The data is then collated with specialised software programs to produce the map. But during the pressures of a harvest season there is little time to process the data. Often, maps may not be generated until weeks or months after the yield data was collected. This means problems such as corrupt of missing data, incorrect swath widths or badly calibrated yield monitors may surface until weeks after harvest. So a major advantage of real time yield mapping is safety in that the accuracy of the data can be verified at harvest.
Simplicity is another plus.
Viewing maps many weeks after harvesting may also be less efficient as various reasons for poor yields are often less obvious than they were at harvest. The Farmtrax system contains a robust vehicle computer and an Omnistar differential GPS Satellite navigation receiver. This allows it to position a vehicle within a metre anywhere in Australia. The system has a colour touch screen display that is fitted in the vehicle cab. The system has specific modules for harvesting, spraying, spreading, seeding, soil sampling and mapping operations.