DESIGN REASONING OF OILSEED FLAX WINDROW PICKER FOR TWO-PHASE HARVESTING

Climate change has affected the entire territory of Ukraine, which requires new approaches in the formation of crop rotations in the regions. Natural conditions of Western Polissya are ideal for growing oilseed flax to obtain different types of raw materials: seeds, fibers. The quality of the oilseed flax harvesting largely depends on the condition of the stem, fiber content, the purpose of raw materials. It is also important to take into account the perspective of the production of organic products, and for this a special approach is required. It is established that the process of cutting oilseed flax stalks is influenced by the ripeness phase. Therefore, it is necessary to provide different options for the use of machines, taking into account the state of the stem during the harvesting period. It is also important to consider the prospects of organic production. This requires a special approach too. Two-phase harvesting involves cutting the flax stem into windrows. After the stem mass has ripened, it is threshed with a combine harvester, which leads to crop losses. If for flax threshing use windrow picker of special design, it allows us to minimize the seed loss and collect stem mass. The main elements of the picker, its working regimes are substantiated. In particular, for maximum destruction of flax seed capsules and reduction of stem elastic properties, the decorticator roller parameters are obtained. The technic of determining the diameter of decorticator rollers, their length and the required number is proposed. The required profile of decorticator rollers and their order of installation in the decorticator are also determined. For the oilseed flax stems with a moisture content of 10–14%, three pairs of rollers are sufficient for the maximum reduction of elastic properties. The result analysis of the conducted research indicates that the proposed decorticator, which contains six pairs of rollers, will ensure the required quality of oilseed flax windrow processing with a stem moisture content of 12–14%. In addition, for measuring the moisture content of oilseed flax stalks in the field, the device is developed.