Yield Monitors and Their Applications to Today’s Farmer

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Introduction

Yield monitors have been used for a decade but now the applications are being utilized for farmers benefits.

Technology advancements and individual efforts to better yield are key to monitors unlimited future.

Outline

Yield monitor components Yield monitor displays Uses of the monitor Key decisions made with collected data to

better yield and increase profit.

Harvest Setup & Calibration

Components of Yield Monitors

Flow Sensor

Measures grain flow coming off the paddles at top of clean grain elevator

Utilizes load cell technology Polyurethane impact plate Reduces buildup Longer life

Flow Sensor Installation

3\8 to 5\8 inch clearance Once top shaft is adjusted, always adjust chain

tension from the bottom! Check for wear on paddles, impact plate, and

deflector plate.

Clean Grain Elevator Adjustment

Clean Grain Elevator Adjustment

Elevator Mount Unit

Mounts on the side of clean grain elevator for all brands of combines

Quick and Easy installation

Gravity filled chamber through large inlet hole

Elevator Mount Unit

Proximity switch activates auger to exchange grain sample when chamber is full

Constant grain sampling at all flow rates provides an accurate moisture measurement

Moisture Sensor

Mounts on the side of the Elevator Mount

Sensor measures moisture and temperature

Easily calibrated at the monitor

Header Sensor

Turns area counting on and off

Mounts underneath cab Arm attaches to the

feederhouse Stop Height is set from

the cab

Pre-Harvest Checklist

Copy Data to Card and Make Backup

Upgrade Monitor/Modules Clearing Data From Card Clearing Loads/Create New

Season Change/Create Field Names Change Grain Type For

Each Field Set Swath Width Stop Height Calibration Vibration Calibration (For

Each Grain Type) Temperature Calibration Distance Calibration

Calibration Procedure

Use the same weigh scale each time

Harvest four to six loads Record the actual weight for

each Harvest about the same

amount of weight in each load

Best weight is between 3000 and 8000 lbs

Don’t use Semi loads with smaller cal loads

Calibration

Proper calibration can actually be less time consuming than other brand monitors, and the results are typically more accurate

Yield Monitors Utilizes technology to reach higher yields

and lower grower’s cost Increases crop uniformity, the key to

higher yields Helps predict production grades for

targeted markets Helps avoid repeated mistakes:

continuous improvement

John Deere Monitor

www.johndeere.com

Agleader Monitor

www.agleader.com

Higher Yields Lowers Costs

$2.00

$2.40

$2.80

$3.20

70 Bu 80 Bu 90 Bu 100 Bu

ag.systems, July, 2002

$/Bu. To Produce a Bushel of Wheat

Allows the producer to analyze specific practices in a field and on his whole farm and compare it to a community of producers.

We boundary each field, in order to utilize the maps to record anything we do to the field, such as soil or tissue testing.

Capturing a specific set of input variables that are deemed critical by the growers is highly important. It is very important that these inputs be recorded consistently for each grower.

The Purpose:

Agronomic Support:

Constantly updating crop specific production systems based on the information we pull from the system.

Soil and Tissue Test

“In just one year you’ll gain knowledge that would have taken many years of trial and error, and you can apply that knowledge to the next planting season, year after year” (Bodenstine).

We generate yield maps for those customers who own yieldmonitors and GPS systems. The yield maps give the customer a permanent record of that field’s performance for any given year.

Locate problem areas within your fields and limiting quantify theaffects of those areas that may be production..

The Process

Yield Monitor

Crop Variables

Harvest Data

Analysis & Interpretation

Grower Results

Conclusion

Yield monitors will be essential to farmers in the future’s market.

Analyzing yield and input data will give key points for next year’s production.

Using the most advanced technology on the market may be expensive but if used properly will gain a growers profits substantially.

Bibliography

AFS. 09 Oct. 2007 <http://www.johndeere.com>.

Insight Monitor. 9 Oct. 2007 <http://www.agleader.com>.

Bodenstine, Paul. Why DSS? Agsystems Consulting. Mechanicville: Agsystems Consulting, 2003.

"Lexion." 9 Oct. 2007 <http://www.caterpillar.com>.