AGCO Corporation
SYSTEM AND METHOD USING NIR SENSING TO CONTROL HEIGHT OF CUTTING ELEMENT ON AGRICULTURAL MACHINE

Abstract:

A system and method for automatically and dynamically controlling a height of a cutting element on a swather or other agricultural machine based on feedback from NIR testing of the cut plant material. An NIR testing system receives and analyzes NIR reflected by the material cut at a particular cut height, and generates an actual value for an RFV or other property of interest. A user interface allows for entering a desired target value. A cut controller compares the actual value and the target value, and adjust (e.g., raises or lowers) a cutting element (by, e.g., changing a pitch of the cutting element) to change the particular cut height if the actual value for the property is different from the target value. If the actual value is substantially similar to the target value, then the cut controller maintains the position of the cutting element.