To produce high yields of high-quality soybeans, you must get your soil into perfect condition. Soybeans are hardy, not-too-picky plants that can do reasonably well in various soils and soil conditions. Then, the most crucial part of soybean production comes at the end of the growing season: harvesting.

We highly recommend investing in one of our sickles to ensure you get the most out of your harvesting experience. Manchester Farm Center, Inc. saves thousands of dollars by picking up the full-length knife backs ourselves instead of having them shipped. We pass these savings on to the customer and are often much lower priced than OEMs (original equipment manufacturers).

What Makes Our Sickles Different

Spliced sickles are weak because they offer a point of failure. It is often easier to ship the completed sickle segments in separate sections. After all, UPS trucks are not 40’ long, and extreme-length shipments have become prohibitively expensive.

We at Manchester Farm Center, Inc. pick up the full-length knife back without splicing them and deliver them in one piece to your farm! Our hope is this makes harvesting easier for you.

Fun Facts About Soybean Harvesting

Soybean harvesting in the 1950s and 1960s used a specialized canvas belt called a Draper Belt, which brought the beans into the combine for threshing.

 Eventually, the system was “modernized” to use an auger head. Because harvested beans are thrown everywhere and not correctly disposed of, this method causes beans to be lost.

 The industry has returned to the older technology and uses “draper heads” for bean harvesting. This allows for easier harvesting for farmers and more yield at the same time, making it a far superior method of harvesting.

Harvesting Your Beans

Drying the beans before harvesting them is necessary since they contain 45-55% moisture when mature (filled). The soybean’s seeds, pods, and stems turn yellow as they mature. The pods on the plant turn brown about four to nine days later. There is about 33% moisture in the seed at this point. The beans should be ready for harvest four to five days after this.

Manchester Farm Center, Inc. stocks many aftermarket components for major brands like MacDon, Case IH, AGCO, and John Deere. We assemble up to 40′ one-piece sickle bars with no splices and deliver them to your farm to make it easier for you and your busy lifestyle. If you are needing a custom order, contact us today! We will do our best to work with you on whatever project you are needing help with.