John Deere now offers the HarvestLab TM 3000 near-infrared sensor on its S-Series and T-Series combines, and the expansion of applications to four-part analysis is now also possible for grain and oilseed rape.

The HarvestLab TM 3000 solution is well known for its use in self-propelled forage harvesters, stationary use and manure detection. It is now suitable for use on combines, and the new application is called Grain Sensing. This allows important quality parameters for wheat, barley and rapeseed to be monitored in real time. In addition to measuring the moisture content of wheat, barley and rapeseed, the protein content can now also be determined. In addition, the starch content of barley and oil content of rapeseed can be recorded. This means that farmers will have information about crop quality at specific points in each field, so that:

• They know at a glance whether the wheat is suitable for milling into flour or feed; so they can store individual lots of wheat separately by quality, and know to whom to send a trade offer;
• Get better information about the harvested crop because the quality of the grain is checked and documented throughout the field;
• Can compare cereal varieties or check that machine settings are correct;
• Informed about where in the field the applied nutrients (e.g., nitrogen) have actually been converted into yield and protein/oil content to better plan next season’s fertilizer application.

How does it work?

Grain Sensing is a fully integrated solution installed on a clean grain elevator. The following components are required for use in the combine:

• The HarvestLab TM 3000 near infrared sensor ,
• A kit for mounting the sensor at the customer’s site and the necessary mounting elements,
• calibration of the Grain Sensing function,
• Fourth Generation Display,
• JDLink TM solution for precision farming ,
• StarFire Receiver.

Before the grain enters the grain hopper, a motorized auger transports it directly in front of the HarvestLab TM 3000 sensor. With the StarFire TM receiver, data for specific areas of the field are generated on the 4th generation display. This data can then be automatically synchronized with the John Deere Operations Center system via the JDLinkTM communication system. There, you can view the results of your collections using features such as the Analysis and Field Analyzer. Third-party software also works with Operations Center to further analyze or compare applications for future nutrient allocation.

HarvestLabTM sensor measurements help farmers plan their crops and farming practices. This solution provides information on the amount of nutrients (especially nitrogen) and their impact on crop size and quality. It makes it possible to calculate the nutritional value of each part of the field.

Accessibility

The HarvestLabTM sensor will be available on T Series models (2016 model year and newer with upgrades available) and S Series models (all S760, S770, S780, S785 and S790 models can be retrofitted) beginning in spring 2023 so it can be used for future models. crops.