Described is a processing machine for processing fibre plants, particularly hemp or flax. The processing machine comprises a pick-up unit for picking up fibre plants, a chassis, transport means mounted on the chassis for transporting the gripped fibre plants to the delivering means which are likewise mounted on the chassis and which deliver the fibre plants. The chassis comprises a first chassis part with front wheels and a second chassis part with rear wheels. A pivot element is mounted between the two chassis parts in order to make the first and second chassis parts pivotable relative to each other about an imaginary or physical upright pivot axis. Also described is a method for processing the fibre plants with the processing machine.

An automated hemp field harvester can be driven by a tractor or attached to various types of self-propelled machines. The automated hemp field harvester has a set of two combing belts that rotate up vertically with a plurality of comb assemblies for stripping the buds and flowers from the hemp plant as the automated hemp field harvester is directed down the row of hemp plants. A set of winged plates in front of the combing belts gather the hemp plants and directs them into the drive assemblies. The comb assemblies are inclined in an upward direction and strip the buds and flowers from the stalks and stems. There is a deflecting plate at the top end of the combing belts to deflect the buds and flowers in a controlled manner to a product discharge conveyor belt to be loaded into a trailer or wagon for removal from the field.

Embodiments of a harvesting machine configured to uproot hemp plants and process various cut portions of the plants. The harvesting machine includes a harvesting head removably coupled to a main body of the harvesting machine. The harvesting head includes a roller positioned adjacent a lower front end of the harvesting head, the roller having tines extending therefrom and the roller configured to rotate so that the tines loosen soil and lift roots of the plants from the soil. The harvesting machine includes at least one belt positioned adjacently rearward of the roller and is configured to move the uprooted plants from the tines and to move the uprooted plants rearward from the harvesting head. Further, the harvesting head includes a cutting system positioned adjacent the at least one belt and is configured to make at least two cuts along a length of the plant to form the cut portions.

An automated hemp field harvester can be driven by a tractor or attached to various types of self-propelled machines. The automated hemp field harvester has a set of two combing belts that rotate up vertically with a plurality of comb assemblies for stripping the buds and flowers from the hemp plant as the automated hemp field harvester is directed down the row of hemp plants. A set of winged plates in front of the combing belts gather the hemp plants and directs them into the drive assemblies. The comb assemblies are inclined in an upward direction and strip the buds and flowers from the stalks and stems. There is a deflecting plate at the top end of the combing belts to deflect the buds and flowers in a controlled manner to a product discharge conveyor belt to be loaded into a trailer or wagon for removal from the field.

A plant processing system may include a plant stripping apparatus with a frame and a plurality of stripping fingers including at least two groups of the stripping fingers being movable relative to each other. Each group of fingers may extend from a respective working surface, and the working surfaces may be oriented in substantial opposition to each other with a gap being formed between the first and second working surfaces to provide a pathway for movement of plant materials between an input and an output of the stripping apparatus.

A debucking machine, for use with processing industrial hemp or cannabis, is provided. Embodiments of the debucking machine include counter-rotating rollers equipped with rubberized combs for gently removing flowers, or buds, from harvested industrial hemp or cannabis. Embodiments of the debucking machine are portable and may be moved from location to location within a drying shed.

The present disclosure discloses a method for producing raw cotton of machine-harvested long-staple cotton with a modal length of greater than or equal to 35 mm, including the steps: planting sea-island long-staple cotton and machining seed cotton, wherein planting the sea-island long-staple cotton includes preparation before machine harvesting, defoliation and ripening, choosing a cotton variety, etc.; and machining the seed cotton includes preparation before seed cotton ginning, mechanical separation of cotton seeds and raw cotton, and finishing the separated raw cotton. Raw cotton fibers obtained by the method of the present disclosure have main quality indexes that: a fiber length is 36.5-38.4 mm, a specific strength is 42.3-46.1 cN/tex, a uniformity is 86.2-87.0%, a foreign-fiber content is 0.2-0.4 g/t, and an impurity content is 2.6-3.4%. According to the method, not only can impurities and foreign fibers be effectively removed, but also mechanical damage to the raw cotton of the machine-harvested long-staple cotton with the modal length of greater than or equal to 35 mm is relatively small.

Described is a processing machine for processing relatively short fibre plants such as flax and relatively long fibre plants such as hemp. The processing machine comprises a self-propelling vehicle comprising a vehicle chassis provided with a first conveyor for transporting at least parts of the fibre plants from a first end to an opposite second end, and a second conveyor for transporting at least parts of the fibre plants from the first end to the second end, first and second delivering units provided at or close to the second end for the purpose of delivering and placing on the ground surface the fibre plants coming from respectively the first and second conveyor, and wherein the vehicle chassis comprises first mounting means for mounting of, as desired, either a first exchangeable picking unit or a second exchangeable picking unit.

Described is a processing machine for processing relatively short fibre plants such as flax and relatively long fibre plants such as hemp. The processing machine comprises a self-propelling vehicle comprising a vehicle chassis provided with a first conveyor for transporting at least parts of the fibre plants from a first end to an opposite second end, and a second conveyor for transporting at least parts of the fibre plants from the first end to the second end, first and second delivering units provided at or close to the second end for the purpose of delivering and placing on the ground surface the fibre plants coming from respectively the first and second conveyor, and wherein the vehicle chassis comprises first mounting means for mounting of, as desired, either a first exchangeable picking unit or a second exchangeable picking unit.

A hemp harvester which strips the leaves and flowers from the stalks and branches of a hemp plant and separates them for subsequent processing includes a branch lifter for lifting and bunching the branches of the hemp plants as the harvester advances towards them; a stripper with counter rotating stripper rollers having radially extending resiliently flexible paddles which converge as said rolls turn to trap said flowers and leaves between them and strip the flowers and leaves from said stalks and branches; a capture system for capturing the separated flowers and leaves as they are stripped from the stalk and branches of the plants, a transfer and mulcher system for mulching and transferring said flowers and leaves from said capture system to a collection chamber; and an uprooting system for uprooting and collecting the stripped plants as said hemp harvester passes.