Patent ID: 9736987
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: A01F

Claim:
1. An improved agricultural baler having a preservative application system and an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) controlling the preservative application system, the improvement comprising: a moisture sensor array sensing the moisture content of crop material entering the baler, the moisture sensor array being in communication with the ECU; the ECU being programmed to control the preservative application system at an application rate based upon a percentage of crop material entering the baler that exceeds, the ECU configured to: receive a high moisture set point corresponding to a moisture content percentage of crop material entering the baler, below which it is deemed unnecessary to apply preservative; receive a high moisture set point ratio corresponding to a percentage of incoming crop material that is above the high moisture set-point at which it is deemed necessary to apply preservative; receive an application rate/high moisture ratio corresponding to the rate at which it is deemed necessary to apply preservative to adequately preserve the crop material based upon the percentage of crop material being above the high moisture set-point ratio; receive a moisture content of the incoming crop material; determine whether the sensed moisture content of incoming crop material one of meets and exceeds the high moisture set point; determine whether the sensed moisture content of incoming crop material one of meets and exceeds the high moisture set point ratio; activate the preservative application system to begin the application of preservative when both the high moisture set point and the high moisture set point ratio have been one of met and exceeded; and, adjust the rate of preservative application to the application rate/high moisture ratio for the high moisture set-point ratio.