Yield Monitors and Measuring Yield

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Yield Monitors and Measuring Yield
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What are yield monitors?

• Devices that record crop yields on a small area
• Typical area lt 1 acre
• Fitted to the harvester
• Generate site-specific yield maps

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What is required to measure yield?

• Measure quantity of crop.
• Volume
• Density (moisture)
• Locate the sample
• GPS
• Calculate the area
• Distance traveled
• Harvester Width (swath width)

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Methods of Measuring Yield

• Weight
• Volume

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Crop Specific

• Grains
• Cotton
• Belt Crops
• Others in progress
• Nuts
• Tree Fruit
• Oranges

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Measurement Correction

• Typically a linear correction
• Actual yield measurement x correction
  offset(ymxb)
• Measure actual yield by weighing, then correct
  monitor.

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Monitors

• Interfaces to GPS or has GPS
• Collects data
• Enter Correction
• May calculate area

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Mass-Flow Measurement
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Moisture Sensing and Correction

• Need to measure moisture to adjust yield to
  standard measure
• Electrical capacitance is common method

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Cotton IR Sensor

• Measures the seed.
• Calibrate for each type of cotton.

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Cotton IR Sensor Placement
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Belt Crops

• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Sugar Beets
• Grapes

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Belt Crops

• -  Belt speed
• -  Ground speed
• -  Tilt
• -  Load cells to measure weigh
• -  Profile yield sensor array to measure volume

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Sample Yield Map