Part 2 — Answer key

Compare your answers after you have finished Part 1.

1. Sweet corn for fresh markets is typically harvested when kernels are in the milk stage rather than when they have fully dried.
   True
2. A home gardener wants to harvest potatoes for long-term storage. Which sign indicates the tubers are ready to dig and store?
   Vines have died back and tuber skins do not rub off easily
3. While combining wheat, you notice many uncut heads left standing in the field between passes. Which adjustment is most likely to reduce this problem?
   Lower the cutterbar height
4. You run a small vegetable farm and have just harvested leafy greens on a warm afternoon. Which practice best preserves quality for market the next day?
   Hydrocool with clean, cold water as soon as possible
5. It is safe to clear a clogged combine header by hand while the engine is running, as long as the separator is disengaged.
   False
6. A worker must enter a partially filled grain bin to break a crusted surface. Which safety measure is essential before entry?
   Wear a full-body harness attached to a lifeline secured outside the bin
7. A grower is checking winter wheat to see if it has reached physiological maturity. Which field observations support that the crop is physiologically mature? Select all that apply.
   Grain moisture is around 35 percent; The stem segment just below the head has turned from green to yellow; Kernels are hard and cannot be dented with a thumbnail
8. You harvest 0.5 hectares of wheat and measure 3,000 kg of grain at 18% moisture. Standard yield is reported at 14% moisture. What is the adjusted yield, in tonnes per hectare, at 14% moisture?
   5.7 t/ha
9. During soybean harvest on a dry afternoon, you notice many split and cracked beans in the grain tank. Which adjustment is most likely to reduce kernel damage?
   Decrease rotor speed and open the concave slightly
10. Arrange the following stages in the correct order to move grain from field harvest to safe long-term storage in a farm bin.
    Correct order: Field harvest and collection → Initial cleaning to remove chaff and trash → High temperature or ambient air drying to target moisture → Cooling and moisture equalization in the bin → Sealed storage with periodic monitoring
11. While combining wheat, you see many loose kernels and shattered heads on the ground directly in front of the cutterbar. Which change is most likely to reduce this header loss?
    Lower the reel position and slightly increase reel speed
12. A dairy producer wants to harvest corn silage at about 65% whole-plant moisture. Field checks show the kernel milk line is roughly two-thirds of the way down from the crown toward the tip. What should the producer do?
    Begin harvest now, this is near the optimal stage for silage
13. An apple grower wants to harvest for long-distance storage and shipping. Which maturity indices are most useful for deciding the optimal harvest window? Select all that apply.
    Firmness readings within the target range on a penetrometer; Soluble solids (Brix) meeting market minimum levels; Background skin color shift from green toward yellow
14. You manage three soybean fields: one currently at 13% moisture, one at 15%, and one at 18%. With only enough capacity to harvest one field today and heavy rain forecast tomorrow, which field should you harvest first to balance shatter losses and drying costs?
    Field currently testing 13 percent moisture
15. You have installed a new yield monitor on your combine and plan to use the maps for fertilizer and seeding decisions. What is the best practice to ensure accurate harvested yield data?
    Calibrate the monitor for each crop and major moisture range using weighed loads
16. You are using a weigh wagon to calibrate yield data from several corn fields. Before comparing yields between fields, which factors must you correct or standardize? Select all that apply.
    Grain moisture differences between loads; Non-harvested drowned-out or headland areas; Variations in harvested header width or swath
17. You manage a metal bin filled with corn at safe moisture, and outside temperatures are dropping rapidly in autumn. To minimize condensation, spoilage, and insect activity during storage, which actions are recommended? Select all that apply.
    Monitor temperature cables and odors on a regular schedule; Run aeration fans periodically to cool the grain mass evenly; Level the grain surface instead of leaving a peak