# Swather > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Swather > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Swather.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swather > Source revision: 1277404869 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Harvesting machine [MacDon](/source/MacDon_Industries_Ltd.) swather New Holland Haybine H8040 self-propelled swather A **swather** (North America), or **windrower** (Australia and rest of world), is a [farm](/source/Farm) implement that cuts [hay](/source/Hay) or small [grain](/source/Cereal) [crops](/source/Crop) and forms them into a [windrow](/source/Windrow) for drying. Crimper rollers and cutting discs They may be self-propelled with an [engine](/source/Internal_combustion_engine), or drawn by a [tractor](/source/Tractor) and [power take-off](/source/Power_take-off) powered.[1] A swather uses a reciprocating [sickle bar](/source/Mower#Sickle_mower) or rotating [discs](/source/Mower#Rotary_mower) to sever the crop stems.[2] The reel helps cut crop fall neatly onto a [canvas](/source/Conveyor_belt) or [auger](/source/Screw_conveyor) conveyor which deposits it into a windrow with stems aligned and supported above the ground by the stubble.[3] A swather does the same task for hay crops as hand [scything](/source/Scythe), cradling and swathing, or [mowing](/source/Mower) and [raking](/source/Hay_rake).[4] Horizontal rollers behind the cutters may be used to crimp or [condition](/source/Conditioner_(farming)) the stems of hay crops to decrease drying time.[5] For grains, as [combines](/source/Combine_harvester) replaced [threshing machines](/source/Threshing_machine), the swather introduced an optional step in the harvesting process to provide for the drying time that [binding](/source/Reaper-binder) formerly afforded.[6]: 212–217 Swathing is still more common in the northern United States and Canada than regions with longer growing seasons where standing grain crops can be harvested directly by combines. Some modern crop varieties capable of rapid maturity have reduced the need for swathing grains even in the north.[7] As well as accelerating drying of the ripe grain, windrowing the whole of the growing crop provides for a consistent ripening and dehydration of stalk and green weeds to assist in effective post threshing winnowing and separation of the grain and other material.[8] Alternatively, chemical desiccation of weedy or irregularly ripe standing crops with [glyphosate](/source/Glyphosate), [paraquat](/source/Paraquat) or [diquat](/source/Diquat) has been used to enable direct combining.[9] A swather is the mascot of sports teams at Hesston High School in [Hesston, Kansas](/source/Hesston%2C_Kansas).[10] Hesston is home to [AGCO Corporation](/source/AGCO_Corporation) swather and combine harvester manufacturing plants.[11] ## See also - [Crop Desiccation](/source/Crop_Desiccation) - [List of agricultural machinery](/source/List_of_agricultural_machinery) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Andrews, James (July 12, 2022). ["Honey Bee swather expands cropping options for Hants grower"](https://www.fwi.co.uk/machinery/harvest-equipment/headers/honey-bee-swather-expands-cropping-options-for-hants-grower). *Farmers Weekly*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Rankin, Mike (April 17, 2018). ["The disappearing sickle bar mower"](https://hayandforage.com/article-1912-the-disappearing-sickle-bar-mower.html). *Hay and Forage Grower*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Thauberger, J C. ["Windrower Operation"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170307012906/http://pami.ca/pdfs/reports_research_updates/(4i)%20Miscellaneous/157.PDF) (PDF). *Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute*. Archived from [the original](https://pami.ca/pdfs/reports_research_updates/(4i)%2520Miscellaneous/157.PDF) (PDF) on March 7, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["How to make hay with a scythe history of haymaking"](https://www.sewhistorically.com/how-to-make-hay-with-a-scythe-history-of-haymaking/). *Sew Historically*. March 7, 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Eddie, Andrew (September 5, 2019). ["Don't let weather rain on your parade"](https://hayandforage.com/article-2652-don%E2%80%99t-let-weather-rain-on-your-parade.html). *Hay and Forage*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** McCormick, Cyrus Hall III (1931), [*The Century of the Reaper*](https://books.google.com/books?id=jryrMgEACAAJ), Houghton Mifflin, [LCCN](/source/LCCN_(identifier)) [31009940](https://lccn.loc.gov/31009940), [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [559717](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/559717). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["The art of swathing becoming less common"](https://www.grandforksherald.com/business/the-art-of-swathing-becoming-less-common). *Grand Forks Herald*. October 19, 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Fawcett, Tony (November 17, 2017). ["Direct heading v windrowing"](https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/machine/crop-gear/direct-heading-v-windrowing/news-story/712543eb86e5ce624a194ef2795447fe). *The Weekly Times*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Grichar, James; Dotray, Peter A; Langham, Derald Ray (2020). ["Effects of Harvest Aids on Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Drydown and Maturity"](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339271467). Intech – via ResearchGate. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Home"](https://hs.hesstonschools.org/). *Hesston High Schools*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220124010803/https://hs.hesstonschools.org/) from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Agco Hesston plant identified as covid 19 cluster for second time"](https://www.farm-equipment.com/articles/19208-agco-hesston-plant-identified-as-covid-19-cluster-for-second-time). *Farm Equipment*. March 10, 2021. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230104053317/https://www.farm-equipment.com/articles/19208-agco-hesston-plant-identified-as-covid-19-cluster-for-second-time) from the original on January 4, 2023. ## External links Media related to [Swathers](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Swathers) at Wikimedia Commons --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Swather](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swather) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swather?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.