TECHNLOGY: Dag Saether’s dream about creating an ecologically pure farm in Ukraine was not just a pastime for him. But every cloud has a silver lining. When construction of the prototype and Ukrainian version of Debio faced sabotage, Saether occasionally found a machine which sorts grain by very simple principle: by the weight.

- Machine picks out grain under the influence of gravitation with the help of air flow – says Saether.

AIR FLOW
In practice it works like this: grain hits the grid and then gets to the air flow made by the fan. Grain with the biggest weight will fly in the lower part of the air flow, and with the lightest - in the upper part. There is 9 exits in total in the smallest machine that Saether has brought to Norway. Levers that define the quantity of grain in each fraction are set manually. The smallest machine has productivity from 2 to 4 tons per hour depending on what is being cleaned. Manufacturer, SPC "Aeromeh", offers grain cleaning machines separator of 12 different sizes, and the biggest model has productivity of 150 tons of grain per hour.

Of course this machine can be used for raising the quality of cereal crops, from fodder to food, however Dag Saether thinks that it will be the most useful in seed grain processing

Tests that were conducted in Ukraine have shown that air-separation of seed grain gives good results in germination and sprouting ability. From the initial material of wheat weighting 2,7 tons on hectare the machine while using the best fractions makes it possible to raise crop capacity on ten tons from the hectare. There were also held researches in contamination by the causative agents, which have shown that in the best fractions it is possible to reduce it on 80 percent.

TESTS IN NORWAY
First test of the grain cleaning machine separator in Norway were conducted last year and continued in this year. Tests were conducted under the direction of Consulting agricultural council of Norway and Biological Sciences University (UMB). One of the tests was conducted by professor Helge Skinnes from the UMB university. In this rest two batches of oats were artificially infected, one batch very much, the other one – moderately.

- There were conducted no tests oats in Ukraine so we had poor hopes on the successful result, because the infection was under the oats' peel. However, contrary to all misgivings it occurred that in the best fractions of more infected grain germinating ability doubled. Germinating ability of the moderately infected oats has risen on 60 percent, while in the best fractions – on 80. The biggest question that we now have – is it somehow affecting the microtoxins. We have sent samples to the USA for analysis, but did not receive the answer yet – says Dag Saether.

REASONABLE PRICE
Ecofarms got the rights for importing grain cleaning machines separators in Norway. He thinks that the price on the smallest machine will probably be about 36 000 krones.

- In the first place I see the biggest potential in using of this equipment in the ecological agriculture, however everybody will profit from advancing and improving of own seeds. Or it is possible to use machine for raising the quality of seeds that are being supplied. According to Dag Saether some will be able to repay this machine just during a year.