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Early dry bean harvest is associated with maximum yields and complimentary to successful winter wheat planting. Dramatic changes in harvest technology have taken place from traditional “pull, windrow, thrash” to “direct harvest combining” (Eckert et al. 2011). Traditionally, this process has served the industry well over the years. The development of upright dry bean plant structure has led to direct harvest, allowing growers to spread the high cost of a combine over their wheat and soybean acreage and eliminating the need for pulling and windrowing equipment (Zyla et al. 2002). It is estimated that as much as 80% of the dry bean acreage in Michigan is direct harvested.

Both conventional combines with rasp‐bar cylinders and rotary‐cylinder combines can work well for dry beans when properly equipped and adjusted for harvest conditions (Kandel and Enders 2019). Care is taken to operate cylinder speeds as slow as possible to help limit bean splits and checking. Often time cylinder speed also needs to be reduced as the day progresses in order to compensate for additional drying that takes place in the late afternoon (ADM 2017). Additional measures that help maintain bean quality when direct harvesting is to keep the combine cylinder near maximum capacity without overloading. This can be accomplished by adjustments in ground speed of the combine or harvest width. By keeping cylinders near maximum capacity, a cushioning effect is created by the plant reside as beans pass through the threshing mechanism (Kandel and Enders 2019).