New Holland’s Crop ID system – which is built by the US-based company Harvest Tec and has been marketed in the UK for the past couple of years by The Profitable Farming Company – enables operators and producers to record information in real time about every bale. As the bale passes through the chamber, a radio frequency ID (RFID) tag is applied when the second knot is tied. When the bale exits the chamber and passes off the chute, the information recorded by the Crop ID Precision Information Processor is transferred onto the tag via an antenna that sits at the end of the bale chamber.
The Crop ID Precision Information Processor records the average moisture reading for the entire bale, together with the highest value for an individual section, courtesy of New Holland’s available advanced moisture sensor system. This system uses two star wheels that fully penetrate the bale to provide an extremely accurate measurement of the moisture content.
If used, the amount of Crop Saver preservative applied to the bale is recorded and logged on the tag, as well as the GPS location of where the bale was made, the weight of the bale, a date and time stamp, and a bale and field code for reference.
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| An RFID chip and antenna is folded round each bale’s string incorporated into a sticky label. |
The Crop ID tag can be quickly and easily read via an RFID scanner to reveal the data for each bale. A scanner can be fitted to the loading machine, or a hand held device can be used.
The Sima jury was particularly impressed by the vast range of information stored together with the instantaneous feedback of data which enables operators to select bales of the correct quality and moisture content.
New Holland’s Bob Hatz said the system enabled the selection of individual bales to guarantee optimal feed quality for livestock, boosting profitability and productivity.
“It also allows accurate inventory monitoring and ensures that precision loads can be sent for shipping with exact information declared to customs authorities,” he added. “Furthermore, it enables contractors to provide accurate reports to buyers concerning the quality of specific bales.”
The Crop ID system forms an integral part of New Holland’s advanced precision farming package. Users can download a log detailing the exact data relating to each and every bale. Moreover, users benefit from precise yield and field mapping data and will be able to fine tune their inputs in order to increase their levels of productivity and profitability in future seasons.
Bale identification combined with additional bale testing allows the user to accurately identify the crop conditions coming off the field. This data, when combined with the Crop ID tag info, will allow the operator to customise his field needs from re-seeding to fertiliser application requirements when used with mapping software.
For more information visit: www.newholland.com.
