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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #71621
Title: YIELD MAPPING

Author
item PIERCE, FRAN
item ANDERSON, NOEL
item Colvin, Thomas
item SCHUELLER, JOHN
item HUMBURG, DANIEL
item MCLAUGHLIN, NEIL

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy Monograph Series
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Variation of crop yield within fields is expected, but until recently, farmers accepted variability rather than manage for it. With yield maps, farmers can identify areas within fields where crop yields may be improved or where adjustments in inputs are needed to optimize farm profitability and environmental quality. Yield mapping involves the measurement of the harvested portion of a crop over space and time and the summarization of those measurements in graphical map form. This has been made possible with the advent of appropriate sensors, positioning systems, and advances in computer technology in data acquisition, data storage, data processing and graphics that now allow the mapping of yield of commonly grown grain crops. The final product is usually a tonal or colored map displaying several categories of grain yield as measured over a field. This paper reviews the current state of yield mapping of agronomic crops and its value to agriculture. It describes the principles of yield mapping technology including measurements of moisture, test weight, area of measure, and position. An effort is made to assess the accuracies of current yield mapping technologies.