How to: Make the most of your harvesting

Gathering accurate yield data during harvest is essential for record-keeping and business management purposes, but it seems most farmers are not doing it properly, says contract harvester Bob Whytes.

Whytes, who is also the president of the Australian Custom Harvesters Inc, spoke at the Central West Farming Systems precision agriculture seminar at Condobolin in June.

He urged growers to run a series of checks before harvesting to ensure data recording technology is ready for use, as it is too late to enter data such as field boundaries, AB guidance lines, crop types and varieties once harvesting is done and dusted.

Whytes runs a contract harvesting business from Victoria to Queensland, and found few farmers using the yield data collected off headers.

“This season I began harvesting at St George and worked my way down to the rice harvest in the Riverina, and there were just three farmers using the yield maps,’’ he said.

“Yield mapping starts at harvest but in simple terms, it can be rubbish in-rubbish out if it is not set up properly.

“Precision agriculture subscribers want good quality maps but to achieve that, you must set up the machine.’’

Check your hardware

Wythes recommended servicing and cleaning a number of hardware and software prior to harvest to ensure data collection is accurate, starting with the header.

He said the sensor plate and moisture cups need to be replaced each year. Flow sensors, cables and electrical connections also need to be assessed properly.

“Clean any white corrosion on electric plugs as it doesn’t take much to make the whole system fall over,” Wythes said.

“Check your deflector plates in the elevators, calibrate the flow sensors for various speeds and crops.

“Also calibrate the height sensors for cutting in and out of the crop, and the moisture cups – reprogram if needed.”

“Make sure all measuring surfaces both within the elevators and at the top of the elevators are in good condition. As they are a plastic compound, they wear and it is advisable to replace each year if a grower wants good data.”

Clean your software and data

Growers need to check their yield monitors to ensure the program is up to date and to clean the disk before reinsertion.

Logger data on the memory card need to be cleared and all files copied on to a computer hard drive at the end of each day. Files need to be backed up everyday and stored in the ‘cloud’.

Wythes also urged growers to ensure paddock names were spelt correctly on the yield monitor.

“Keep the data clean by lifting the comb when no grain is in the machine, or only use half a comb,” he said.

“It is important to use a consistent storage method during the harvest period. After the first day or two harvesting, check the yield data to make sure it is logging properly.

“Batteries in machines do vary and can play with the computer systems – it can be a common communications and GPS failing.

“Format the harvest data card and check it works before harvest, find the field boundaries, do the AB guidance lines, and enter crop types and varieties. It is too late to enter that information once harvest is finished.”

Yield mapping

Wythes said unless there was variation of one tonne per hectare or more, yield mapping would not be beneficial.

“The question we always face as contractors, are farmers prepared to pay for the (yield mapping) service,” he said.

“Some corporate growers expect it included in their price while others pay $2 per acre for the data.

“There is an estimated five to 30 per cent of growers craving support to use their data and are willing to pay for the service.

“Using precision agriculture means efficient and targeted inputs, maximising yield and productivity per input cost.

“It increases water use efficiency and soil health, reduces business risk and the grower can better understand variability on the farm.

“It allows the grower to test new methods and measure those results.’’

However, Wythes said the uptake in yield mapping is low compared to the adoption rates of auto steer (75 per cent) and yield monitors (60 per cent) since 2012.

“Those maps are critical in the long term development of your operation because rainfall will vary from year to year, but you can work out what you are up against in any scenario,’’ he said.

“This is what financial institutions are looking for today as they want to know the risk factor.

“There is a question of who owns the data – technically it can be whatever is stated on the contract.

“Fundamentally it is the farmer’s data but this does not take away from a walk across the paddock, knowing your soil types and comparing it with the data.”

Also from the Central West Farming Systems precision agriculture seminar :

Multi-hybrid planter solves soil variability issue

SwagBot makes public debut

Veggie robot a real RIPPA