Harvest Machinery Use methodology

Calculate emissions due to fuel combustion from harvesting with machinery.

Overview

Quantifies emissions due to harvesting events associated with the measured crop. This methodology considers the type of crop being harvested which is then associated with the type of machinery used. This is inclusive of any cover crop in the same measurement period/reporting period as the measured crop. 

Limitations

This methodology does not include the actual production of the machinery or maintenance.

This activity’s methodology does not include all crops when there is speciality machinery used. Likewise, the emissions factor value generated for this activity for these crops will be null. See detailed mapping below. 

Does not include the following harvesting activities. 

• pre harvest swathers or rotary windrower common in small grains or in situational years (e.g. due to weather)

• post harvest drying

• post harvest silage processing

• loading for off farm transport

• trailer use along side a harvester due to limited emissions availability only in the US

• post harvest storage for any period of time

Today there is no distinction given for reduction events and machinery type used, like for hay, silage or root vegetables.

User Inputs

For each measurement there are inputs required. In the case that the user cannot provide the inputs then Regrow will default them.

• Assumes 1 harvest event per crop, including cover crops.

  • For example, if wheat is planted/harvested and a cover crop is planted/terminated during the reporting/measured period. Then, there will be two harvest events assumed in this logic: one for the wheat and one for the cover crop. 

• Assumes harvesting ground crop emissions coefficiences for crops like melons, pumpkins, peas, etc (see below), as Ecoinvent does not provide a specific value for these crop's harvest/picking/reaping in their machinery data sets or production activities exchanges.