Patent ID: 8667769

Claim:
A harvesting machine comprising: a drive, control and harvest collection unit; a row crop header attached to the unit, the row crop header including a plurality of row divider snoots spaced apart from one another along a width of the row crop header the row divider snoots having a longitudinal axis, a pair of stalk rolls associated with each pair of adjacent row divider snoots, the pair of stalk rolls having a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the row divider snoot, a pair of residue guides associated with each pair of stalk rolls, a plurality of fluid distribution lines and a corresponding plurality of spray tips, each spray tip terminating a corresponding line of the plurality of fluid distribution lines; and at least one tank for holding a reservoir of liquid biodegrading agent, the at least one tank being adapted for coupling to the plurality of fluid distribution lines; and wherein each pair of stalk rolls is located between a corresponding pair of adjacent row divider snoots to define a narrow region between the pair of stalk rolls and each pair of residue guides is located adjacent to a corresponding pair of stalk rolls with one residue guide on an outer side of each pair of stalk rolls outside of the narrow region defined between the pair of stalk rolls and rearward of the corresponding pair of adjacent row divider snoots, each residue guide extending downwardly from an underside of a frame of the row crop header, such that harvest residue from each crop row, that has been harvested by the harvesting machine, is guided by a corresponding pair of residue guides and stalk rolls into a strip that is left on the ground behind the harvesting machine in the location of the harvested crop row; and each spray tip of the plurality of spray tips is mounted in proximity to a corresponding pair of residue guides and directed to spray the liquid biodegrading agent onto the harvest residue between the residue guides.