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ProCrop |
Wheatgrass, Wildrye
| Grass | When to harvest* | Harvest methods | Comments |
| Wheatgrass Crested |
Late July to early August. Heads will be brown, stems a bit green. Seed head moisture content 35-40% | Swath. Concave clearance closed enough to break up spikelets into single seeds. Straw breakage should be keep to a minimum. Reduce cylinder speed of spike-toothed combines to one-half and replace concaves with blanks. | Shatters very easily, especially Fairway and Parkway. |
| Intermediate Pubescent |
Late August. Seed head moisture content 50 to 55% for intermediate, 60 to 65% for pubescent. | Swath. Cylinder speed of 1200 to 1400 rpm and concave spacing of 3/8 to 1/2 inch. | Shatters easily. Matures about three weeks later than smooth bromegrass. |
| Northern Slender Streambank |
Mid-July. Seed head moisture content 40 to 45%. | Swath. Cylinder speed of 1200 to 1400 rpm and concave spacing of 3/8 to 1/2 inch. | Shatters easily. |
| Tall | Late August-September. Heads brown and stems a bit green. Seed head moisture content 50-55%. | Swath. Cylinder speed of 1200 to 1400 rpm and concave spacing of 3/8 to 1/2 inch. | Shatters easily |
| Western | Mid-August. Heads will be brown and stems a bit green. | Swath. Cylinder speed of 1200 to 1400 rpm and concave spacing of 3/8 to 1/2 inch. | Shatters easily |
| Wildrye Altai Russian |
Mid-late July. Straw will be just turning golden yellow. Seed head moisture content 40-45% | Swath. Start with a combine setting for wheat and adjust. Use a rub bar cylinder-slow fan and combine speed, set sieves at 1/3 to 1/2 open. | Shatters very easily. Altai does not shatter as readily as Russian. |
*Moisture content for entire seed heads established by research at Agriculture Canada, Beaverlodge. You can use a commercial moisture tester or a home oven set at 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Use a scale to determine before and after drying weights. Allow about 4 hours for drying to reach a stable weight when using the home oven method.
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