Mechanized harvesting of beans has a high cost. On the other hand, the botanical characteristics and the high tendency for lodging of bean planting make the combined use of harvesters difficult. This paper aimed to evaluate the operational performance of the pull-type bean combine and to quantify losses in bean harvest. The experiment was carried out in the experimental field of the São Paulo State University in the city of Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil. The field trial was in randomized blocks, in a 2 x 3 factorial scheme, combining two soil tillage systems (conventional and no-tillage) and three theoretical working speeds (V1, V2 and V3, respectively 4.0, 4.9 and 5.8km h-1). Four repetitions of the scheme totaled up 24 observations. The analyzed factors (tillage systems and working speeds) did not affect noise level, volume and weight of fuel consumption, machine feeding flow, dry matter and straw density, losses at the harvester platform and total losses. The losses with threshing, separation and cleaning were lesser in the 4.9km h-1 speed.
mechanical harvesting; fuel consumption; harvesting losses
