Development of a productivity monitor for sugarcane in order to obtain productivity maps for self-propelled harvesters

• Grant number: 04/08777-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: February 01, 2005
• End date: February 28, 2007
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering - Agricultural Machinery and Implements
• Principal Investigator: Domingos Guilherme Pellegrino Cerri
• Grantee: Domingos Guilherme Pellegrino Cerri
• Company: Enalta Inovações Tecnológicas S/A
• City: São Carlos

Abstract

Much of the research carried out in precision agriculture concentrates on the development of corrective dosers and evaluators of yield for grain crops such as wheat and soya, which are products cultivated in sub-tropical areas and predominantly in developed countries. Thus, in this project the cultivation of sugar cane was chosen because, in addition to being of great economic importance in Brazil, it has barely been explored by precision agriculture techniques. This project aims to instrument a sugar cane harvester, so as to be able to obtain the productivity map for this crop. The system to be refined is based on the productivity monitor designed, developed and patented by the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), with support from FAPESP. The equipment uses weighing cells as an instrument for determining the weight of the raw material harvested and will be capable of measuring the flow of stalks that pass over the belt before being thrown into the transporting vehicle. This data, together with the information obtained from a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) installed in the harvester, permits the creation of a digital map which represents the production surface for the harvested area. This system will be tested in the laboratory and in the field. (AU)