Yield monitoring: constantly measuring the flow of harvested material as it passes through the combine; creating instantaneous readouts on moisture, speed, totals by bushel and acre; coordinating these measurements to precise locations in the field...Why is all this important to the modern farmer? Because with this data, you can accurately plot yield measurements on a map. Take that yield map and overlay it with maps representing other factors, such as units of fertilizer, soil types and seeds, and you have a powerful information tool. Armed with that data, you can test and control variables to increase productivity.
That's the promise of yield monitoring, and it's far from new. In fact, experiments and discussions have been going on for nearly 40 years, though primarily in academic and research facilities. For commercial farmers, the idea of yield monitoring has always been attractive, but in practice it was simply too labor-intensive to adopt.
Rapid advances in technology have removed that barrier. Yield monitoring has come of age. Information is power, and more and more farmers are reaping real world benefits from the information provided by yield monitoring.
Perhaps the biggest surprise farmers discover when they first begin is the significant yield variation in a single field, which can be as high as 50%. Take the example of Doug Harford, of Grundy County, Illinois. Harford related his experiences in a recent Inc. Magazine article:
"In 1994 this green end (of the field) grew 20 bushels an acre more than the rest of the field. That caught my eye. With soybeans at $5 a bushel, bringing the rest of the field to that level would make a $14,000 difference." ("High-Tech Farming," by Fred Hapgood, Inc. Magazine, 1995, No. 3)
Yield monitoring is just one part of a much bigger picture. That bigger picture is precision farming, which is transforming the agriculture profession.
Horvick Manufacturing continues to champion the benefits of these technologies. To learn more, take a closer look at two of our top precision farming products:
Global Positioning Systems
The foundation for hi-tech farming.Harvest Monitors
Accurately measure every aspect of your field.Sprayer Control Systems
Complete control over application of chemicals and fertilizer.Chemical Injection Systems
The ultimate in precise chemical application.Precision farming, and yield monitoring in particular, are creating a new kind of harvest: the harvest of information. It's a precious commodity, perhaps even more precious than corn or grain. For the first time, farmers can combine experience with hard data--data based not on a supplier's sales sheets, but on their own fields.
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