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FIELD EFFICIENCY INFLUENCES FROM STEERING ADJUSTMENTS USING ANALYSIS OF TRAFFIC PATTERNS
Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org
Citation: Paper number 021009, 2002 ASAE Annual Meeting . @2002
Authors: Robert “Bobby” Grisso, P.J. Jasa, M.A. Schroeder, M.F. Kocher, and V.I. Adamchuk
Keywords: field efficiency, machinery management, steering rate, geo-referenced data
Field efficiency is an important criterion for determining the expected field capacity and, indirectly, for
making important machinery management decisions. The data gathered with a yield monitor during harvest and a DGPS
monitor during planting were used to provide time-motion studies of equipment and operator productivity. This study
used spatial data gathered by a farmer to determine field performance of a combine and a planter. Seven fields were used
to compare results from soybean and corn production. Fields that are relatively flat with straight-rows were contrasted
with contoured fields with slopes up to 3-5%. Two unique traffic patterns on a center pivot were compared. The steering
adjustment index was developed to indicate the average degree of steering adjustment for field operations. The paper will
discuss the possibility of using geo-referenced data to predict the reduction of field efficiency for various traffic patterns.
Field efficiency and steering rate changes were compared. The steering adjustments for contoured traffic patterns were 2
to 4 times that of straight-rows. The steering adjustment information gave valuable information about field operation
conditions. However, the correlation between the steering adjustment and field efficiency was moderate. Differences in
data recording methods and operational characteristics are believed to be the main limitations.
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