Optimizing harvesting operations on a large-scale grain farm

The object of this study is the optimization of the grain harvesting operations by minimizing the total harvest costs under weather conditions prevailing in the centre of the Netherlands. The sequential grain harvesting operations consist of : combining- loading of grain wagons-transport-unloading-ventilated storage- drying-dry storage. The capacities required of the sequential operations are mainly determined by the grain moisture content and therefore by the weather. This especially concerns the capacities of combining, drying and ventilated storage. As the weather is the key factor and varies from year to year, the criterion becomes the minimization of the average annual total harvest costs for a given cropping program over a large number of years. Also the harvesting organization has been studied; a system was developed to provide minimum costs of the separate components: combining transport, drying and storage with a view to the minimum costs of the system as a whole.