Abstract
Yield mapping, to date, has been achieved principally by the use of grain flow measuring systems in conjunction with ground positioning systems (GPS) that can be permanently fitted to combine harvesters. Mobile or tractor mounted GPS systems are now becoming available so presenting the opportunity to use different sources of information for crop yield data. A yield mapping system has been developed for use in non-grain crops (i.e. roots and forage) using the measurement of mass accumulation rate. The concept was realised by instrumenting a high-sided trailer to allow the rate of accumulation of crop mass to be recorded as the trailer follows the harvester. The location of the trailer is recorded using a differential GPS with a linked data set to log the position and the processed mass information. To remove unwanted noise due to trailer pitch, roll and yaw, and the tractor engine vibrations, the crop mass data are conditioned using a combination of analogue signal filtering and subsequent numerical processing. The results of field harvests for which yield maps were produced give confidence that the principle of mass accumulation rate can be used in a range of harvesting machines and trailers. A yield map obtained for a forage crop showed a mean yield of 32.8 t/ha with a range from 26 to 35 t/ha. The mean yield values from the yield map and from samples measured by batch harvesting were not significantly different. Yield maps for single crops of sugar beet and potatoes showed yields between 11 and 68 t/ha (mean 49 t/ha) and between 10 and 50 t/ha (mean 35.9 t/ha), respectively. For the sugar beet crop there was no significant difference between the mean yield values for batch weighed samples and recorded yield map values.
Published Version
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