Evaluation of Grain Quality-Based Simulated Selective Harvest Performed by an Autonomous Agricultural Robot

Grain price differences due to protein content can have economic effects on the farm as well as environmental effects when alternative protein sources are imported. Grain protein variability can vary from year to year due to environmental factors and can be addressed by site-specific management practices. Alternatively, it can be addressed at harvest time by selective harvest. Agricultural autonomous robots can accurately follow alternative harvesting routes that are subject to grain quality maps, making them suitable choices for selective harvest. This study addresses therefore the potential revenue of selective harvest performed by the route planner of an autonomous field robot. The harvest capacity and potential economic revenues of selective harvest in a Danish context were studied for a set of 20 winter wheat fields with four hypothetical scenarios. The results showed significant differences in harvest capacity between conventional and selective harvest. Even though in some scenarios selective harvest did not require notable additional harvest times, the cost-benefit analysis showed small economic returns of up to 46 DKK ha(-1) for the best scenarios, and for most cases losses up to 464 DKK ha(-1). Additionally, the location of the high protein content areas has great influence on the profitability of selective harvest.

Automated summary

Grain price differences due to protein content can impact farm economics and environmental effects when alternative protein sources are imported. Grain protein variability can be addressed through site-specific management practices or selective harvesting, which can be facilitated by agricultural autonomous robots following alternative routes based on grain quality maps. The study on selective harvest in a Danish context showed significant differences in harvest capacity and economic outcomes, with potential economic returns for the best scenarios and losses for most cases. The location of high protein content areas also plays a significant role in the profitability of selective harvest.