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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Dawson, Georgia » National Peanut Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #93699
Title: A SCREENING ATTACHMENT FOR AN AMADAS PEANUT COMBINE

Author
item Blankenship, Paul
item WHITE, J - AMADAS INDUSTRIES
item LAMB, M - AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Peanut Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/31/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Some farmers screen peanuts after combining to remove undesired materials such as foreign materials, small pods, and loose shelled kernels to improve value and quality prior to marketing. Usually, screening is accomplished with either low capacity, portable screens at the field after combining or with high capacity cleaners or screens at commercial peanut buying point cleaning facilities. An alternative method for screening peanuts during harvest has been developed cooperatively by Amadas Industries and the USDA-ARS National Peanut Research Laboratory utilizing a screening attachment for the Amadas combine. The attachment is a rotating cylindrical screen with a slightly inclined horizontal axis. Peanuts are screened passing through the attachment just prior to entering the combine basket with smaller, unwanted materials being returned to the soil. Although measurable economic benefits were not demonstrated by screening during development of the attachment, quality improvement trends were apparent in peanuts screened. The economic justification of peanut screening is an individual farmer marketing decision and must be made based on individual harvesting circumstances. The developed combine screening attachment provides a usable method for accomplishing peanut screening during harvest prior to farmer marketing.

Technical Abstract: Farmers screen peanuts after combining to remove undesired materials for value and quality improvement with portable screens at the field or screens at buying points. An alternative method for screening has been developed cooperatively by Amadas Industries and the National Peanut Research Laboratory utilizing a hydraulic driven, rotating cylindrical screen. The horizontal axis inclined less than 10 degrees during operation. Peanuts are screened just prior to entering the combine basket with smaller, unwanted materials being returned to the soil. Thirty-eight, 3.27 t lots of peanuts were combined during field experiments in all US peanut producing regions. Foreign materials for the screened runner lots averaged 2.15 % lower than the unscreened lots. Hulls were 0.62 % lower in screened lots. None of the other grade factors or market values/ha were significantly different. Foreign materials for screened Virginia peanuts were 2.44 % lower in screened lots. Loose shelled kernels were 0.44 % higher, hulls 0.67 % lower, and damage 0.56 % higher. None of the other grade factors or market values/ha were significantly different for Virginia peanuts. Most grade factors and values/ha were not significantly different for screened and unscreened peanuts. Foreign materials were decreased significantly providing needed quality improvement. Cleaning costs could be reduced with the attachment.