Abstract
The aim of this work was to develop a yield mapping system for vegetables. A harvest assistance equipment was modified and instrumented to obtain yield maps. Instrumentation consisted in the implementation of a mass accumulation rate measurement system, which was used to determine weight of harvested broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica Plenck), a sensor of distance travelled to determine harvested area and a Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine position of harvested area within the field. Results found in evaluation purpose tests of the yield mapping system showed an error of less than 2.69% in the weight data and 1.49% in the area data, whereas in yield mapping tests, the system worked properly without interfering with the harvesting methodology employed for field workers. Also, the comparison of yield maps obtained with the two GPSs of different precision, confirmed that the less precise and lower cost GPS can be used to map yield. In the future, the yield mapping system can be used to assess the causes of yield variability and field workers performance.
Highlights
Precision farming comprises a set of technologies and techniques that allow farm enterprises to improve management by considering spatial variability (Blackmore, 1996)
Several systems and methodologies have been developed for non combinable crops, including: a non-grain crops yield sensing system developed using the measurement of mass accumulation rate (Godwin and Wheeler, 1997); a sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L. var. saccharifera Alef) yield sensing system based on flow rate, developed in the US (Hofman et al, 1995); a continuous mass flow yield monitor for tomato developed in the US (Pelletier and Upadhyaya, 1999)
The greatest difference found between electronic scale data and yield mapping system data expressed as percentage of error was 3.76%
Summary
Precision farming comprises a set of technologies and techniques that allow farm enterprises to improve management by considering spatial variability (Blackmore, 1996). One of these technologies is the yield mapping system. Several systems and methodologies have been developed for non combinable crops, including: a non-grain crops yield sensing system developed using the measurement of mass accumulation rate (Godwin and Wheeler, 1997); a sugar beet According to SAGARPA (2005), from 2000 to 2002 the annual production has exceeded 500,000 tons worth over 190 million dollars These crops are important in Guanajuato, where the cultivated area with these crops represents more than 50% of the cultivated area with these crops in Mexico, and a high percentage of this production is being exported. The yield mapping system was used to obtain yield maps for broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica Plenck) fields
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