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COMBINE HARVESTER ECONOMETRIC MODEL WITH FORWARD SPEED OPTIMIZATION
Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org
Citation: Applied Engineering in Agriculture. Vol. 22(1): 25-31. @2006
Authors: N. E. Isaac, G. R. Quick, S. J. Birrell, W. M. Edwards, B. A. Coers
Keywords: Combine harvesters, Econometric modeling, Machinery management, Yield monitor
A combine harvester econometric simulation model was developed with the goal of matching the combine forward
speed to the maximum harvested net income per acre. The model considers the machinery management costs of owning a
combine and platform header for harvesting wheat. A statistical Design of Experiment (DOE) was used to evaluate the model
using tri-level variables; the medium values constituted the model base case. Of the 27 input variables, the optimum speed
was significantly influenced by the crop area, G/MOG ratio, grain unit price, field yield, field efficiency, grain moisture
content, probability of a working day in the post-optimum period, estimated harvesting day length, and the timeliness
importance factor. The developed optimum speed prediction equation estimated the full model well (R2 = 0.94). Five inputs
significantly influenced both the optimum speed and the harvested net income: G/MOG, grain price, field yield, estimated
harvesting day length, and the timeliness factor. It is expected that the developed econometric model will be useful for
determining the real-time economic performance of a combine harvester.
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