A vehicle to discharge root crop to define a root crop heap, includes a drive device to drive the vehicle, a crop bunker to contain the crop to be discharged, a discharge device to discharge the root crop from the crop bunker. The vehicle further includes a control device to control the discharge device to create the root crop heap with defined heap parameters, where the heap parameters include one or more of: a defined heap location, a defined heap width, and a defined heap orientation, and the heap is the root crop heap on a ground of a field.

This vehicle for discharging crop (2) to form a crop heap (30) comprises a drive device (48) adapted to drive the vehicle, a crop bunker (60) adapted to contain the crop to be discharged and a discharge device (62) adapted to discharge the crop from the crop bunker.

The vehicle comprises a control device (80) adapted to control the discharge device so as to create a crop heap with defined heap parameters, the heap parameters including one or more of: a defined heap location, a defined heap width and a defined heap orientation.

Application to beet crop harvesting machines.

A conveyor includes a frame, at least two arms at least one of which is movably mounted to the frame, at least two rails wherein each rail is coupled to an end of one of said at least two arms, at least two belts wherein each belt is rotatably mounted on one of said at least two rails such that the belts are capable of engaging plants therebetween and moving the plants along a conveyor axis, and one or more bias members which are configured to bias said at least one movable arm toward the other one of said at least two arms. The conveyor further comprises an expanding mechanism which is configured to exert an outward force on said at least one movable arm upon engagement so that said at least one movable arm move away from another arm.

An apparatus for harvesting rhizomes includes a chassis to move in a field. Coulter disks mounted on a forward end of the chassis break up soil on a top surface of the field. Digger blades aft of the coulter disks scoop clusters of rhizomes from the field with adhered soil. An inclined ramp on the chassis has a live bottom that pushes the rhizome clusters up the ramp in the aft direction including upright posts that force the clusters of rhizomes against depending obstructers extending downward from superstructure bars toward the live bottom. As the clusters encounter the obstructers, the clusters are broken to reduce their size and to loosen and separate soil from the rhizomes. A collector aft of the live bottom collects rhizomes falling from an aft end of the inclined ramp.