Avaliação de perdas na colheita mecanizada do gergelim (Sesamum Indicum L) em Mato Grosso

Abstract

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is a species with high potential for use in the oleochemical industry due to having 50% oil and 25% protein in its seeds. As it is a crop that adapts to regions with nutrient-poor soils and resists water deficit very well, it has been gaining more and more space for planting in Brazil. According to CONAB, in the 2020/2021 harvest, around 161,000 hectares of sesame were cultivated, most of which is produced in Mato Grosso. The biggest problem of the crop that makes the yield of crops not be greater is the loss of grain during harvest, since its fruit can be dehiscent or semi-dehiscent, and thus potentialize natural losses and especially during mechanized harvesting, as the machines are not adapted to the crop, which causes the loss to reach 50% or higher. Based on the comparisons carried out, it was found that the Seda cultivar has a greater natural loss when the K3 and Anahí cultivars are purchased. In terms of losses on the cutting platform, the biggest losses occur in the center of the platform due to the greater accumulation of plant mass in the center associated with the fall of grains in the openings of the draper platform.