A yield monitor on your harvester gives you the opportunity to collect data with very little effort during the busy harvest season. Later, when you have more time, you can make yield maps and determine where high and low yielding areas are located. This will help you for instance in deciding where to take soil samples or which varieties performed best in certain locations. More importantly, you can now compare this information, from year to year, against soil test data and other known facts about your fields to determine the results of changes in your management (e.g. lime application and variety selection).
WHY PURCHASE A YIELD MONITOR?
Accurate, Reliable, Economical
The Greentronics Yield Monitor system is specifically designed for vegetable and
root crop harvesters. The system, when connected to a Differential Global Positioning
System receiver, collects all the relevant data needed to produce detailed yield
maps with popular mapping software. When purchased without DGPS, the monitor in the
tractor cab still provides on-
Yield monitors require a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) receiver. Units are available from Greentronics as well as from many alternate sources. Every DGPS includes an antenna to receive signals from satellites and a reference beacon to accurately determine the location of the harvester in the field.
To transfer data from the cab computer, simply connect to the small transfer unit included in the system. Next, connect the transfer unit to your PC via the supplied serial cable and copy data to the hard drive using the supplied software.
Components of the system are designed for long-
USING THE YIELD MONITOR
Once the system is installed on your harvester, set it up for your harvesting equipment by following display menus to enter number of rows picked up with each pass, row width and field name. Next, calibrate the system with a small test weight or if it is possible, with a weighed truckload. Again, simply follow the steps shown on your monitor. You can now begin accumulating yield data.
Data from each field or portions of a field can be imported into any popular mapping program to produce yield maps. You will be surprised at the range of variability within each field. Case studies show this can easily exceed 400%! Often elevation (creates "dry" and "wet" areas), water holding capacity (influenced by soil texture, structure, and organic matter content), and pH gradients play a large role.
Photo 1: Potato harvester (Grimme model GBS1700)
1. Position of load cells
2. Speed sensor for conveyor
3. Speed sensor for ground speed
4. Position of Integrator unit
5. Computer/display unit in cab
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
High precision, durable load cells are mounted to support carrying rollers beneath one of the conveyors in the harvester. In many cases the final truck elevator (see number 1 in photo of potato harvester) is used. Load cells may also be mounted in grading tables. Actual crop weights are measured continuously. Signal strength from the cells directly corresponds to the crop weight on the conveyor. Speed sensors are installed to measure conveyor speed (number 2) and ground speed (number 3). A small sealed box on the harvester contains the data integrator (number 4). It collects all the signals for output to the display in the tractor cab and for data storage in the cab computer (number 5).
One of the most popular and effective ways of using DGPS based yield and soil test data is for pH management. A variable rate lime applicator equipped with DGPS and loaded with your field information, can apply the correct amount of lime in each area, rather than one rate for the whole field based on an average pH for that field. This is a very effective method in controlling the pH gradient in a field. It may also produce significant cost savings.
Over time, you may find areas that simply will not respond to certain fertilizer rates. You can use that information to reduce your fertilizer bill. Conversely, you may find other areas where yield responds very well to additional fertilizer. Improved yields add to the bottom line!
The monitor is designed for easy and quick removal from the tractor and installation on a conveyor. This will enable you to collect weight data for trucks unloaded into or loaded from the storage bins.
(c) Copyright Greentronics, 2009
