Fire Safety Measures for a Smooth Harvest Season

Jun 30, 2023

Every year, incidents of combine fires during the harvest season are reported. According to a study conducted out of nearly 9,000 grain combine fires in the U.S., the majority (41.3%) were caused by crop residue. The accumulation of crop residue and dust on engines and in cracks and crevices of the combine contributes to the risk of fire. To reduce this risk, farmers should focus on three key aspects: prevention, preparation, and practicality.

Prevention:

Keep the combine clean by power washing to remove grease, oil, and crop residue. Use leaf blowers to clear chaff, leaves, and other crop materials from bearings, belts, and moving parts.

Eliminate potential heat sources such as exposed electrical wiring, worn bearings, belts, and chains. Regularly check these areas and make necessary repairs.
Use an infrared thermometer to monitor temperatures. Bearings and belts above 180 degrees Fahrenheit can cause damage, and temperatures reaching 300 degrees Fahrenheit require immediate shutdown.
Avoid parking a hot combine in sheds or shops to prevent potential flare-ups.
Inspect electrical lines for bare wires, rodent damage, rubbing, or insulation melting. Use heat-resistant insulation and consider using a chain to discharge static electricity.

Preparation:

Keep a fully charged, 10-pound ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher with UL approval in the combine cab. Have it professionally checked annually.
Mount a second, larger fire extinguisher and a shovel on the exterior of the combine, easily accessible from the ground.
Recharge partially discharged extinguishers.
Carry a cell phone for emergency communication.
Have a plan in case of fire: turn off the engine, grab the fire extinguisher and phone, exit the combine, and seek help while maintaining a safe distance.

Practicality:

Prioritize personal safety and evacuate the combine immediately in the event of a fire.
Call 911 before attempting to extinguish the fire.
Direct extinguishing materials at the base of the fire and approach with caution, as small fires can quickly escalate.
If the fire spreads in the field, consider creating a tilled strip around it as a barrier.
Remember, your safety comes first, and combines can be replaced.
In dry seasons, consider having the sprayer filled with water to create a perimeter in case of a small fire.

Be mindful of weather conditions, as the study by Thelen and team revealed that 48.5% of combine fires occurred between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., when temperatures are highest and relative humidity is lowest. As you prepare for the 2023 harvest, take preventive measures to avoid combine fires, but also be prepared and prioritize safety in case of an emergency.

For additional information on farm safety and best management practices, please visit the following link: https://www.farms.com/farm-safety/

Source : michiganagconnection

Video: From Students to Solutions | On The Brink: Season 2, Episode 14

Ask Canada’s most decorated soybean breeder his favourite part of the job and he doesn’t name a single variety. He names the students.

Istvan Rajcan is a professor of soybean breeding and genetics in the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph, where he has run the soybean breeding program for 28 and a half years. In that time he has developed 87 soybean cultivars, published 140 refereed papers and trained 51 graduate students. In 2025 he received the Public Sector Impact Award from the National Association for Plant Breeding.

He is also worried. In this episode he says Canada is at a crossroads, pointing to recent government cuts to plant breeding programs and to the facilities that support them. His prescription is structural. "Plant breeding funding formula has to be a long-term one," he says.

The formula he is defending is the public-private matching arrangement his program runs on. Private seed companies fund the work, provincial or federal money matches it, and the combined pool stretches each dollar further than either source could alone. At the National Association for Plant Breeding annual meeting in June, he says American public breeders were often surprised at how well that collaboration works in Canada.

He also describes how the people entering plant breeding have changed. His early graduate students came mostly from farms. More recently they include, in his words, "city kids who just became excited about genetics."

Topics covered:

Why public-private plant breeding funding in Canada needs a long-term

commitment rather than a larger one

How matching private seed company investment with provincial and federal

dollars multiplies research capacity

How the graduate student pipeline into plant breeding has shifted from

farm kids to city kids