Yield monitors may help farmers control rising fuel expenses
- by Economic Research Service
- 2/3/2012

Yield monitors allow farmers to document harvested yields and moisture content while the harvester is in the field. By attaching this information to Global Positioning System coordinates, farmers also have the option of creating detailed maps of their fields which can be used to tailor input application, measure precise rates of harvest and time-to-completion, guide efficient tractor movement, and develop other time, labor, and fuel-saving strategies. Based on Agricultural Resource Management Survey data from 2001 and 2005, corn and soybean producers that used yield monitors report lower fuel expenses per acre harvested, on average, than those that did not use yield monitors. This chart is found in the December 2011 issue of Amber Waves magazine.