Site-Specific Relationship Between Grain Quality and Yield

Site specific information was acquired on a Belgian field during harvest in two consecutive years. Grain yield was recorded with previously developed sensors. At the same time, grain protein and moisture content were determined at different locations in the field. The first aim of this study was the mapping of grain moisture and protein content in order to determine the amount of variation within one field. Secondly, yield and quality maps were compared to each other and studied for relationships between the different parameters for different parts (growing conditions) of the field. Finally, these relationships were used to delineate different fertilisation zones in the field. A variation in moisture content of over 7% existed in the field in both years. Also for the protein content a variation of more then 4% was noticed. Variation in protein content varied from one year to another, possibly due to different weather conditions. Consequently, only 2% of the area of the field could be classified being over-fertilised.