Study on the Technologies of Loss Reduction in Wheat Mechanization Harvesting: A Review

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The review is interesting and easy to read. I have no objections to the content of the review, but there are some comments regarding the paper. Authors may use them to improve the paper further before publication.

1. Figure 2 needs to be enlarged to better see the symbols in it.

2. [Line 112,113]: Please name the “intelligent sensor technology”.

3. [Line 254]: Please introduce the principle of mechanical profiling mechanism for headers in detail.

4. Please provide a clearer photo of the piezoelectric crystal sensor in the table 2.

Author Response

The review is interesting and easy to read. I have no objections to the content of the review, but there are some comments regarding the paper. Authors may use them to improve the paper further before publication.

Response: Thanks for your comments. We have made detailed modifications according to the problems you pointed out.

Point 1: Figure 2 needs to be enlarged to better see the symbols in it.

Response 1: Thanks for your comments. We have re-uploaded higher quality images to make Figure 2 visible enough.

Point 2: [Line 112,113]: Please name the “intelligent sensor technology”.

Response 2: Thanks for your comments. The “intelligent sensor technology” mainly refers to grain entrainment loss monitoring sensor and cylinder speed sensor.

Point 3: [Line 254]: Please introduce the principle of mechanical profiling mechanism for headers in detail.

Response 3: Thanks for your comments. During the actual operation, the profiling plate contacts the ground and is connected with the limit hinge. When the header height changes, ground profiling plate will rotate around the fixed axis. At the same time, ground profiling plate drives the connecting rod to rotate, and the connecting rod is connected with the angle sensor. Therefore, the rotation degree of ground profiling plate can be obtained by measuring the output voltage of angle sensor, and then the header height can be calculated according to the calibration relationship.

Point 4: Please provide a clearer photo of the piezoelectric crystal sensor in the table 2.

Response 4: Thanks for your comments. We have re-uploaded higher quality images to make photo of the piezoelectric crystal sensor visible enough.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The paper presents the main losses in the operation of wheat combine harvester, the application status of sensor monitoring technology and intelligent control technology of combine harvester. This paper refers to many papers, but lacks personal unique opinions. Considering the innovative requirements of the Journal, the paper cannot be accepted for before major revision.

The manuscript is in many parts confused and should be rewritten.

1. Is it reasonable to use the writing format of "material and method" and "result and discussion" in the review paper?

2. In the technical guidance of harvesting loss reduction, the guidances (1)-(3) are not relevant to this article.

3. The technical guidance of harvesting loss reduction in this paper only reflect the existing requirements of derogation technology, without putting forward personal views.

4. This paper lacks the suggestions and prospects for the development of derogation technology.

5. The conclusions are not closely related to the content of this article.

6. In line 65, the losses include header losses and comprehensive losses or transportation losses. However, the following lacks the analysis of transportation losses.

7. The derogation technique appears only once, which is in the keyword. Is this appropriate?

8. The long sentences in this article are too many to understand. It is suggested to change it to a short sentence. In lines 151-155, “It can be seen from the piezoelectric effect that when ...... filtering circuit and amplitude discrimination circuit, and finally realize the detection of grain impact signal.” In lines 195-199, “Zhang et al. developed an.......and the measurement error is less than 4.1%.”

Author Response

The paper presents the main losses in the operation of wheat combine harvester, the application status of sensor monitoring technology and intelligent control technology of combine harvester. This paper refers to many papers, but lacks personal unique opinions. Considering the innovative requirements of the Journal, the paper cannot be accepted for before major revision.The manuscript is in many parts confused and should be rewritten.

Response: Thanks for your comments. We have made detailed modifications according to the problems you pointed out and added some our personal opinions.

Point 1: Is it reasonable to use the writing format of "material and method" and "result and discussion" in the review paper?

Response 1: Thanks for your comments. We have revised the original writing format of this paper and adjusted titles of each part.

Point 2: In the technical guidance of harvesting loss reduction, the guidances (1)-(3) are not relevant to this article.

Response 2: Thanks for your comments. We have deleted the guidances (1)-(3).

Point 3: The technical guidance of harvesting loss reduction in this paper only reflect the existing requirements of derogation technology, without putting forward personal views.

Response 3: Thanks for your comments. In the technical guidance of harvesting loss reduction, we have added several personal views.

Point 4: This paper lacks the suggestions and prospects for the development of derogation technology.

Response 4: Thanks for your comments. We have added the suggestions and prospects for the development of derogation technology at the end of this paper.

Point 5: The conclusions are not closely related to the content of this article. 

Response 5: Thanks for your comments. We have made detailed modification to the conclusion.

Point 6: In line 65, the losses include header losses and comprehensive losses or transportation losses. However, the following lacks the analysis of transportation losses.

Response 6: Thanks for your comments. Due to our negligence in preparation of the manuscript, this paper focuses on the loss of combine during harvesting. The transportation loss does not belong to the loss of combine, so the transportation loss is deleted.

Point 7: The derogation technique appears only once, which is in the keyword. Is this appropriate?

Response7: Thanks for your comments. We have changed “derogation technique” to “loss monitoring technology” in the keyword.

Point 8: The long sentences in this article are too many to understand. It is suggested to change it to a short sentence. In lines 151-155, “It can be seen from the piezoelectric effect that when ...... filtering circuit and amplitude discrimination circuit, and finally realize the detection of grain impact signal.” In lines 195-199, “Zhang et al. developed an.......and the measurement error is less than 4.1%.”

Response 8: Thanks for your comments. We have changed the long sentences to short sentences.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

In recent years, the loss problem in the process of wheat mechanized harvesting has been a hot topic of great concern, loss reduction is to increase yield. This paper mainly points out the main loss sources in the operation of wheat combine harvester, and then introduces the application of  monitoring sensor technology and the intelligent control technology of combine harvester in the mechanical harvest loss reduction, which play an important role in reducing the mechanical harvest loss. Finally, some suggestions on the technology of wheat mechanized harvesting loss reduction are put forward. The overall structure of this paper is relatively complete and the ideas are relatively clear, but there are still some problems that need to be modified.

1. The header losses are not only related to the intelligent level of combine harvester, but also to the operating level of operators.

2. In the losses of threshing and separation, the impact of threshing drum on loss is described, but the impact of adjustment parameters of concave screen on it is not mentioned.

3. At present, the cleaning system of combine harvester is mainly of air and screen type. The causes of the loss in cleaning process are not only related to the air volume of fan, but also closely related to some parameters of the cleaning screen.

4. When introducing the grain loss monitoring sensor, we should pay more attention to its structure and working principle.

5. The two grain loss monitoring sensors "piezoelectric film" and "piezoelectric ceramic" of combine harvester listed in Section 2.2 are piezoelectric. Are there any other types of sensors used for this?

6. The sensors mentioned in this paper can realize the function of "monitoring" or "detecting" the grain loss of each part of the combine, it is obvious that the “monitoring” and “detecting have” completely different meanings, and the paper should be unified. I think it is to realize real-time online monitoring of grain loss through sensors.

7. In Section 3.1 of this paper, whether there is a reference basis for the possibility that the total grain loss rate may be as high as 10%.

8. In Section 3.4"technical guidance on loss reduction of mechanized wheat harvesting", the level of operator is also important for the loss of mechanized wheat harvesting, and it is suggested to add the "operator needs to be trained formally before taking up his post".

Author Response

In recent years, the loss problem in the process of wheat mechanized harvesting has been a hot topic of great concern, loss reduction is to increase yield. This paper mainly points out the main loss sources in the operation of wheat combine harvester, and then introduces the application of monitoring sensor technology and the intelligent control technology of combine harvester in the mechanical harvest loss reduction, which play an important role in reducing the mechanical harvest loss. Finally, some suggestions on the technology of wheat mechanized harvesting loss reduction are put forward. The overall structure of this paper is relatively complete and the ideas are relatively clear, but there are still some problems that need to be modified.

Response: Thanks for your comments. We have made detailed modifications according to the problems you pointed out.

Point 1: The header losses are not only related to the intelligent level of combine harvester, but also to the operating level of operators.

Response 1: Thanks for your comments. In the header losses, we have added the influence of operators' incorrect operation on grain loss.

Point 2: In the losses of threshing and separation, the impact of threshing drum on loss is described, but the impact of adjustment parameters of concave screen on it is not mentioned.

Response 2: Thanks for your comments. In the losses of threshing and separation, we have added the analysis on the influence of concave screen parameters on grain loss.

Point 3: At present, the cleaning system of combine harvester is mainly of air and screen type. The causes of the loss in cleaning process are not only related to the air volume of fan, but also closely related to some parameters of the cleaning screen.

Response 3: Thanks for your comments. In the cleaning losses, We have added the analysis on the influence of parameter change of cleaning screen on grain loss.

Point 4: When introducing the grain loss monitoring sensor, we should pay more attention to its structure and working principle.

Response 4: Thanks for your comments. We have added the structure and working principle of sensors in the part of grain loss monitoring sensor.

Point 5: The two grain loss monitoring sensors "piezoelectric film" and "piezoelectric ceramic" of combine harvester listed in Section 2.2 are piezoelectric. Are there any other types of sensors used for this?

Response 5: Thanks for your comments. Other types of sensors are rarely used in grain loss monitoring, which is mentioned in Table 2.

Point 6: The sensors mentioned in this paper can realize the function of "monitoring" or "detecting" the grain loss of each part of the combine, it is obvious that the “monitoring” and “detecting have” completely different meanings, and the paper should be unified. I think it is to realize real-time online monitoring of grain loss through sensors.

Response 6: Thanks for your comments. We have made unified modifications in this paper.

Point 7: In Section 3.1 of this paper, whether there is a reference basis for the possibility that the total grain loss rate may be as high as 10%.

Response7: Thanks for your comments. We have added relevant literatures in this paper.

Point 8: In Section 3.4"technical guidance on loss reduction of mechanized wheat harvesting", the level of operator is also important for the loss of mechanized wheat harvesting, and it is suggested to add the "operator needs to be trained formally before taking up his post".

Response 8: Thanks for your comments. In the technical guidance on loss reduction of mechanized wheat harvesting, we have added the content that operators need to receive formal training before taking up their post.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

English can be improved