STATISTICAL PROCESS CONTROL APPLIED TO MECHANIZED MAIZE HARVEST WITH DIFFERENT CUTTING PLATFORMS

Abstract

Avoiding losses in the mechanized maize harvesting process is a factor of extreme importance for fi eld productivity, and the cutting platform is where greatest loss occurs. The purpose of the project was to evaluate mechanical maize harvest losses using two cutting platforms and two maize hybrids, utilizing quality and statistical process control tools. The treatments consisted of two cutting platforms (A and B) and two maize hybrids (1 and 2). Losses were assessed with respect to the cutting platforms and total losses. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and control charts were used to evaluate quality of the process. It was noticed that for ‘maize hybrid 1’, ‘platform A’ had the highest mean value of losses by the platform and showed process instability; however platform B presented the greatest total process losses, but its average did not differ from the other. For ‘maize hybrid 2’, both losses at the platform and total losses were lower in platform B, which showed process instable with respect to total losses, but with less variation indicated by the control limits.