A water-retention and dust-suppression crop straw mulching method includes crushing a whole harvested crop straw to be 1-4 cm in length first, mixing the crushed crop straw with an adhesive well, and uniformly paving the mixed crop straw into a forming die for extrusion forming to form crop straw modules. A plurality of drain holes is on the crop straw modules. The method includes stubble cleaning and subsoiling treatment on the harvested farmland, and then performing rotary cultivation on the farmland to loosen soil, and performing rolling treatment on the rotary-cultivated soil by a land roller; paving the crop straw modules on the farmland uniformly in a densely covered way, meanwhile, connecting and fixing the crop straw modules by ribbons and connecting rods. The method helps to block the upward evaporation channel of soil moisture, reduce the evaporation of soil moisture, prevent the crushed crop straw from polluting the environment.

A water-retention and dust-suppression crop straw mulching method includes crushing a whole harvested crop straw to be 1-4 cm in length first, mixing the crushed crop straw with an adhesive well, and uniformly paving the mixed crop straw into a forming die for extrusion forming to form crop straw modules. A plurality of drain holes is on the crop straw modules. The method includes stubble cleaning and subsoiling treatment on the harvested farmland, and then performing rotary cultivation on the farmland to loosen soil, and performing rolling treatment on the rotary-cultivated soil by a land roller; paving the crop straw modules on the farmland uniformly in a densely covered way, meanwhile, connecting and fixing the crop straw modules by ribbons and connecting rods. The method helps to block the upward evaporation channel of soil moisture, reduce the evaporation of soil moisture, prevent the crushed crop straw from polluting the environment.

A system and computer-implemented method for sensing an amount of free water in cut crop material and automatically adjusting an operating parameter of a mower conditioner to optimize the amount of free water. A sensor located at the exit of a conditioning mechanism measures an actual free water content value of the material as it exits the conditioning mechanism, a processor compares the actual value to maximum and minimum values, and if the actual value is outside this range, automatically adjusts an operating parameter, such as a gap between pairs of conditioning rollers, a pressure exerted by the rollers, or a speed of the mower conditioner, to optimize the actual value. Another sensor may be located at the entrance of the conditioning mechanism. The processor may take into account an operator-selectable value weighting the actual free water content versus a dry down time when adjusting the operating parameter.

A system and computer-implemented method for sensing an amount of free water in cut crop material and automatically adjusting an operating parameter of a mower conditioner to optimize the amount of free water. A sensor located at the exit of a conditioning mechanism measures an actual free water content value of the material as it exits the conditioning mechanism, a processor compares the actual value to maximum and minimum values, and if the actual value is outside this range, automatically adjusts an operating parameter, such as a gap between pairs of conditioning rollers, a pressure exerted by the rollers, or a speed of the mower conditioner, to optimize the actual value. Another sensor may be located at the entrance of the conditioning mechanism. The processor may take into account an operator-selectable value weighting the actual free water content versus a dry down time when adjusting the operating parameter.

A swather with a crop cutting header includes a swath roller for rolling on the swath carried on a mounting assembly attached to the tractor frame and a lifting assembly for lifting the roller free from the swath where a control unit is arranged to lift the swath roller to the raised position thereof when the header is raised to the raised position thereof. The control unit also includes a GPS position sensing system so that the roller is lifted at positions determined by the GPS position sensing system. The mounting assembly comprises a mounting frame rigidly attached to the rear walking beam of the tractor so that the mounting frame is held at a set position relative to the tractor determined by a position of the beam so that the swath roller is not pivotally mounted relative to the tractor.

A swather with a crop cutting header includes a swath roller for rolling on the swath carried on a mounting assembly attached to the tractor frame and a lifting assembly for lifting the roller free from the swath where a control unit is arranged to lift the swath roller to the raised position thereof when the header is raised to the raised position thereof. The control unit also includes a GPS position sensing system so that the roller is lifted at positions determined by the GPS position sensing system. The mounting assembly comprises a mounting frame rigidly attached to the rear walking beam of the tractor so that the mounting frame is held at a set position relative to the tractor determined by a position of the beam so that the swath roller is not pivotally mounted relative to the tractor.

A residue deflector is disposed in a combine body, and positioned along an airflow path to guide residue from an exit end of a cleaning shoe and a threshing and separation assembly, to a residue chopper. The deflector is configured with a plurality of spaced fingers so that air can pass through the deflector between the fingers.

In one embodiment, a system, comprising: one or more pairs of oppositely rotatable, laterally extending rolls, wherein for each pair, at least one of the rolls is moveable relative to the other of the rolls; a hydraulic circuit, comprising: a tensioner circuit comprising: for each pair of rolls, one or more pairs of hydraulic cylinders arranged in parallel, each configured to resist movement of the at least one of the rolls at a respective end of the at least one of the rolls; an accumulator arranged in parallel to the hydraulic cylinders; and plural control valves; and a computing system configured to cause the one or more pairs of hydraulic cylinders to adjust the resistance to movement of the at least one of the rolls of the respective pair of rolls by sending signals to one or more of the plural control valves.

In one embodiment, a system, comprising: one or more pairs of oppositely rotatable, laterally extending rolls, wherein for each pair, at least one of the rolls is moveable relative to the other of the rolls; a hydraulic circuit, comprising: a tensioner circuit comprising: for each pair of rolls, one or more pairs of hydraulic cylinders arranged in parallel, each configured to resist movement of the at least one of the rolls at a respective end of the at least one of the rolls; an accumulator arranged in parallel to the hydraulic cylinders; and plural control valves; and a computing system configured to cause the one or more pairs of hydraulic cylinders to adjust the resistance to movement of the at least one of the rolls of the respective pair of rolls by sending signals to one or more of the plural control valves.

A tubular for processing crops can include a body having an outer surface and protrusions extending outwardly from the outer surface. The protrusions can be arranged in bands that are spaced apart along the outer surface to define gaps therebetween that form grooves extending around a circumference of the body. Each band of protrusions can be positioned offset with respect to at least one adjacent band of protrusions such that the protrusions form a spiraling configuration around a longitudinal axis of the body.