Yield monitors provide the ability to not just estimate yield, but to identify the location in the field where yield is produced. Yield monitors provide information that is valuable for a multitude of management purposes, including estimating the amount of nutrients removed by the harvested crop, estimating profitability, developing management zones, and analyzing impacts of treatments used in on-farm studies. These topics are discussed in associated chapters within this book. However, proper yield monitor calibration and maintenance is necessary to ensure that production and farm business assessments based on yield data are accurate and reliable. The purpose of this chapter is to provide background information on grain and cotton yield monitoring systems, guidance on preparing to harvest a field, techniques to improve accuracy, details of the importance of cleaning yield monitor data, identifying potential errors in yield monitor data, and providing guidance on using yield monitor data to improve field understanding.

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