world's food production is lost every year from production to retail. A 1 percentage point reduction in this loss would be equivalent to an increase of more than 27 million tons of grain, enough for 70 million people to eat for a year. The person in charge of the Central Agricultural Office said that the plan focuses on the whole chain and multiple links to carry out grain saving and loss reduction actions, which is equivalent to adding "invisible fertile land" and opening up an important way to further ensure national food security.

Wu Laping also told the China Business Daily reporter that according to the previous grain production, if effective measures are taken to reduce the grain loss rate of the harvest and farmers' reserve links by 1 percentage point, it can meet the annual grain demand of 72.8882 million people.

Ma Youxiang, vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs, previously publicly stated that if China's grain loss is reduced by one percentage point, it is equivalent to reducing the loss by 6.5 million tons, which can feed about 16 million people according to 400 kg / year / person grain calculation. In this sense, loss reduction is an increase in production.

It is worth noting that at present, China's grain production has been harvesting for 18 consecutive years, and it is particularly important to save grain and reduce losses for stabilizing production and ensuring supply and strengthening food security.

At present, most farmers do not pay enough attention to loss and waste. "The survey results show that most farmers do not pay enough attention to loss and waste, taking the harvest link as an example, in the effective questionnaire recovered, only 15.94% of the people think that the grain harvest link loss is large, and 80.37% think it is not large." Wu Laping said that at present, China's grain supply and demand is a tight balance, which is also a long-term trend. Of course, there is nothing wrong with ensuring food security. However, food loss not only means a direct reduction in the amount of grain, but also causes the waste of inputs in mass production, such as water and soil resources and fertilizer resources, which increases China's environmental pressure.

The plan proposes that by 2025, China's grain reduction system, standard system and monitoring system will be basically established, the normal long-term governance mechanism will be basically sound, the "disc action" will be carried out in depth, the problem of food waste will be effectively curbed, and saving food and opposing waste will become a common practice in the whole society.

How to save grain in the field

Improving the level of mechanization in the field is the key to reducing the power of grain conservation. "During the survey, it was found that for mechanical harvesting, after crop lodging, the half-feed harvester is more suitable than the full-feed harvester." Wu Laping told reporters frankly, but the semi-feeding harvester requires the planting line spacing to correspond to the harvesting machinery line spacing, so the penetration rate is low. To this end, it is necessary to increase the research and development and promotion of semi-feed harvesters, and actively promote standardized planting (unified planting line spacing). At the same time, according to the survey results, for wheat, the mechanical harvesting loss rate is lower than that of manual harvesting, for rice and corn, etc., although at present, the mechanical harvest loss rate is slightly higher than that of labor, but with the improvement of machinery, with the advancement of planting standardization, the mechanical harvest loss rate will inevitably continue to decrease.

Li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Institute of Rural Development of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, also said that agricultural machinery and equipment with low mechanization level and excessive wear and tear should be minimized to work in the field.

The General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs also recently issued the "Notice on Taking Machine Harvest reduction as the main work of mechanization of grain production", which requires giving full play to the guiding role of the subsidy policy for the purchase of agricultural machinery, guiding the technological progress of production enterprises and product upgrading, and accelerating the elimination of old harvesting machinery; strengthening the supervision of agricultural machinery testing and appraisal and the quality investigation of combine harvesters, blocking unqualified, unsustainable and unsuitable products from the scope of policy support; and encouraging enterprises to increase investment in research and development of advanced and applicable harvesting machinery. Effectively improve the performance of the machine to reduce loss.

In addition to machinery and equipment, the working attitude and proficiency of farmers who operate harvesting machinery in the field also have a large direct impact on the loss of grain in the harvesting process. Wu Laping told reporters that for example, in wheat harvesting, the size of the harvester's damper opening, the speed of the harvester's driving, and the size of the turn in the ground are directly related to the loss of the harvest. In addition, the proficiency of harvesters in operating machinery is also an important factor affecting the loss of harvesting links. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the work precision of the harvesters, especially the working attitude of the machine operators in mechanized harvesting.

"It is recommended that starting from the main grain producing provinces, the owners, operators and pilots of agricultural machinery service organizations be trained regularly, including professional skills and professional ethics, such as the height of the cutting platform in the rice harvest and the size of the harvester's damper in the wheat harvest. At the same time, enhance their awareness of loving grain and saving grain, and reduce the loss of harvest links. Wu Laping said.

It is worth noting that the program has also formulated institutional standards and investigation and evaluation mechanisms for grain saving and loss reduction to ensure that the reduction of grain savings and losses is implemented and results are achieved. The plan points out that it is necessary to strengthen the management of grain and save grain according to law, fully implement the "Anti-Food Waste Law of the People's Republic of China", and formulate a food security law. Improve the relevant supporting systems, accelerate the establishment of grain industry chain standards that meet the requirements of grain conservation and loss reduction, and formulate national standards and industry standards to promote grain conservation.