Swather

**Overview of Swather:**
– A swather is a farm implement used to cut hay or small grain crops.
– It forms the cut crops into windrows for drying.
– Swathers can be self-propelled or drawn by a tractor.
– They use sickle bars or rotating discs to sever crop stems.
– Horizontal rollers can be used to crimp or condition hay stems for faster drying.

**Purpose and Functionality:**
– Swathers help in aligning and supporting crop stems above the ground.
– They provide consistent ripening and dehydration of stalks and weeds.
– Swathers accelerate drying of ripe grain and facilitate post-threshing processes.
– Chemical desiccation can be used as an alternative to swathing for standing crops.
– Swathers have become less common due to advancements in crop varieties and harvesting techniques.

**Geographical Usage:**
– Swathing is more common in northern regions like the US and Canada.
– In regions with longer growing seasons, standing grain crops are harvested directly by combines.
– Modern crop varieties with rapid maturity have reduced the need for swathing.
– Windrowing assists in effective post-threshing winnowing and grain separation.
– Chemical desiccation enables direct combining of weedy or irregularly ripe crops.

**Related Topics:**
– Crop Desiccation
– List of agricultural machinery
– Hesston High School’s mascot is a swather.
– AGCO Corporation manufactures swathers and combine harvesters.
– Various references and articles on swathers and related machinery.

**External Links and Resources:**
– Media related to Swathers at Wikimedia Commons.
– Detailed information on swather operation and history.
– Articles discussing the art of swathing and its evolution.
– Research on the effects of harvest aids on crop drydown and maturity.
– Links to additional resources and information on swathers.