Threshing

Things to Remember

Tools Required

Getting Started

  1. Gather all required tools in the threshing room.
  2. Place the first group of heads near by.
  3. Grab the first mesh bag from the group.
  4. Remove the Delnet bag, containing the head(s), and tag from the mesh bag.
  5. Open the Delnet bag over top of the tin pan.
    1. If the Delnet bag contains multiple heads see Appendix A.
  6. Dump the contents of the Delnet bag into the pan, discard the Delnet bag.
  7. While wearing gloves, rub the seed off the head.
    1. Ensure the head is facing down over the pan.
  8. Examine the head for any remaining seed.
  9. Pour the contents of the tin pan, carefully, into the triangular pour pan.
    1. Keep the tag with the seed at all times. When other heads are also being threshed it is easy to mix things up.

Using the Blower

  1. Move the pour pan to the blower.
  2. Remove the tag from the pan and place it on the blower table.
  3. Ensure the blower tube is empty and the mesh screen is free of debris.
  4. Pour everything from the pan into the base of the blower tube.
  5. Place the pan on the table and insert the top portion of the blower tube into the base tube.
    1. The blower tubing is very fragile. Be careful when you are using it.
  6. Lock the top piece of the blower tube in place by tightening the nut.
    1. The larger blower does not have this feature. When blowing you must hold this piece down.
  7. Move the dust collector head over the blower tube.
    1. Do not touch the tube with the dust collector. Leave at least six inches to one foot between them.
  8. Turn on the dust collector using the black switch by the door.
  9. Turn the blower on by flipping the switch on the far left corner of the base.
  10. Slowly increase the speed of the blower by moving the metal bar on the right side forward.
  11. When the top section of the blower tube is full of trash/chaff/empty hulls, slow down by moving the metal bar backward.
  12. Turn the blower off.
  13. Remove the top portion of the blower tube and empty the plant material into the triangular pour pan.
  14. Pick out five seeds.
    1. These will be a sample of the seeds in the pour pan.
  15. Open each seed coat and look for a seed inside.
  16. Follow either "a" or "b".
    1. If the sample contains no viable seed throw the material in the pour pan, into the organic trash and repeat steps 9 through 15.
    2. If the sample contains viable seed move on the step 17.
  17. Pour any remaining seed in the base tube back into the pour pan.
  18. Move the pour pan containing the seed and tag back to the work table.

Finishing Up

  1. Place an empty envelop on the table next to the tag.
  2. Using the Sharpie write the following on the front of the envelope.
    1. Ames Number, Plot Number, Plant Number, and Field Notes (From the back of the tag).
    2. "1 of _" is needed only if the amount of seed is too large for a single envelope.
    3. See Appendix A for multiple heads.
  3. Staple the tag to the envelope.
    1. The stape is placed at the bottom of the envelope and tag. If multiple envelopes are used staple the tag to the envelope marked as, "1 of _" or "Main Head".
  4. Pour the seed into the envelope over the cleaned tin pan.
  5. Use a paper clip to secure the opening of the envelope(s).
    1. When multiple envelopes are needed, wrap a rubber band around them as well.
  6. Place the complete seed packets with the others for storage. Ask your supervisor how the envelopes should be ordered (by Ames #, plot #, etc.).

Appendix A - Multiple Heads

Occasionally, a Delnet bag will contain multiple heads. If all of the heads in the bag are mixed, thresh all of the heads together and continue from step 6 of Getting Started. If the heads are separated in the Delnet bag, thresh them separately (step 6). Also, keep the following in mind:
In addition to step 2 of Finishing Up.

  1. Write "Main Head" on the envelope containing the seed from the main head.
  2. Write "Other Heads" on the envelope(s) containing the seed from the other heads.