Using a Weighing Scale during Harvest Season
Why do I need a weighing scale during harvest season?
Weighing scales are incredibly useful within agricultural industries and can be used throughout the harvesting process. Whilst larger farm scales and weighing platform may be required for weighing livestock and cattle, specialist compact scales allow operators to measure grain, soil quality, check the weight of food crates and sell produce by weight.
Types of weighing scales used
Bench scales
A standard industrial weighing scale that can be used on a workbench or table top surface. These scales are compact in size and usually have portable options for easily transporting between surfaces. Bench scales are often versatile and can include a range of weighing functions including checkweighing, parts counting, percentage weighing and accumulation. Ideal for weighing small-medium sized products.
Platform scales
Platform scales are durable, industrial scales that offer large weighing capacities and platform sizes that can be used to weigh heavier crates, boxes and containers. These scales are used on warehouse and factory floors and are often combined with weight indicators for increased weighing functionality. These scales are ideal for weighing heavy and large-sized products.
Hanging scales
Hanging scales consist of a wide variety of suspended weighing products from mechanical dial scales to electronic crane scales. Mechanical hanging scales offer low weighing capacities and simple operation; ideal for weighing produce and food products in batches. Crane scale models offer much higher weight capacities and can be operated using a remote control in order to weigh crates, containers and boxes. They are often required in factories, distribution warehouses and dockyards.
Grain scales
Grain scales are specialist weighing machines used to calculate potential crop yields and measure quantity and quality of grain. They are compact, portable and easy-to-use; they are often relied upon by farmers.
Moisture analysers
Moisture analysers are more advanced machines used to test the quality food, soils and grain. These devices apply heat to a given sample in order to determine the sample’s moisture content. This value can then be used to distinguish quality.
The weighing scale harvest cycle
Weighing scales can be used at every stage in the harvesting process from measuring crop yields to selling your grown produce by weight.
Soil analysis with the PMB moisture analyser
The PMB moisture analyser uses a precise halogen heating bulb to effectively heat and dry samples. The moisture given off by the sample during the heating process can then be accurately measured by the analyser.
After a harvesting season, soil is tilled by heavy machinery in order to collect crops and produce which can damage the quality of the soil. Moreover, severe weather conditions such as drought or excess rain can also lead to unfavourable planting conditions. A moisture analyser can be used to determine the moisture content within soil to ensure that this is of optimum condition prior to planting your new crop. The analyser may also be used to help to determine the moisture content in crops such as maize, wheat, grapes and cereals.
Measuring crop yield with the CQT grain scale
Adam’s CQT grain scale is a compact, portable weighing machine used to calculate crop yields and accurately measure grain.
A CQT grain scale can accurately measure potential yields, grain quality and track its development over time. By using this scale, farmers can help ensure that their grain is of optimum quality prior to harvesting; too much moisture in grains can affect the overall taste and promote bacteria growth, whilst too little moisture may cause grain to deteriorate prematurely.
Food packing with the WBW washdown bench scale
WBW washdown bench scales are compact, portable weighing machines constructed from water-resistant IP66-rated plastic housing. They also include durable stainless steel weighing pans that can be easily cleaned after use.
WBW scales include built-in checkweighing functionality to allow food pickers to accurately measure punnets of fruit and berries as well as farmed vegetables and other produce. Checkweighing LED indicators show whether the amount on the scale is underweight (orange), overweight (red), or of optimum weight (green) based on pre-set weight limits. The compact size of WBW, means that they take up little space, allowing multiple machines to be used on the same workbench. These scales are ideal for use in produce packing warehouses and fruit picking sheds.
Selling your produce with Adam’s AZextra price computing scale
After harvesting time you may find that you have an abundance of crop available to sell. Once all your produce has been harvested and packed, this may be distributed or sold directly on farmer’s markets.
Adam Equipment’s AZextra price computing scale includes 103 product memories that help speed the transaction process and reduce possible operator errors. A choice of pricing by 100g or by the kg increases flexibility for marketing your products, whilst large weighing scoop attachments facilitate the weighing of bunches of produce more easily.
When selling goods by weight it is essential that a trade approved scale is used that has been certified for use in your region. The AZextra comes with NRCS approvals for buying and selling by weight in South Africa.
View our range of agricultural and farming scales.