AN EVALUATION OF THE RESPONSE OF YIELD MONITORS AND COMBINES TO VARYING YIELDS

Authors: Colvin, Thomas; ARSLAN, SELCUK - K. MARAS UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: International Conference on Precision Agriculture Abstracts & Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/19/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Various field experiments were conducted to determine the response of a yield sensor and a combine harvester. Yield comparisons were made between an impact based yield sensor and an electronic scale in adjacent harvest strips in one experiment and on the same grain stream within a combine in another set of field experiments. Yield measurements were more prone to errors as the segment lengths decreased in adjacent strip comparisons. Grain yield difference between the yield sensor and scale ranged from 5 to 14%, 4 to 13%, 3 to 12%, and 2 to 11% for 15, 30, 60, and 300m long segments. The yield differences between neighboring segments might have been caused by yield variability to a degree; however, a consistent decrease in yield differences with increasing segment lengths implied that better accuracies could be obtained in longer management areas. The combine response to grain yield changes and the effect of varying ground speed on accuracy were also evaluated by creating artificial yield patterns in harvest strips. Grain diffusion within the combine was more obvious when abrupt yield changes were introduced at known locations. Grain mixing and redistribution inside the combine may dictate the selection of segment sizes in the site-specific decision making process. Constant ground speed provided more stable grain flow values than varying ground speed. The average error in yield estimate was 3.4% and 5.2% at constant ground speed and varying speed, respectively. Careful calibration and constant combine speed were important to achieve better accuracy with the grain yield monitor.