Patent Publication Number: US-2021169003-A1

Title: Combine Harvesters For Use In Harvesting Corn, And Related Methods

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/943,681, filed on Dec. 4, 2019. The entire disclosure of the above-referenced application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure generally relates to agricultural harvesting machines and, in particular, to combine harvesters for use in harvesting corn (e.g., seed corn, etc.) and related methods of using such combine harvesters (e.g., to produce seed corn, bulk up populations of seed corn, etc.). 
     BACKGROUND 
     This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. 
     Corn plants are known to be grown in fields for commercial purposes, for example, for use as seed (to grow subsequent corn plants), or for use as feed (for animals), etc. At a point in the growing cycle, the corn plants are harvested or picked, whereby ears of corn plants are broken off from stocks of the corn plants and collected. Kernels of corn are then removed from cobs of the ears of corn and collected for subsequent use (e.g., as seed, as feed, etc.). In connection therewith, mechanized machines for harvesting the corn plants from the fields are known to include corn ear pickers, which remove the ears of corn from the corn plants and collect the ears intact within the pickers. The collected ears of corn are then transported to processing facilitates, still intact to help protect the kernels during transport and inhibit undesired loss of kernels, whereat the ears of corn are de-husked and dried and the kernels are then removed from the cobs. 
     SUMMARY 
     This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. 
     Example embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to combine harvesters for use in harvesting corn plants from a field, based on identification of one or more characteristics of the corn plants. In one example embodiment, such a combine harvester generally includes a corn header configured to engage corn plants in a field having the one or more characteristics and separate ears of corn from the corn plants, as the combine harvester moves through the field, and a threshing unit configured to receive the ears of corn from the corn header and remove corn kernels from the ears of corn on board the combine harvester. The threshing unit generally includes a housing having multiple concaves and multiple separating grates disposed along a length of the housing and a rotor disposed within the housing and configured to rotate relative to the housing, wherein a spacing between the rotor and the housing is between about 0.4 inches and about 1.5 inches along a length of the rotor. The combine harvester of this example embodiment also includes a feeder unit disposed generally between the corn header and the threshing unit, where the feeder unit is configured to receive the ears of corn from the corn header and move the received ears of corn to the threshing unit, a separating unit disposed generally below the threshing unit and configured to receive the corn kernels removed from the ears of corn, through the multiple concaves and the multiple separating grates, and a hopper configured to receive the corn kernels from the separating unit and store the corn kernels onboard the combine harvester. 
     Example embodiments of the present disclosure also generally relate to methods for producing seed corn for use in growing corn plants. In one example embodiment, such a method generally includes measuring a moisture content of corn kernels on ears of corn plants in a field; removing, by a combine harvester, the ears of corn from the corn plants in the field, when the moisture content satisfies a threshold moisture content; separating the corn kernels from cobs of the ears of corn onboard the combine harvester while in the field; and collecting the separated corn kernels for use as seed corn, whereby one or more corn plants can be grown from the corn kernels collected by the combine harvester. 
     In another example embodiment, a method for producing seed corn for use in growing corn plants generally includes determining that corn plants in a field include one or more desired characteristics; directing a combine harvester to the field based on the determination, when a moisture content of corn kernels on ears of the corn plants satisfy a threshold moisture content; removing, by the combine harvester, the ears of corn from the corn plants; separating the corn kernels from cobs of the ears of corn onboard the combine harvester; and collecting the separated corn kernels for use as seed corn, whereby one or more corn plants can be grown from the collected corn kernels. 
     In a further example embodiment, a method for producing seed corn for use in growing corn plants generally includes removing, by a combine harvester, ears of corn from corn plants in a field; separating the corn kernels from cobs of the ears of corn onboard the combine harvester while in the field; and collecting, by the combine harvester, a supply of the separated corn kernels for use as seed corn; wherein cold germination of the collected supply of corn kernels is at least about 75%; and wherein warm germination of the collected supply of corn kernels is at least about 75%. 
     Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an example combine harvester modified to include one or more aspects of the present disclosure for use in harvesting seed corn; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of an example corn header that may be used with the combine harvester; 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary schematic view of the combine harvester; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a conveyor of an example feeder unit that may be used with the combine harvester; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the conveyor of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of a housing (or rotor cage), and multiple separating grates associated therewith, of an example threshing unit that may be used with the combine harvester; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of multiple concaves of the housing of the threshing unit of the combine harvester; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the multiple concaves of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of another separating grate that may be included in the housing of the threshing unit of the combine harvester; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of upper and lower sieves of the combine harvester; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an example storage hopper that may be included in the combine harvester; and 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic view of a dryer unit that may be used for drying corn kernels harvested by operation of the combine harvester of  FIG. 1 , as described herein, for subsequent storage as bulk dry shell seed corn. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Conventionally, in the context of seed corn production, corn plants are harvested from fields using mechanized ear pickers. In so doing, ears of corn are picked from corn plants in the fields and transported, intact, to processing facilities where husks are removed from the ears of corn, and the ears of corn are then dried and shelled (thereby removing kernels (broadly, seed corn) from cobs of the ears of corn). In this process, the ears of corn are initially picked from the corn plants in the field when the kernels of corn have average moisture contents of between about 32% and about 38% (e.g., based on a sampling of corn plants in the field, etc.), which helps maintain the corn kernels on cobs of the ears of corn as they are picked and which allows for harvesting the corn plants as soon as possible (e.g., to avoid potential damage to the corn plants by leaving them in the field any longer than necessary, etc.). The picked ears of corn are then dried, in dryers, at temperatures of about 95 degrees Fahrenheit (° F.) until the kernels have average moisture contents of about 12%. This conventional process, though, can take upwards of 80 hours or more to complete, from the time the ears of corn are picked and dried to the time the kernels are removed from the ears and stored as bulk dry shell seed corn (which may then be used to grow, for example, corn plants that produce No. 2 yellow corn (and which may then be used as feed, for ethanol production, etc.), etc.). What&#39;s more, because the ears of corn (once picked) are transported and processed intact, the resources (e.g., pickers, transport corn trucks, de-huskers, dryers (and drying times), shellers, etc.) required to accommodate the extra corn material (husks, cobs, etc.) can be extensive. 
     As an alternative, corn plants (such as those that produce No. 2 yellow corn, etc.) may be harvested from fields using combine harvesters. In connection therewith, the corn plants are again conventionally harvested when the kernels of corn have average moisture contents of between about 32% and about 38% (e.g., based on a sampling of corn plants in the field, etc.), which allows for harvesting the corn plants as soon as possible (e.g., to avoid potential damage to the corn plants by leaving them in the field any longer than necessary, etc.). In doing so, though, the resulting corn kernels collected by the combine harvesters (e.g., No. 2 yellow corn kernels, etc.) have relatively low germination viability, for example, due to damage to the corn kernels during the harvesting process, etc. 
     Uniquely, the present disclosure generally relates (in one or more embodiments) to use of combine harvesters in seed corn production, to harvest corn plants from fields and produce bulk supplies of dry shell seed corn from the harvested corn plants. In connection therewith, the combine harvesters can facilitate production of the seed corn supplies in a shorter amount of time, and with less demand on resources, than the conventional corn ear pickers. In particular, by way of the present disclosure, corn plants in fields (e.g., designated for seed corn production, etc.) are harvested by the combine harvesters, whereby the ears of corn removed from the corn plants are de-husked and shelled onboard the combine harvesters. The kernels of corn are then removed from the combine harvesters to trucks (via dump carts, etc.) for transport to processing facilities, where the separated kernels are dried and stored (e.g., as supplies of seed corn, etc.). As can be appreciated, since the ears of corn are de-husked and shelled onboard the combine harvesters, the time used to subsequently de-husk and dry the intact ears of corn in the conventional ear picking process (e.g., again, which can be upwards of 80 hours or more, etc.) is not required in the present disclosure. What&#39;s more, fewer resources are required to subsequently process the separated kernels (as compared to the intact ears of corn provided from the corn ear pickers), not only in the elimination of the need for separate de-husking and shelling equipment but also in the need of fewer transport corn trucks, fewer corn driers (and shorter drying times, as will be described more hereinafter), etc. 
     Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description and specific examples included herein are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example embodiment of a combine harvester  100  (broadly, an agricultural harvester) including one or more aspects of the present disclosure. As will be described, the combine harvester  100  is configured (e.g., is constructed and operable, etc.) to harvest whole ears of corn from corn plants in a field, as the combine harvester  100  moves through the field. The combine harvester  100  is then configured to remove kernels of corn (broadly, corn seeds) from the ears of corn, and to collect the kernels for subsequent processing, use, etc. (e.g., for subsequent use as seed corn, etc.). In particular herein, the collected kernels are collected to produce bulk supply of dry shell seed corn (broadly, seed corn) that may be used to grow subsequent corn plants (e.g., No. 2 yellow corn plants, etc. such that the collected seed corn serves as a predecessor to the No. 2 yellow corn plants). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the illustrated combine harvester  100  includes a corn header  102  configured to receive (or collect) the ears of corn from the corn plants in the field, and to channel (or direct) the ears of corn to the combine harvester  100  where the kernels of corn are then removed from the cobs of the ears of corn. In connection therewith, the corn header  102  (as releasably coupled to a frame of the combine harvester  100 ) includes multiple row dividers  104  (or snouts) configured to direct rows of corn stalks (within the field) between adjacent ones of the row dividers  104  and into a corresponding separation chamber  106  (generally defined between the adjacent ones of the row dividers  104  ( FIG. 2 )). In so doing, paddles  107  and stalk rollers  108  (e.g., rounded cylinders with blades, etc.) located between the row dividers  104  (generally within the corresponding separation chambers  106 ) operate to snap the corn stalks and separate the ears of corn therefrom. The corn stalks then fall to the ground under the combine harvester  100 . And, the removed ears of corn move through the respective separation chambers  106  to an auger  110 , which in turn directs the ears of corn to a feeder unit  112  of the combine harvester  100  (via opening  109  in the header  102 ). With that said, in the illustrated embodiment, the stalk rollers  108  of the corn header  102  are configured to rotate at speeds of between about 1,000 rotations per minute (rpm) and about 1,200 rpm, to thereby facilitate removal of the ears of corn from the stalks. 
     The feeder unit  112  of the combine harvester  100  is located generally between front tires  114  (only one is visible in  FIG. 1 ) of the combine harvester  100  (and is supported by the frame of the combine harvester  100 ), and is configured to receive the ears of corn from the corn header  102  (and specifically, from the auger  110  thereof) and transport the ears of corn into the combine harvester  100 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3-4 , the feeder unit  112  includes (or generally defines) a channel  116  leading into the combine harvester  100 , and a conveyor system  118  disposed generally within the channel  116  and configured to receive the ears of corn from the auger  110  of the corn header  102 . The conveyor system  118  includes a drum  120  rotatably mounted to the combine harvester  100  toward a forward portion thereof (adjacent the corn header  102 ), and a drive shaft  122  mounted to the combine harvester  100  at a location rearward of the drum  120 . Multiple straps  124  (e.g., bands, chains, belts, etc.) are coupled to the drum  120  (around the drum  120 ), and extend between the drum  120  and the drive shaft  122  of the conveyor system  118 . The drive shaft  122 , then, is configured to rotate (via a suitable motor, etc.) and cause movement of the straps  124  (e.g., via sprockets coupled to the drive shaft  122 , etc.) around the drum  120  (whereby the drum  120  is configured to rotate about a central shaft  126  with the movement of the straps  124 ) (in a generally counterclockwise direction, as viewed in  FIGS. 1 and 4 ). 
     The conveyor system  118  of the combine harvester  100  also includes multiple cross bars, or deflectors  128 , coupled to the straps  124  between adjacent ones of the straps  124 . The deflectors  128  are configured to move with the straps  124 , as the straps  124  are moved by the drive shaft  122 , generally along a length of the channel  116  of the feeder unit  112  and about the drum  120 . In so doing, the deflectors  128  are configured to generally flatten the ears of corn (e.g., orient the ears of corn on their sides, orient the ears of corn to lie flat, etc.) as they are received from the corn header  102  under the drum  120 , and push the ears of corn up the channel  116  of the feeder unit  112  (along a bottom wall  130  (or floor) of the channel  116  of the feeder unit  112 ) and into a threshing unit  132  of the combine harvester  100 . In connection therewith, the conveyor system  118  (e.g., the drum  120 , etc.) is moveable in a generally vertical direction relative to the combine harvester  100  (generally within the feeder unit  112 ). This allows for changing a height of a space under the conveyor system  118 , for example, between the drum  120  and the bottom wall  130  of the channel  116  of the feeder unit  112  (and/or between the deflectors  128  and the bottom wall  130  of the channel  116 ), etc. (e.g., to accommodate the ears of corn (e.g., different types of ears of corn, different sizes of ears of corn, etc.), to optimize flow of ears of corn to the threshing unit  132 , etc.). 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the deflectors  128  of the conveyor system  118  are constructed from a material such as metal, rubber, or plastic, etc., having sufficient strength to push the ears of corn up the channel  116  of the feeder unit  112  to the threshing unit  132  but without damaging (or while inhibiting damage to) the corn kernels on the ears of corn. In addition in the illustrated embodiment, the deflectors  128  are constructed to have generally rounded edges (e.g., at locations where the deflectors  128  engage the ears of corn, or at locations where the deflectors  128  couple to the straps  124 , etc.), to further help inhibit damaging the kernels on the ears of corn as the deflectors  128  push the ears of corn through the feeder unit  112 . In one embodiment, for example, end portions of the deflectors  128  may be ground (e.g., where the deflector  128  attaches to the strap  124 , etc.) to make a more rounded edge. Further, the straps  124  of the conveyor system  118  are constructed to also have generally rounded surfaces (e.g., at locations where the straps  124  may engage the ears of corn, etc.), to help inhibit damage to the kernels on the ears of corn as the ears are pushed by the deflectors  128  to the threshing unit  132 . In one embodiment, for example, end portions of the straps  124  may be ground to make a more rounded edge. In the illustrated embodiment, the straps  124  include generally continuous bands (e.g., lugged belts, etc.). In other embodiments, the straps  124  may be configured otherwise (e.g., as links  124 ′ (see,  FIG. 5 ) with deflectors  128  coupled thereto, etc.). 
     As generally shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the threshing unit  132  of the combine harvester  100  (as supported by the frame of the combine harvester  100 ) includes a cylindrical housing  134  (or rotor cage) extending generally from the forward portion of the combine harvester  100  to a rearward portion thereof, and a rotor  136  located generally within the housing  134 . The threshing unit  132 , then, is configured to receive the ears of corn from the feeder unit  112  into a forward portion of the housing  134 , generally within a space (or spacing) defined between the housing  134  and the rotor  136 . And, the rotor  136  is configured to rotate within the housing  134  and force the ears of corn (and any crop residue received with the ears of corn from the corn header  102 ) against the housing  134  (within the space between the rotor  136  and the housing  134 ). In this manner, the threshing unit  132  operates (by the mechanical action of pushing the ears of corn against the housing  134 ) to remove (or dislodge) the corn kernels from the ears of corn (and specifically, from the cobs of the ears of corn). With that said, the space between the housing  134  and the rotor  136 , in the illustrated threshing unit  132 , may range from about 10 mm (about 0.4 inches) to about 38 mm (about 1.5 inches), and may be generally consistent (or not) around the circumference of the rotor  136  and/or along the length of the housing  134 . Further, the rotor  136  may be configured to rotate within the housing  134  at a speed of about 650 rpm or less (e.g., about 400 rpm or less, etc.). 
     The threshing unit  132  of the illustrated combine harvester  100  includes a single cylindrical housing  134  and rotor  136  for removing the corn kernels from the ears of corn. In other embodiments, though, combine harvesters may include threshing units with two (or more) cylindrical housings and corresponding rotors (with each rotor disposed within a corresponding one of the housings as generally described above), where the housings are located in the combine harvesters generally in parallel. In such embodiments, then, the housings and rotors are each configured in a similar manner to the housing  134  and rotor  136  described above to remove corn kernels from ears of corn received therein. 
     With additional reference to  FIGS. 6-9 , the rotor  136  of the threshing unit  132  includes multiple rasp bars  138  extending circumferentially around the rotor  136  (e.g., in a staggered cork-screw configuration, etc.) ( FIGS. 1 and 3 ). The rasp bars  138  are each generally smooth and/or rounded in structure (e.g., to help inhibit damage to the corn kernels of the ears of corn as the ears are pushed through the housing  134 , etc.). As the rotor  136  rotates within the housing  134 , the rasp bars  138  are configured to engage the ears of corn (in the space between the rotor  136  and the housing  134 ) and move (e.g., push, etc.) the ears of corn (and crop residue) in a helical manner along the housing  134 . In connection therewith, the housing  134  includes multiple concaves  140  and multiple separating grates  142  located along a lower portion of the housing  134 . The concaves  140  and the separating grates  142  each include a combination of wires and/or bars that define openings therebetween (and, thus, that define openings within the concaves  140  and the separating grates  142 ). In connection therewith, as the rotor  136  moves the ears of corn through the housing  134 , it also pushes the ears of corn against (and along) the wires and/or bars of the concaves  140  (e.g., in a first or forward part of the housing  134 , etc.) and then against the wires and/or bars of the separating grates  142  (e.g., in a second or rearward part of the housing  134  following the first part, etc.), whereby the corn kernels are removed from (or separated from, or dislodged from, or knocked off) the cobs and pass through the concave openings and separating grate openings (along with other small material of the crop residue also pushed by the rotor  136  through the housing  134 ). The corn kernels and other small material then falls through, and below, the concaves  140  and the separating grates  142  generally downwardly and into a separating unit  144  of the combine harvester  100 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the housing  134  of the threshing unit  132  includes three concaves  140  and three separating grates  142  (e.g., generally aligned side-by-side along a longitudinal axis of the housing  134 , etc.). The first three concaves  140 , located toward a forward part of the threshing unit  132  (e.g., toward the feeder unit  112 ), each include multiple rounded bars  146  ( FIGS. 6 and 8 ) (e.g., having generally smooth circumferences, etc.) extending in a direction generally parallel to an axis of the housing  134 . Each of the bars  146  of the first three concaves  140  has a diameter of about 0.75 inches, and the bars  146  are spaced laterally apart (e.g., generally equally, etc.) a distance of about 0.5 inches. Following the concaves  140  in the illustrated embodiment, the housing  134  then includes three separating grates  142 , located toward the reward part of the threshing unit  132 . The separating grates  142  each include slotted grates  148  ( FIGS. 7 and 9 ) defining openings of about 0.75 inches by about 2 inches. With that said, it should be appreciated that a different number of concaves and/or separating grates may be included in threshing units of combine harvesters in other embodiments (e.g., more than three concaves, fewer than three concaves, more than three separating grates, fewer than three separating grates, etc.). For instance, in one embodiment, a combine harvester may include a threshing unit having a housing with four concaves and four separating grates, where the first four concaves toward a forward part of the threshing unit (e.g., toward a feeder unit of the combine harvester, etc.) each include multiple rounded bars and where the next four separating grates, toward the reward part of the threshing unit, then each include slotted grates. That said, it should be appreciated that other combinations of concaves and/or separating grates may be used in combine harvesters in other embodiments (e.g., combinations of concaves other than ones with rounded bars and separating grates with other than slotted grates, etc.). 
     As described above, as the ears of corn (and other crop residue) progress further through the housing  134  of the threshing unit  132 , fewer corn kernels will be present on remaining cobs in the housing  134  to pass through the remaining concaves  140  (and/or remaining separating grates  142 ) (as the bulk of the corn kernels separated from the cobs will likely have already passed through the openings in the prior concaves  140 ). As such, the material remaining in the housing  134  at the later separating grates  142  will generally include the cobs and other larger crop residue (e.g., stalk fragments, leaves, husks, etc.). This remaining material is discarded from the threshing unit  132  through an outlet  149  at a rearward location of the housing  134 , and into a discharge unit  150  ( FIG. 3 ) of the combine harvester  100  where it is ejected back into to the field behind the combine harvester  100  (e.g., via a rotary beater, a grinder, a deflector, etc. of the discharge unit). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 10 , the separating unit  144  of the combine harvester  100  is located generally below the threshing unit  132  (e.g., generally below the housing  134  and concaves  140  and separating grates  142  of the threshing unit  132 , etc.) (and is supported by the frame of the combine harvester  100 ) and is configured to receive the corn kernels (and other small material from the crop residue) that pass through the concaves  140  and the separating grates  142  of the threshing unit  132  housing  134  (e.g., within a collection pan, etc.). Augers  152  are then configured to move or push the collected corn kernels and small material toward an upper sieve  154  (or chaffer) of the separating unit  144 . And, a fan  156  of the separating unit  144  is configured to provide air flow to move or direct the corn kernels (and other small material) generally across the upper sieve  154 . In addition, the upper sieve  154  is configured to reciprocate or otherwise move in a generally forward and reward direction (relative to the combine harvester  100 ) to facilitate movement of the kernels through apertures (or openings) in the upper sieve  154 . In connection therewith, the apertures in the upper sieve  154  are sized to allow for the kernels to pass therethrough (and other similarly sized material from the crop residue that passed through the concaves  140 ,  142 ), but to block larger items (e.g., the apertures of the upper sieve  154  have sizes of about 15 mm (about 0.6 inches) to about 20 mm (about 0.8 inches) (e.g., ranges between about 0.5 inches and about 1 inch, etc.), etc.). The larger items that do not pass through the apertures, then, are pushed (e.g., by the fan  156 , by the movement of the upper sieve  154 , etc.) toward a rearward end of the upper sieve  154  where they are expelled from the combine harvester  100  (either directly, or via movement by an auger to the discharge unit  150 ). With that said, the fan  156  is configured to rotate (broadly, operate) at speeds between about 700 rpm and about 900 rpm in order to move the corn kernels toward and/or over the upper sieve  154  (along with any other small crop residue that passed through the concaves  140 ,  142 ). 
     A lower sieve  158  (or shoe sieve) is disposed generally beneath the upper sieve  154 , in a position for receiving the corn kernels and other small material that pass through the apertures of the upper sieve  154 . The lower sieve  158  is configured to reciprocate or otherwise move in a generally forward and reward direction (relative to the combine harvester  100 ) to then facilitate movement of the kernels through apertures (or openings) in the lower sieve  158 . Fingers (or veins) extend generally upward from the lower sieve  158  at each of the apertures to help capture the kernels and generally direct them to the apertures. The apertures, here, are sized generally smaller than the apertures of the upper sieve  154  to accommodate the sizes of the corn kernels and allow for the kernels to pass therethrough, but to block other larger residue. For instance, the apertures in the lower sieve  158  may range in size from about 5 mm (about 0.2 inches) to about 15 mm (about 0.6 inches). 
     Material that is blocked from passing through the apertures of the lower sieve  158  is pushed (e.g., again by the fan  156 , by the movement of the lower sieve  158 , etc.) toward a rearward end thereof where it is collected. And, a tailings auger  160  is configured to then carry the collected material (that passed through the upper sieve  154  but not the lower sieve  158 ) to one side of the combine harvester  100  where a tailings elevator is configured to carry the collected material back to an inlet of the threshing unit  132  for further processing (e.g., to capture any corn kernels that may still remain on cobs of ears of corn, etc.). 
     Finally, with reference to  FIG. 11 , corn kernels that pass through the lower sieve  158  are collected there below and are transported, by an auger  162 , to an elevator  164  that then carries the kernels to a hopper  166  (on the combine harvester  100 ) for storage (as supported by the frame of the combine harvester  100 ). The elevator  164  generally includes a drive shaft configured to actuate multiple lifts (e.g., paddles, buckets, etc.) (via a chain coupled to the lifts) to carry (or lift, etc.) the collected corn kernels from the auger  162  to an auger  170  that then deposits the corn kernels in the hopper  166  for temporary storage. When the hopper  166  is filled with corn kernels, a chute  168  of the combine harvester  100  is moved outward and augers  172 ,  174  (disposed generally in a bottom portion of the hopper  166 ) are configured to direct the kernels to (and converge the kernels at) the chute  168 . To do so, the augers  172 ,  174  are configured to rotate, to direct the kernels to the chute  168 , where another auger within the chute  168  moves the kerns along the chute  168  (see,  FIG. 1 ) for deposit in a desired container (e.g., dump cart, a truck, a wagon, etc.). 
     An example operation of the combine harvester  100  to collect (or harvest) corn kernels from corn plants in a desired (or selected or identified) field, as part of a seed corn production process, will be described next. The combine harvester  100  is initially moved to the desired field for harvesting and is positioned in the field so that rows of corn plants in the field are in alignment between adjacent row dividers  104  of the corn header  102  of the combine harvester  100 . The combine harvester  100  is then operated (e.g., moved, driven, etc.) through the field at a rate (or speed) of about 3.5 miles per hour (mph) (e.g., as a manageable rate for operating the combine harvester  100  in the field and/or as an identified rate to provide a desired flow of corn plants into the corn header  102  for processing, etc.) (and as compared to much faster rates (e.g., greater than 5 mph, etc.) at which conventional combine harvesters are operated to harvest fields in order to maximize field coverage in a short amount of time). In connection therewith, the stalk rollers  108  of the corn header  102  are operated at a speed of about 1,120 rpm, in order to separate the ears of corn from the stalks of the corn plants as the corn plants are received between the row dividers  104 . This particular speed of the stalk rollers  108  allows or enables the corn header  102  to effectively match the rate at which corn plants are received by the corn header  102  based on the operating rate of the combine harvester  100  of about 3.5 mph (and to remove the ears of corn from the corn plants at a rate that helps inhibit the stalk rollers  108  from clogging with multiple corn plants and/or removing ears of corn too quickly whereby the ears may not be received into the separation chambers  106 , etc.). 
     Once the ears of corn are removed from the corn plants, they are directed by the auger  110  of the corn header  102  to the feeder unit  112 . In so doing, the auger  110  of the corn header  102  may be elevated (or raised) so that the ears of corn flow generally under the auger  110  with little or minimal impact (or even no impact in some embodiments) from the auger  110  (e.g., to help inhibit a pinching of the ears of corn between the auger  110  and a trough portion of the corn header  102  generally below the auger  110  and along which the ears of corn move, to help inhibit damage to the corn kernels on the ears by way of contact of the auger  110  against the corn kernels, etc.). In so doing, the subsequent inflow of ears of corn from the separation chambers  106  of the corn header  102  (and other plant material, fodder, etc.) may help push the earlier removed ears of corn generally under the auger  110  (with some, little, or no help from the auger  110 ) and to the feeder unit  112  (e.g., whereby the ears of corn generally flow from the stalk rollers  108  to the feeder unit  112  based (at least in part) on forces of additional ears of corn (and fodder, etc.) consistently received into the separation chambers  106  of the corn header  102  through the particular operating speed of the combine harvester  100  and stalk rollers  108  described above, etc.). 
     At the feeder unit  112 , in order to accommodate the ears of corn, the drum  120  of the conveyor system  118  is generally elevated relative to the bottom wall  130  of the channel  116  of the feeder unit  112 , for example, to provide sufficient space for the ears of corn to move generally thereunder (as they are pushed by the generally consistent inflow of ears of corn being received from the corn header, again through the particular operating speed of the combine harvester  100  and stalk rollers  108  described above, etc.). As such, the ears of corn received from the corn header  102  generally flow through the feeder unit  112  with little or minimal impact (or even no impact in some embodiments) from the deflectors  128 , to the threshing unit  132  (e.g., to help inhibit damage to the corn kernels on the ears by way of contact of the deflectors  128  against the corn kernels, etc.). For example, the drum  120  of the conveyor system  118  may be elevated to a maximum setting above (or all the way above) the bottom wall  130  of the conveyor system  118  to provide room for the ears of corn to move (or flow) under the drum  120 , but to still allow for the deflectors  128  to potentially engage the ears of corn and help move them through the feeder unit  112  (as needed in some embodiments). In addition, a deflecting panel may be positioned generally above the drum  120 , for example, to help guide the ears of corn under the drum  120  (and potentially inhibit ears of corn from passing over the drum  120 , etc.). The feeder unit  112  then delivers the ears of corn to the inlet of the threshing unit  132  (e.g., allows the ears of corn to flow into the threshing unit  132  with little or no added force from the deflectors  128  (which may damage the corn kernels on the ears), etc.), were the ears are received into the housing  134  of the threshing unit  132  and the corn kernels are separated from the cobs of the ears. 
     At the threshing unit  132 , the space between the housing  134  and the rotor  136  (and more specifically, the space between end portions of the rasp bars  138  of the rotor  136  and surfaces of the concaves  140  and separating grates  142  (when the rasp bars  138  are generally at their closest points to the concaves  140  and the separating grates  142 ), etc.) is set at about 20 mm (about 0.8 inches) (generally uniformly around the housing  134  of the threshing unit  132  and generally uniformly along a length of the housing  134 ) (broadly, a concave setting of between about 18 mm (about 0.7 inches) and about 24 mm (about 0.94 inches), etc.). This spacing allows the ears of corn to flow into the threshing unit  132 , between the housing  134  and the rotor  136 , without interference from the rotor  136  and without requiring additional force from the deflectors  128  of the feeder unit  112  to push or shove the ears of corn therein. In addition, this spacing is generally larger than normal, relative to a size (or diameter) of a cob of an ear of corn entering the threshing unit  132  (e.g., where an ear corn cob (not accounting for the corn kernels) may have a diameter of about 20 mm (about 0.8 inches), etc.), such that a concave setting here of about 20 mm (0.8 inches) generally matches (or about matches) a diameter of the seed corn cob of the corn plants being harvested by the combine harvester  100 ). In other words, this spacing generally allows the ears of corn to flow into the threshing unit  132  under their own flow, from the feeder unit  112  (generally between a body of the rotor and the concaves  140 ) (as they are pushed by the generally consistent inflow of ears of corn being received from the corn header  102 , again through the particular operating speed of the combine harvester  100  and stalk rollers  108  described above and the particular setting of the drum  120  of the conveyor system  118 , etc.), and then provides ability of the rasp bars  138  to engage the received ears of corn and push them against the concaves  142  and separating plates  142  (since a diameter of the ears of corn still having the kernels attached to the cobs would generally still be larger than the concave setting). Additionally in this embodiment, end portions of the rounded bars  146  of the first concave  140  are generally flattened (e.g., ground, etc.) to provide for a smooth ramp surface  176  for the ears of corn to flow into the housing  134 . 
     The rotor  136 , then, is configured to rotate within the housing  134  of the threshing unit  132  at a relatively slow speed of about 350 rpm (broadly, between about 200 rpm and about 400 rpm). In doing so, the ears of corn are generally slowly (or gently) agitated in the housing  134 , and the corn kernels are removed from (or separated from) the cobs of the ears of corn (as the rotor  136  pushes the ears of corn along and against the concaves  140  and separating grates  142  of the housing  134 ), and the kernels pass through the openings in the concaves  140  and the separating grates  142 . The separated corn kernels are collected at the separating unit  144  below the threshing unit  132 . 
     In the separating unit  144 , the fan  156  is operated at a speed of about 850 rpm in order to help move and/or direct the corn kernels (and any other small crop residue that passed through the concaves  140 ,  142 ) across the upper sieve  154 . This relatively low speed generally accounts for the smaller size and weight of seed corn being processed herein (e.g., as compared to the larger size and/or heavier weight of No. 2 yellow corn typically harvested by combine harvesters, etc.), and helps inhibit the fan  156  from inadvertently pushing the corn kernels across the upper sieve  154  too quickly (whereby the corn kernels are unable to fall through the openings of the upper sieve  154 ). 
     That said, the upper sieve  154  of the separating unit  144  has multiple openings (or apertures) defined therein, having sizes of about 18 mm (about 0.7 inches) toward a forward part of the sieve  154 , about 17 mm (about 0.67 inches) toward a middle part of the sieve  154 , and about 18 mm (about 0.7 inches) toward a rearward part of the sieve  154 . As such, as the corn kernels and other material move across the upper sieve  154 , the corn kernels pass through the openings of the upper sieve  154  (along with some crop residue sized smaller than the openings of the sieve  154 ), and fall to the lower sieve  158 . The lower sieve  158  then also has multiple openings (or apertures), each having sizes of about 7 mm (about 0.3 inches), whereby only the corn kernels are intended to pass through the lower sieve  158  for collection. Each of the openings of the lower sieve  158  is associated with a finger (or vein) having a length of about 1.125 inches extending generally upward from the lower sieve  158  to help capture the kernels and generally direct them to the corresponding openings. In this example operation, the tailings elevator is opened (e.g., a door, etc. of the tailings elevator is opened, etc.), or is provided with such an opening, so that the crop residue collected from the lower sieve  158  (i.e., the crop residue that passed through the upper sieve  154  but not the lower sieve  158 ) is discharged from the combine harvester  100  (at the rearward end of the combine harvester  100 ), instead of being recycled back to the threshing unit  132  (as is conventional) (as any corn kernels still present in the crop residue are not reintroduced to the threshing unit  132  to avoid disturbing the consistent flow of ears of corn thereto from the feeder unit  112  and to also avoid introducing potentially damaged kernels of corn thereto). 
     Finally, corn kernels that pass through the lower sieve  158  are collected there below and are directed (by the auger  162 ) to the elevator  164 , which then carries the kernels to the hopper  166  (on the combine harvester  100 ) for storage. In so doing, the elevator  164  is operated at a relatively low speed of about 350 rpm (e.g., via use of a 20-tooth sprocket installed at the drive shaft of the elevator  164  to then operate the chain driven buckets of the elevator  164 , etc.). This speed generally allows the corn kernels received through the lower sieve  158  to be transferred to the hopper  166  at a generally consistent rate, that generally matches the inflow of corn kernels from the lower sieve  158  (again, which is essentially based on the flow of ears of corn into the combine harvester  100  (resulting from the particular operating speeds of the combine harvester  100  and stalk rollers  108  described above, and the particular settings of the conveyor system  118  and feeder unit  112  also described above), etc.). 
     A sensor is provided in the hopper  166  below a top portion of the augers  172 ,  174  therein. The sensor is configured to activate the augers  172 ,  174  (or provide a warning to an operator of the combine harvester  100 ) when the corn kernels in the hopper  166  reach a height associated with the sensor. As such, the augers  172 ,  174  are configured to activate and direct the corn kernels in the hopper  166  to the chute  168  for discharge before the hopper  166  substantially fills with corn kernels (and before the augers  172 ,  174  themselves are covered with corn kernels). In doing so, the augers  172 ,  174  are configured to each rotate at a relatively slow speed of about 1,400 rpm to direct the kernels to the chute  168  (e.g., via larger sprockets  178  coupled to drive shafts thereof, etc.), where the kernels are then transferred by the chute  168  from the combine harvester  100  to another container (e.g., a truck, a cart, etc.). It should be appreciated that in one or more embodiments, the container to which the corn kernels are transferred does not include an auger (e.g., the container will not include an auger cart, etc.). 
     In turn, the corn kernels collected from the combine harvester  100  are transferred to a processing facility where they are dried in a drier and then, once dry, stored as bulk dry shell seed corn (in this example).  FIG. 12  illustrates an example corn ear drier  200  that may be used to dry the corn kernels collected from the combine harvester  100 . Batches of corn kernels to be dried are positioned in chambers  202  of the corn ear drier  200  (e.g., on one or more layered drying surfaces, etc.). And, the corn kernels are arranged in batches in the chambers  202  to help facilitate all of the corn kernels in the batches having substantially the same moisture content. For instance, and without limitation, the corn kernels may be arranged in batches having width dimensions of about 25 feet, length dimensions of about 25 feet, and height (or thickness) dimensions of about 4 feet, etc. That said, the corn ear drier  200  may be configured to process upwards of about 2,500 bushels of seed corn every 12 hours (or upwards of about 210 bushels of seed corn an hour). 
     In connection therewith, at the processing facility, the corn kernels are dried in the corn ear driers at temperatures of less than about 110° F. (e.g., at temperatures between about 95° F. and about 105° F., etc.) to a moisture content of about 14% or less (e.g., about 12%, about 13%, etc.). Such drying may take between about 10 hours and about 25 hours, for example, depending on the moisture content of the corn kernels harvested from the field (e.g., which may be between about 15% and about 25% (e.g., about 25% or less, about 19% or less, etc.) in the above example, etc.) and the desired final moisture content of the corn kernels (e.g., which may be between about 12% and about 14%, etc.). As can be appreciated, when the corn kernels are harvested from the field at a lower moisture content, less time may be required to dry the corn kernels to the final desired moisture content. Once dried, the corn kernels are cleaned (as needed) and stored in a conventional manner for subsequent use, for example, as seed corn, etc. And, the seed corn may then be used to grow additional corn plants such as, for example, those used to produce No. 2 yellow corn (which may then be subsequently harvested and used as feed corn, to product ethanol, etc.). 
     In various embodiments, the combine harvester  100  may also be configured to provide notifications to users thereof (directly on-board the combine harvester  100 , to remote users, etc.) regarding operational parameters of the combine harvester  100  (e.g., operational speeds of one or more of the augers in the combined harvester  100 , operational speeds of the stalk rollers  108 , operational speeds of the rotor  136 , spacings between the rotor  136  and the housing  134 , operational speeds of the fan  156 , a travel speed of the combine harvester  100 , a flow rate of corn through the combine harvester  100 , etc.). In addition, the combine harvester  100  may be configured to modify or adjust one or more of the operational parameters of the combine harvester  100  based on preset limits or parameters to ensure desired operation. 
     As kernels of corn plants harvested in accordance with the systems and methods herein may have lower moisture contents (e.g., between about 15% and about 25% etc.), than kernels of corn plants harvested by conventional ear pickers, less time and resources may be required to dry the kernels of corn to desired moisture contents (e.g., which may be between about 12% and about 14%, etc.). For instance, as noted above, drying kernels of corn harvested in accordance with the systems and methods herein to such desired moisture contents may take between about 10 hours and about 25 hours (e.g., about 25 hours or less, about 15 hours or less, about 11 hours or less, about 10 hours, etc.). By contrast, drying entire ears of corn harvested by conventional ear pickers may take upwards of 80 hours or more. What&#39;s more, by way of the present disclosure, additional shelling operations are not required to obtain the kernels of corn (as would still be required for the dried ears of corn harvested by conventional ear pickers). 
     By way of the above example operation of the combine harvester  100 , a generally consistent flow of corn is provided to and through the combine harvester  100  for processing (to form seed corn). For example, operating the combine harvester at the rate of about 3.5 mph together with operating the stalk rollers  108  of the corn header  102  at the speed of about 1,120 rpm provides a particular flow of ears of corn into the combine harvester, which is then matched by the particular operating parameters identified above for the feeder unit  112 , threshing unit  132 , separating unit  144 , elevator  164 , and augers  172 ,  174 , etc. As such, the particular parameters identified above, in combination, provide for the consistent flow of material to and through the combine harvester  100 , thereby essentially keeping the combine harvester  100  (and each of the units, components, etc. therein) full of such material during the operation. This, in turn, helps inhibit damage to the corn kernels as they pass through the combine harvester. 
     In addition, by the above example operation, a time from which the ears of corn are picked by the combine harvester  100  to a time the kernels are stored as seed corn may take about 25 hours or less. This is significantly quicker than the time required for similar operations using corn ear pickers (which can take upwards of 80 hours or more to complete from the time the ears of corn are picked to the time the kernels are removed from the ears and stored as seed corn). What&#39;s more, fewer resources are required to subsequently process the separated kernels (as compared to processing intact ears of corn provided from conventional corn ear pickers), not only in the elimination of the need for separate de-husking and shelling equipment but also in the need of fewer transport trucks, fewer driers (and shorter dry times, as discussed more below), etc. As such, a substantial savings in costs may be realized by implementation of the combine harvester  100 , in the manner described, to harvest corn plants in connection with seed production processes or programs (e.g., where the collected corn kernels are subsequently used as seed to grow further corn plants, etc.). 
     In various implementations of the above operation, the field in which the combine harvester  100  is directed for harvesting corn plants (as part of the seed corn production process, for example) may be selected based on moisture content of the corn kernels of the corn plants in the field. In connection therewith, it has been found that harvesting corn plants in which the corn kernels have moisture contents of about 25% or less (e.g., between about 15% and about 25% (e.g., about 19%, etc.), etc.), in accordance with the above example operation of the combine harvester  100  (to product seed corn), may improve corn kernel yield from the harvested corn plants as well as quality of the resulting corn kernels (e.g., it may inhibit damage to and/or loss of corn kernels, etc.) (e.g., as compared to harvesting the corn plants at a similar moisture contents using conventional corn ear pickers, etc.). In particular, the inventors hereof have found that harvesting corn plants in which the corn kernels have moisture contents exceeding 25%, using combine harvesters in general, has a negative impact on both cold and warm germination (or viability) of the corn kernels (even though such higher moisture contents are advantageous when harvesting with corn ear pickers). For instance, at moisture contents above 25%, the corn kernels are more tightly attached to the cobs, thus requiring more aggressive rotor speeds in the threshing units of the combine harvesters and/or smaller concave settings (e.g., smaller spacings between the concaves and the rotors, etc.) in order to remove the corn kernels from the cobs. However, this can result in damage to the corn kernels, or an ineffective removal of the corn kernels from the cobs. At moisture contents of less than about 25%, though, the inventors hereof have found that the kernels can be removed from the cobs with less effort, for example, within the threshing unit  132  of the combine harvester  100  (in the manner described above), and thus with less damage to the kernels. 
     Tables 1 and 2 illustrate results from an example operation of the combine harvester  100 , in harvesting corn plants at three different moisture contents (i.e., about 23.8%, about 20.5%, and about 18.9%). In so doing, three samples of corn plants were analyzed at each of the three different moisture contents. As shown in Table 1, both cold and warm germination of the resulting corn kernels were highest for the samples at which the moisture content, at harvest, was about 18.9%. Lower cold germination and warm germination rates were exhibited for corn plants harvested at higher moisture contents (which, in some examples, may not satisfy certain defined benchmarks, etc.). And, as shown in Table 2, percentages of corn kernels recovered (i.e., corn kernel yield) from the harvested corn plants were highest for the samples at which the moisture content, at harvest, was about 18.9%. 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
             
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Harvest Moisture Content 
                 Cold Germination 
                 Warm Germination 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                 23.8% 
                 68% 
                 75% 
               
               
                 20.5% 
                 85% 
                 94% 
               
               
                 18.9% 
                 96% 
                 98% 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Harvest Moisture Content 
                 Recovered Seed (Yield) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
                 23.8% 
                 95.3% 
               
               
                   
                 20.5% 
                 96.2% 
               
               
                   
                 18.9% 
                 97.7% 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     Table 3 illustrates example allowable visible damage as achieved in connection with the above operation of the combine harvester  100 , in harvesting corn plants at different moisture contents ranging from about 12% to about 19%. As shown, visible damage (as a percentage of seeds harvested from a field) to the resulting corn kernels generally decreased as the moisture content, at harvest, decreased (e.g., visible cracks in the corn kernels after exposure to an iodine solution decreased, etc.). 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                 TABLE 3 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Harvest Moisture Content 
                 Mechanical Damage (Visible) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
                 19% 
                 6% 
               
               
                   
                 18% 
                 5% 
               
               
                   
                 17% 
                 4% 
               
               
                   
                 16% 
                 4% 
               
               
                   
                 15% 
                 3% 
               
               
                   
                 14% 
                 3% 
               
               
                   
                 13% 
                 2% 
               
               
                   
                 12% 
                 2% 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     With that said, an example operation for measuring moisture content of corn kernels of corn plants in a field, in connection with determining whether or not to harvest the corn plants in the field (for seed corn) by way of the above example operation of the combine harvester  100 , is described next. Here, the moisture content of the corn kernels is measured using near-infrared spectroscopy (wherein moisture in the corn kernels absorbs certain wavelengths of light and wherein the amount of such wavelength absorption provides an indication of the amount of moisture in the corn kernel). In particular, in measuring the moisture content of the corn kernels, a portable device (e.g., as available from Perten Instruments, etc.) is used to obtain multiple measurements from at least three different locations in the field (e.g., at least about 24 measurements at each location, etc.). Then, in this example, when at least 90% of the measurements at each location indicate that the corn plants in the field have moisture content readings of about 19% or less, the field is designated to be harvested by the combine harvester  100 . If this benchmark value of 19% is not satisfied, the corn kernels are allowed to further dry and subsequent testing operations may be performed until at least 90% of the measurements indicate that the corn kernels of the corn plants in the field have moisture content readings of about 19% or less. That said, it should be appreciated that in other examples, the benchmark moisture content utilized in connection with determining whether or not to harvest corn plants in a field by way of the above example operation of the combine harvester  100  may be different than 19%. For instance, the benchmark moisture content may be a moisture content that is less than about 25%, a moisture content of about 23%, a moisture content of about 22%, a moisture content within a range of about 15% to about 25%, particular values and/or ranges therebetween, etc.). 
     As described above, harvesting corn plants by way of the above example operation of the combine harvester  100  (to produce a bulk supply of seed corn), at the moisture contents of about 25% or lower (e.g., about 19%, etc.), may provide for improved germination of the resulting corn kernels. As such, through the above operation, the combine harvester  100  may be viewed as generally preserving or protecting germination viability of the resulting corn kernels harvested thereby, in that a predominant number of harvested corn kernels (e.g., greater than about 50% (in general) of the corn kernels harvested from a field by the combine harvester  100 , greater than about 70% of the corn kernels harvested from a field by the combine harvester  100 , greater than about 80% of the corn kernels harvested from a field by the combine harvester  100 , greater than about 90% of the corn kernels harvested from a field by the combine harvester  100 , etc.) (as a defined benchmark, etc.) remain viable after harvesting and can be grown from the corn kernels into corn plants (e.g., into corn plants used to product No. 2 yellow corn, etc.). 
     For instance, in one example, through the above operation, the combine harvester  100  may be viewed as generally preserving or protecting germination viability of the resulting corn kernels harvested thereby, in that greater than about 75% (e.g., at least about 80% or greater, at least about 84% or greater, etc.), for cold germination, of the corn kernels harvested from a field by the combine harvester  100  remain viable after harvesting and can be grown from the corn kernels into corn plants (e.g., into corn plants used to product No. 2 yellow corn, etc.). In connection therewith, the cold germination rate generally represents seed viability under less than optimum growing conditions, such as those that may occur in a field (e.g., wet/cold environments, etc.), and generally represents seed vigor. For instance, an example test for cold germination includes growing seeds in a lab environment at about 60° F. or less, for 5-7 days, and then counting seeds that germinate (e.g., of a representative sample of 100 such seeds, etc.). In another example, through the above operation, the combine harvester  100  may be viewed as generally preserving or protecting germination viability of the resulting corn kernels harvested thereby, in that greater than about 75% (e.g., at least about 90% or greater, at least about 94% or greater, at least about 95% or greater, etc.), for warm germination, of the corn kernels harvested from a field by the combine harvester  100 , etc.) remain viable after harvesting and can be grown from the corn kernels into corn plants (e.g., into corn plants used to product No. 2 yellow corn, etc.). In connection therewith, the warm germination rate generally represents seed viability under optimum conditions and generally represent maximum germination levels. An example test for warm germination includes growing seeds in a lab environment at about 77° F., for 5-7 days, and then counting seeds that germinate (e.g., of a representative sample of 100 such seeds, etc.). 
     With that said, in connection with harvesting corn plants at moisture contents of about 25% or less (e.g., about 19% or less, etc.) to produce a bulk supply of seed corn, the corn plants must remain in the field longer in order to achieve the lower moisture content (as compared to harvesting the corn plants using conventional corn ear pickers, at which the corn plants can be harvested earlier at higher moisture contents between about 32% and about 38%). This additional time over which the corn plants remain in the field may be upwards of about two to three weeks (e.g., about 14 days to about 21 days, etc.), and may extend into colder seasons in some regions. In that time, as can be appreciated, risks may increase for damage to the corn plants (e.g., weather damage, bug damage, mold damage, etc.). As such, while certain improvements may be achieved by use of the combine harvester  100  herein (as described above), in harvesting corn plants when the moisture contents of the corn kernels of the corn plants is about 25% or less, substantial added risks are also present in the extended time the corn plants must remain in the fields before they are harvested. 
     In connection with the above implementations of the combine harvester  100 , in one or more embodiments the field in which the combine harvester  100  is directed for harvesting corn plants (as part of the seed corn production process) may further be prequalified (or predetermined) based on one or more characteristics of the corn plants in the field (whereby moisture content of the prequalified corn plants may then be monitored in the example manner described above, in order to achieve the benchmark moisture content of about 25% or less, etc.). In such implementations, if the corn plants in the field do not satisfy the one or more characteristics, the corn plants may instead be harvested by way of conventional processes (e.g., by use of corn ear pickers at higher moisture contents of about 32%, etc.). Characteristics that can be used to prequalify corn plants for harvesting by the combine harvester  100 , in the manner described herein, may include one or more of size and/or shape of corn kernels of corn plants, strength of stalks of the corn plants, and/or types of the corn plants, etc. 
     For instance, corn plants having corn kernels with generally larger sizes (e.g., seeds classified as large round (AR2), etc.) have been found to exhibit lower germination percentages, in general. As such, in some examples, fields having corn plants with such larger corn kernels may not be selected (or prequalified) for harvesting by way of the above operations. Similarly, corn kernels having generally rounded shapes (verses generally flat shapes) have been found to exhibit more visible damage following harvesting by the combine harvester  100  (e.g., such seeds may bounce around more in the combine harvester  100  during processing, etc.). As such, in some examples, fields having corn plants with such generally round corn kernels (e.g., corn plants having about 40% or more round corn kernels, etc.) may not be selected (or prequalified) for harvesting by way of the above operations. Instead, in such fields having corn plants with larger corn kernels and/or corn kernels with generally rounded shapes, the fields may be harvested by conventional corn ear pickers, at conventional moisture contents of about 32% to about 38%. 
     In addition, certain hybrids of corn plants that are known to be suitable for or receptive of salt spray (e.g., Defol®, etc.) may be selected (or prequalified) for harvesting by way of the above operations, to allow for increasing dry down rates of the corn plants in the field (e.g., to help achieve moisture contents of about 25% or less sooner than naturally waiting, etc.) and help expedite harvesting of the corn plants (e.g., to help stay ahead of frost risks in some regions, etc.). Similarly, hybrids that are known to have high de-husk loss maybe selected for harvesting by way of the above operations, to help inhibit yield loss, and corn plants having good standability (or stalk strength) may also be selected (or prequalified). And, hybrids having germination rates that are known to be about 90% or greater, for example, may be selected (or prequalified) for harvesting by way of the above operations. However, when such hybrids are not present in the fields, the corn plants may instead be harvested again by conventional corn ear pickers, at conventional moisture contents of about 32%. 
     Further, corn plants that express or exhibit a likelihood for ear mold or other disease may not be selected for harvesting by way of the above operations. Instead, such corn plants may be selected for earlier harvest by way of conventional corn ear pickers (in order minimize exposure of the corn plant to the ear molds or other diseases and recover as much viable seed as possible from the corn plants). 
     The combine harvester  100  and the operations described herein may be implemented as part of a seed corn production program. In so doing, certain corn plants and/or fields of corn plants included in the program may be prequalified (as described above) for harvesting by the combine harvester  100  and the operations described herein (e.g., in view of the reduction in required resources (and potential cost savings) associated therewith, etc.). However, only a percentage of the prequalified corn plants and/or fields may actually be harvested by the combine harvester  100  and the operations described herein, based on the added risk involved in leaving the corn plants in the fields longer (in order to achieve the lower moisture contents required to implement the combine harvester  100 ). In so doing, a balance may then be derived between the cost savings associated with the operations described herein, and the added risks, whereby a predefined percentage may be implemented for the prequalified corn plants and/or fields. In other words, the seed corn production program may only harvest the predefined percentage of prequalified corn plants and/or fields by way of the combine harvester  100  and the operations described herein, and then harvest the remaining prequalified corn plants and/or fields by way of conventional corn ear pickers (at higher moisture contents and thus at soon times). In so doing, the predefined percentage may be about 10%, about 20%, about 30%, about 40%, about 50%, about 75%, about 80%, etc. 
     As described, the combine harvester  100  and the operations described herein may be used to produce a bulk supply of seed corn. The seed corn, then, may be used to cultivate subsequent corn plants, which product No. 2 yellow corn (e.g., for use as feed, to product ethanol, etc.). In some examples, the particular corn plants identified for harvesting for producing such seed corn are initially identified as corn plants that produce seed corn (e.g., where the corn plants are a specific hybrid of corn plants that product seed corn, etc.). And, in connection therewith, the seed corn in general may include corn kernels having particular qualities, sizes, shapes, densities, etc. (which thereby may be used to identify the corn kernels as seed corn versus No. 2 yellow corn, etc.). For instance, a bulk supply of seed corn may include corn kernels having a particular (or threshold) germination rate (e.g., a warm germination of at least about 90% and/or a cold germination of at least about 80%, etc.). A bulk supply of seed corn may also (or alternatively) include corn kernels having a particular density, such as a density sufficient for about 80,000 kernels to weight about 35 pounds. Further, a bulk supply of seed corn may (or alternatively) include particular size/shape classifications, such as either large round (AR2), medium round (AR), large flat (AF2), and/or medium flat (AF). 
     In some embodiments (and without limitation), the combine harvester  100  and the operations described herein may be used to harvest corn plants that have been de-tasseled (e.g., female plants, etc.). For instance, the field may be initially planted with multiple rows of corn plants, but where the corn plants in several of the rows are subsequently de-tasseled. Then, following pollination, the rows of de-tasseled corn plants (and, in some implementations, only the rows of de-tasseled corn plants) are harvested as described herein (for use in bulking up a supply of seed corn). 
     In some embodiments, the combine harvester  100  and operations described herein may be used as part of optimizing harvesting operations for a network of fields and associated resources. For instance, the combine harvester  100  may be included in the network as an economical harvesting option to produce seed corn in a manner that utilizes fewer resources than seed corn produced by conventional ear picking operations. In addition, the combine harvester  100  and operations described herein may enable seed corn production in areas not previously possible, due to the improved efficiency and economics associated with the combine harvester  100  (e.g., fewer resources are required to transport the seed corn, dry the seed corn, etc.). Further, by way of such the improved efficiency and economics, the combine harvester  100  and operations described herein may enable harvesting of corn together with other crops (e.g., soybeans, etc.). Moreover, the combine harvester  100  and operations described herein may be implemented to harvest a desired (or target) portion (e.g., a threshold amount, or threshold portion, or threshold percentage, etc.) of an overall harvest in the network of fields. For instance, based on the above, specific fields of corn plants (in the network of fields) (e.g., one or more of the fields in the network of fields, etc.) may be targeted (and monitored) for harvest by the combine harvester (by way of the above operations), at planting, at a start of a harvest period, earlier, later, etc., whereby in sum the harvested plants from the specific fields represent the desired (or target) portion of the overall harvest in the network of fields. In connection therewith, the desired (or target) portion may be about 5% or more, about 10% or more, about 15% or more, about 20% or more, about 25% or more, about 30% or more, about 35% or more, about 40% or more, about 50% or more, about 75% or more, percentages therebetween, etc. of the overall harvest in the network of fields. 
     In one example embodiment of the present disclosure, a method is provided for producing seed corn for use in growing corn plants. The method generally includes removing, by a combine harvester, ears of corn from corn plants in a field; separating the corn kernels from cobs of the ears of corn onboard the combine harvester while in the field; and collecting, by the combine harvester, a supply of the separated corn kernels for use as seed corn. In this example embodiment, in some implementations, cold germination of the collected supply of corn kernels may be at least about 75% (and, more particularly, at least about 84%), and warm germination of the collected supply of corn kernels may be at least about 75% (and, more particularly, at least about 94%). 
     In addition in this example embodiment, removing the ears of corn from the corn plants in the field may include removing the ears of corn from the corn plants in the field when a moisture content of corn kernels on the ears of the corn plants is about 25% or lower. 
     Further in this example embodiment, collecting the supply of the separated corn kernels may include collecting the supply of the separated corn kernels in a bin onboard the combine harvester. And, the example method may then additionally include transferring the collected corn kernels from the bin onboard the combine harvester to at least one dryer; drying the transferred corn kernels at the at least one dryer; and storing the dried corn kernels. 
     The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     Example embodiments have been provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, assemblies, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail. 
     Specific dimensions, specific materials, and/or specific shapes disclosed herein are example in nature and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure herein of particular values and particular ranges of values for given parameters are not exclusive of other values and ranges of values that may be useful in one or more of the examples disclosed herein. Moreover, it is envisioned that any two particular values for a specific parameter stated herein may define the endpoints of a range of values that may be suitable for the given parameter (i.e., the disclosure of a first value and a second value for a given parameter can be interpreted as disclosing that any value between the first and second values could also be employed for the given parameter). For example, if Parameter X is exemplified herein to have value A and also exemplified to have value Z, it is envisioned that parameter X may have a range of values from about A to about Z. Similarly, it is envisioned that disclosure of two or more ranges of values for a parameter (whether such ranges are nested, overlapping or distinct) subsume all possible combination of ranges for the value that might be claimed using endpoints of the disclosed ranges. For example, if parameter Xis exemplified herein to have values in the range of 1-10, or 2-9, or 3-8, it is also envisioned that Parameter X may have other ranges of values including 1-9, 1-8, 1-3, 1-2, 2-10, 2-8, 2-3, 3-10, and 3-9. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed. 
     When an element or layer is referred to as being “on”, “engaged to”, “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to”, “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” and the phrase “at least one of” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, seeds, members and/or sections, these elements, components, seeds, members and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, seed, member or section from another element, component, seed, member or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, seed, member or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, seed, member or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments. 
     Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature&#39;s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.