GB2527046A - Device and method for the treatment of crops - Google Patents

Abstract

A crop treatment apparatus configured to apply an additive 10 to a crop, i.e silage, within a harvester at a controlled rate of application is disclosed. The crop treatment apparatus comprises: a receiver 42 operable to receive wireless communication signals comprising weight signals indicating a weight of harvested crop retained within a trailer receiving the crop from the harvester; an additive dispenser 5 operable to dispense the additive to the crop; and control circuitry 40 operable to control the rate of application of additive being dispensed to the crop by the additive dispenser 5 in dependence upon the weight signals received.

Description

DEVICE AN]) METHOD FOR THE TREATMENT OF CROPS

FIELD OF ThE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of crop treatment and in particular embodiments to the controlled application of additives to silage during harvesting.

BACKGROUND

The application of additives for example, chemical or biological treatments such as preservatives to crops during harvesting is important to improve or maintain the feed value of the crop. Applying the additives in the correct amounts can be a challenge as the rate of harvesting varies with factors such as changes in the crop quality and density. Adding incorrect amounts can lead to a waste of expensive additives and/or deterioration of the crops.

For example, at least om tonnes of silage are made in the UK alone each year and an estimated 30% of this silage is treated with additive or preservative of some description, which in order to be effective to the degree demonstrated by scientific trials needs to be applied at predetermined rates. In practice on a farm, it is not possible, because the weight of silage being harvested can only be estimated, at best by weighing occasional trai'er loads, but in practice purely by guesswork. This fact alone deters many farmers from using additives and also results in failures on farms usually as a resull of under-application.

One way of addressing this problem that has been proposed is a flow rate detector that uses near infra-red N1R spectroscopy to measure a flow rate of crop passing through a pipe on a harvester and from this estimates an amount of crop. This amount can then be used to control the flow rate of additive being sprayed onto the crop in the harvester.

A disadvantage of this is that the equipment is expensive and the estimate of amount is based on the volume of crop detected by the equipment rather than the weight. In many cases it is the weight that is important when determining how much additive to use.

It would be desirable to be able to treat crops with a suitable amount of additive during harvesting even where the rate of harvesting varies significantly.

SUMMARY

A first aspect of the present invention provides, a crop treatment apparatus configured to apply an additive to a crop within a harvester at a controlled rate of application, said crop treatment apparatus comprising: a receiver operable to receive wireless communication signals comprising weight signa's indicating a weight of harvested crop retained within a trailer receiving said crop from said harvester; an additive dispenser operable to dispense said additive to said crop; and control circuitry operable to control said rate of application of additive being dispensed to said crop by said additive dispenser in dependence upon said weight signals received.

The inventor of the present invention recognised that not only is the weight of the crop important when determining the amount of additive to dispense, but that weighing apparatus are readily available, reasonably priced and reliable. However, owing to the fact that crops during harvesting flow through the harvester determining the weight of the crop is not straightforward. Once the crop has stopped flowing, allowing it to be weighed, it has generally left the harvester, and yet the harvester is the place where the dispensing of the additive is controlled.

This problem has been addressed by the inventor of the present invention by providing the additive controller with a wireless receiver for receiving weight signals from a weighing apparatus mounted on a trailer that is receiving the crop. Thus, although the trailer is a different independent piece of equipment to the harvester, during harvesting it will be used in close proximity to the harvester and thus, when fitted with a weighing apparatus and a wireless transmitter, it can wirelessly transmit weight signals to the crop treatment apparatus allowing the rate of application of the additives to be controlled based on the weight of crop harvested. It should be noted that different types of wireless communication may be used such as bluetooth® communications.

In some embodiments, said receiver is operable to receive said weight signals intermittently and said control circuitry is configured to adjust said rate of application of additive from an initial pre-programmed rate in dependence upon said weight signals.

Tt may be advantageous to have a pre-programmed rate of application of additive that is based on expected crop harvesting rate and may be set by the operator. The rate of application may then be varied in dependence upon the weight signals received, such that where the weight signals indicate that more crop has been harvested in a given time than expected the rate of application increases, while where the level is lower it decreases.

In some embodiments, said control circuitry is configured to adjust said rate of application in dependence upon an average of said change in said weight signa's over a predetermined time.

Although the rate of application may be varied each time a weight signal is received, in some cases a number of weight signals are averaged and the rate of application is varied more slowly to reduce fluctuations. in this regard, there is a time lag between the additive being applied to the crop and the weight of that crop being determined as the additive is added before the crop reaches the trailer and is weighed. Given that there is this delay in the system responding very quickly to short term fluctuations may not be appropriate and thus, it may be advantageous to average several signals such that longer term fluctuations are accounted for and short term ones are smoothed out.

In some embodiments, said additive comprises a fluid and said crop treatment apparatus comprises a fluid flowmeter operable to output a controlled flow of additive, said control circuitry being operable to control a rate of flow output by said flowmeter.

Generafly, additives added to a crop will be in a fluid form, perhaps powders, granules, gas or more usually liquid. Tn such a case, the crop treatment apparatus may comprise a fluid flowmeter. Fluid flowmeters are available that are able to output a controlled flow of additives in a highly accurate and controllable manner.

In some embodiments, said crop treatment apparatus further comprises input circuitry configured to receive user inputs, said control circuitry being configured in response to receiving a first user input to retain a current rate of application of additive and in response to receipt of a further user input to recommence adjusting said rate of application of additive in dependence upon said weight signals received.

It may be desirable to provide the user with some control of the variations in the rate of application of additive. For example, in some eases, only a subset of trailers wifl have weighing apparatus. Tn such a case, the provision of a user input that is able to stop the additive controller automatically adjusting the flow rate and force it to continue to dispense at a predetermined flow rate may be advantageous. A further input could also then be used to recommence adjusting the rate of application. Thus, the adjustment could be stopped when a trailer not mounted with a weighing apparatus is collecting the crop, and started again when a trailer including the weighing apparatus is being used. In this regard, the user inputs may be a single input button, subsequent applications of the button toggling between starting and stopping the change in rate of application, or it maybe multiple input devices one starting and one stopping the automatic rate adjustments.

In some embodiments, said crop treatment apparatus is operable in response to not detecting a weight signal for a predetermined time, to signal a warning to a user and to control said rate of application of additive being added to said crop in dependence upon at least one of: at least one previously received weight signal and said pre-programmed rate of application.

Alternatively and/or additionally, the additive controller may be operafte to automatically suspend changing the rate of application when it has not received a weight signal for a predetermined time. In such case, it may send a warning signal to the user to indicate to the user that no weight signal has been received. The user may expect this knowing a trailer without a weighing apparatus is being used, or it may be an indication to the user that something has malfunctioned. At such a point, the rate of application is no longer changed and either a rate of application based on one or more previously received weight signa's may be used, or the origina' pre-programmed rate of application maybe used.

In some embodiments, said crop treatment apparatus comprises estimation logic operable to receive said weight signals and at least one of a speed of said harvester and a distance travelled by said harvester and to estimate at least one of a tota' yield of crop for an area of land and total yield of crop harvested.

In addition to using the weight signals to apply the correct amount of additive, the inventor of the present invention recognised that this information in conjunction with the speed of the harvester and/or the distance travelled, determined perhaps from a GPS system fitted to the harvester, could be used to determine a total yield of crop harvested and/or a tota' yield of crop for a particular area. Such an estimation could be used where weight signals are received from afi trailers but a'so where signals are only received from one or a subset of several trai'ers. Tn such a case the distance travelled while no signa's are received and the distance travelled between two weight signals could be used to estimate the crop harvested during the time that no signMs are received. Such information is extremely valuable to a farmer and the device of the present invention enables this information to be generated.

Although the crop maybe a number of things, in some embodiments it comprises silage.

Silage is a crop where it is particularly important that a correct amount of additive is applied. Furthermore, it is a crop where the weight of the crop varies greatly with its wetness and thus, measuring the amount of crop using detectors that in effect measure volume, may well not provide a relevant measurement. Thus, embodiments of the present invention are particulafly suitable for use in harvesting silage and solve many of the problems that arise during this harvesting.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a harvester for harvesting a crop, said harvester comprising a crop treatment apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention.

A third aspect of the present invention provides a weighing apparatus for mounting on a crop trailer for receiving a crop from a harvester, said weighing apparatus being operable to weigh an amount of crop contained within said trailer, said weighing apparatus comprising wireless communication transmission circuitry operable to intermittently transmit a weight of said crop for receipt by a crop treatment apparatus on said harvester.

The provision of weighing apparatus on trailers to measure the weight of crops is known as it is often important for a farmer to know the amount of crop that he has harvested. The adaption of such devices to wirelessly transmit the weight enables them to be used in conjunction with harvesters to provide real time information regarding the rate of harvesting of the crop. Receipt of such signals allows additive controllers on the harvesters to adjust the rate of application of additives in dependence on the signals received allowing them to apply the correct amount of additives to the crop.

Although, the weighing apparatus may comprise a single weighing device, in many cases it may comprise a plurality of weighing devices such as load cells mounted at different points on the trailer and acting together to weigh an amount of crop contained within the trailer. Tn this regard, it may be advantageous to have weighing devices on the pivot pins of the trailer and perhaps at the resting point of the lowered trailer giving a three or four point weighing system.

In some embodiments, said weighing apparatus comprises control circuitry operable to control said transmission circuitry to transmit said weight of said crop in response to at east one of: a signal from an operator, a predetermined time having elapsed, and a predetermined weight having been attained.

The weighing apparatus will transmit weight signals intermittently. This may be periodically, once every set amount of time, or it maybe in response to a signal from an operator, or it may be once every time a predetermined weight of crop has been added to the trailer. It may also be a combination of the above such that when, for example, the trailer is full the user will indicate that a signal should be sent and otherwise a signal is sent every 30 seconds or every 20 Kg of additional crop, perhaps.

In some embodiments, said weighing apparatus comprises estimation logic operable to estimate at least one of a total yield of crop for an area of land and total yield of crop harvested.

Tn addition to simply transmitting current weight signals the weighing apparatus may be configured to estimate a yield of crop, perhaps a total yield harvested or a yield for a particular area of land.

The fourth aspect of the present invention comprises a trailer for receiving a crop from a harvester comprising a weighing apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention.

A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a system for controlling an amount of additive to be added to a crop, said system comprising a crop treatment apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention and a weighing apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention, said crop treatment apparatus being operable to receive weight signals from said weighing apparatus.

A sixth aspect of the present invention provides a method of controlling a rate of application of additive being added to a crop in a harvester during harvesting of said crop, said method comprising: receiving weight signals indicating a weight of harvested crop retained within a trailer receiving said crop from said harvester; controlling an additive dispenser to dispense said additive to said crop at a rate of application of additive that is dependent upon said weight signals received.

A seventh aspect of the present invention provides a computer program which when executed by a computer is operable to control said computer to perform a method according to a sixth aspect of the present invention.

An eighth aspect of the present invention provides a method of treating crops comprising: measuring a weight of a trailer being filled with crops by a harvester; intermittently transmitting signals indicative of said weight to a crop treatment apparatus mounted on said harvester; receiving said weight signals at said crop treatment apparatus; controlling said additive dispenser to dispense said additive to said crop at a rate of application of additive that is dependent upon said weight signals received.

A ninth aspect provides a controller configured to generate control signals for controlling an amount of additive being added to a crop in a harvester during harvesting of said crop, said controller comprising: receiving logic operable to receive weight signals indicating a weight of harvested crop retained within a trailer receiving said crop from said harvester; control ogic operable to generate control signals indicating said amount of additives to be added to said crop in dependence upon said weight signals received.

A tenth aspect of the present invention provides a method of weighing a crop in a crop trailer that is receiving a crop from a harvester, said method comprising: determining a weight of crop contained within said trailer, intermittently transmitting said determined weight to a crop treatment apparatus on said harvester.

An eleventh aspect of the present invention provides a computer program which when executed by a computer is operable to control said computer to perform a method according to a tenth aspect of the present invention.

Further particular and preferred aspects are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. Features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent daims as appropriate, and in combinations other than those explicitly set out in the élaims.

Where an apparatus feature is described as being operable to provide a function, it will be appreciated that this includes an apparatus feature which provides that function or which is adapted or configured to provide that function.

BRTEF DESCRIPTTON OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described further, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 schematically shows a crop treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 schematically shows a trailer comprising weighing devices according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 3 schematically shows a harvester comprising an additive dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 shows a crop treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The crop treatment system comprises an additive dispenser 5 which is formed of a reservoir 10 which can be filled with additive and is connected via a pipe to a pump 20. Pump 20 dispenses the additive from reservoir 10 and it flows through a digital flowmeter 30 to dispensing nozzles 50, which in this embodiment are arranged as a plurality of nozzles in a line and dispense additive onto the crop as it is harvested.

Digital flowmeter 30 is controlled by control circuitry 40 which comprises a receiver 42 that receives weight signals from weighing device 65 mounted on a trailer which receives crop from the harvester and transmits weight signals to the additive dispenser periodically. Receiver 42 receives these signals and control circuitry 40 transmits control signals to digital flowmeter 30 adjusting the rate of flow of additive 10 to nozz'es 50. In this way, the amount of additive dispensed to the crop is varied with the weight of crop received in the trailer, such that where the rate of harvesting increases perhaps due to a particularly crop dense portion of a field then additive is applied to the crop at a higher rate to compensate for this increase.

There is also a user input 44 that an operator of the harvester can use to input signals via. These signals can be override signals which instruct control circuitry 40 to no thnger adjust the flowmeter in response to the weight signals received. In response to such an input the contro' circuitry will proceed to dispense additive at a predetermined rate. This predetermined rate will depend on the configuration of the control circuitry, and may be the pre-programmed rate which is set initially by a user according to an estimate of the rate of harvesting of the crop, or it may be a rate that depends on an average of recently received weight signals such that the additive dispenser continues to dispense additive at an average of a recently used rate or it may simply be the current rate based on the most recent weight signal received.

There is also a warning indicator 46 which generates a warning signal to a user where no weight signals have been received from the trailer for a predetermined time. tn this regard, the additive dispenser can be used in conjunction with different trailers some of which may have been adapted to carry weighing apparatus and some of which may not.

Thus, it may be normal not to receive weighing signals for a length of time and in such case, the user may ignore the warning light. However, there may be occasions where weighing signals are expected and where not receiving any may be an indication of a malfunction of the equipment and may require a user to intervene to perhaps select the pre-programmed rate of application.

Figure 1 also shows weighing apparatus 6 from which the weight signals are received.

This weighing apparatus is mounted in use on a crop trailer and measures the weight of crop received and intermittently transmits this weight to the additive dispenser. In this regard, it may transmit the weight every predetermined amount of time, for example, once a minute or it may transmit it every time a weight increases bya certain amount, or in some cases, it may transmit the weight in response to an input from an operator via input device 92. In this regard, when a trailer is full and an operator is about to remove the trailer from collecting the crop, he may input a signal indicating that the final weight of the trailer should be transmitted to the harvester.

In this example, there are two weighing devices forming the weighing apparatus, weighi 70 and weigh2 72. They transmit signals to control circuitry 80 which estimates the weight of the crop in the trailer from these signals and transmits this to transmitter 90 which then signals it to the additive dispenser.

Control circuitry 80 may in some embodiments comprise estimation logic operable to estimate a yield of crop harvested over a particular area or a total yield from the weight of crop in the trailer. This may be done by determining the rate of change of weight in conjunction with either a detected speed of the trailer or an estimated speed and this could provide an indication of the yield for a particular area harvested. The yield may be transmitted to the harvester either intermittently as a yield for a particular area of land, or as a total yield so far signal.

In this embodiment, signals travel from transmitter 90 to receiver 42. hi some cases, each of the weighing apparatus and the additive dispenser may have both transmitters and receivers and in addition to receiving signals from the weighing device the additive dispenser may transmit signals to that weighing device, such as requests for weight signals where one has not received on for a while.

Figure 2 shows very schematically a crop trailer according to an embodiment to the present invention. Crop trailer 100 comprises three weighing devices 73, 75 and 77.

Weighing device 73 is mounted at the resting point of the lowered trailer while weighing devices 75 and 77 are mounted at pivot points of the trailer. Trailer 100 also has control circuitry and a transmitting device, not shown, to transmit the weight amounts as wireless weight signals from the trailer 100 to the harvester which holds the additive dispensing device. It may also have control circuitry such as is described in Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a crop harvester 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Crop harvester nO has a collecting device 120 for coflecting the crop, in this case silage. The silage moves through the collecting device 120 and additive is added by additive dispensing devices via a row of nozzles o. The additive dispensing device i5 is controlled by a control panel 43 mounted in the cab of the harvester 110 which has a panel showing the current rate of dispensing, a warning indicator to indicate when no weight signals have recently been received and an input device allowing the user to select a rate of application such as the pre-programmed rate or an average of recently used rates or to maintain the current rate. There is also a chute type dispenser 130 for ejecting the silage out of the harvester and into a neighbouring trailer.

Harvester 110 has an antenna 112 for receiving signals transmitted from a weighing apparatus on the trailer and for transmitting these signals to the additive dispenser 5 which adjusts the rate of additive dispensed to the silage in dependence upon the values received.

Harvester nO also has a speedometer for detecting a speed of the harvester and in some embodiments it will have a GPS system for determining its current thcation and changes in that ocation overtime. Signals from either of these devices can be used by estimation logic within the additive controller in conjunction with the intermittent weight signals received to determine the yield of crop over a predetermined area or a total yield of crop. Such information is extremely valuable to a farmer.

Where the crop being harvested is silage and in particular grass silage, then the application of the correct amount of preservative is important. The art of good silage making is to produce a fermentation that will preserve the crop as near as possible to its original state with as little loss of feed value as possible. This is achieved by creating a controlled fermentation in which sufficient lactic acid is produced to give stable silage in which all bacterial activity has ceased (at around PH4) as quickly as possible. The preparations for growing a good silage crop are generally well understood, but what happens during filling, fermentation and feed-out is probably less clear. On every gram of fresh forage there is a cocktail of microscopic bugs: aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, enterobacteria, yeast mould, clostridia and propionic bacteria. Lactic acid (good) bacteria are frequently outnumbered by the undesirable heterofermenters, coliforms and clostridia. There is a high risk of valuable nutrient loss if the natural wild bugs are allowed to provide the fermentation. The most reliable way to reduce all the losses associated with the fermentation and aerobic spoilage is to reduce the numbers of harmful organisms to a minimum. This can be achieved using preservatives which eradicate and control the major spoilage organisms and minimise ethanol levels, however, it is important that the preservatives are added in correct quantities.

It should be noted that losses associated with the fermentation and aerobic spoilage can amount to nearly 30% of the total dry mass harvested and indeed this 30% maybe the most valuable component in terms of nutrient values. It is therefore highly desirable to reduce this and the application of preservatives in the correct amounts can achieve this.

Thus, embodiments to the present invention are particularly advantageous in the harvesting of silage and can ensure that suitable amounts of presenTatives are added to the crop increasing the quality of the crop and significantly reducing spoilage.

Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiment and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skifled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims (32)

1. CLAIMS1. A crop treatment apparatus configured to apply an additive to a crop within a harvester at a controlled rate of application, said crop treatment apparatus comprising: a receiver operable to receive wireless communication signals comprising weight signals indicating a weight of harvested crop retained within a trailer receiving said crop from said harvester; an additive dispenser operable to dispense said additive to said crop; and control circuitry operable to control said rate of application of additive being dispensed to said crop by said additive dispenser in dependence upon said weight signals received.
2. 2. A crop treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said receiver is operable to receive said weight signals intermittently and said control circuitry is configured to adjust said rate of application of additive from an initial pre-programmed rate in dependence upon said weight signals.
3. 3. A crop treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control circuitry is configured to adjust said rate of application in dependence upon an average of said change in said weight signals over a predetermined time.
4. 4. A crop treatment apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said additive comprises a fluid and said crop treatment apparatus comprises a fluid flowmeter operable to output a controlled flow of additive, said control circuitry being operable to control a rate of flow output by said flowmeter.
5. 5. A crop treatment apparatus according to any preceding claim, said crop treatment apparatus further comprising input circuitry configured to receive user inputs, said control circuitry being configured in response to receiving a first user input to retain a current rate of application of additive and in response to receipt of a further user input to recommence adj usting said rate of application of additive in dependence upon said weight signals received.
6. 6. A crop treatment apparatus according to any preceding claim, said crop treatment apparatus being operable in response to not detecting a weight signal for a predetermined time, to signal a warning to a user and to control said rate of application of additive being added to said crop in dependence upon at least one of at least one previously received weight signal and said pre-programmed rate of application.
7. 7. A crop treatment apparatus according to any preceding claim, said crop treatment apparatus comprising estimation logic operable to receive said weight signa's and at least one of: a speed of said harvester and a distance travelled by said harvester, and to estimate at least one of: a total yield of crop for an area of land and a total yield of crop harvested.
8. 8. A crop treatment apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said crop comprises silage.
9. 9. A harvester for harvesting a crop, said harvester comprising a crop treatment apparatus according to any one of claims ito 8.
10. 10. A weighing apparatus for mounting on a crop trailer for receiving a crop from a harvester, said weighing apparatus being operable to weigh an amount of crop contained within said trailer, said weighing apparatus comprising wireless communication transmission circuitry operable to intermittently transmit a weight of said crop for receipt by a crop treatment apparatus on said harvester.
11. ii. A weighing apparatus according to claim 10, said weighing apparatus comprising a plurality of weighing devices, each operable to be mounted at different points on a trailer and together being operable to weigh an amount of crop contained within said trailer.
12. 12. A weighing apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, said weighing apparatus comprising estimation logic operable to estimate at least one of: a total yield of crop for an area of land and total yield of crop harvested.
13. 13. A weighing apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 12, said weighing apparatus comprising control circuitry operable to control said transmission circuitry to transmit said weight of said crop in response to at least one of a signal from an operator, a predetermined time having elapsed, and a predetermined weight having been attained.
14. 14. A trailer for receiving a crop from a harvester comprising a weighing apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 13.
15. 15. A system for controlling an amount of additive to be added to a crop, said system comprising a crop treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 -8 and a weighing apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 14, said crop treatment apparatus being operable to receive weight signals from said weighing apparatus.
16. 16. A method of controlling a rate of application of additive being added to a crop in a harvester during harvesting of said crop, said method comprising: receiving weight signals indicating a weight of harvested crop retained within a trailer receiving said crop from said harvester; controlling an additive dispenser to dispense said additive to said crop at a rate of application of additive that is dependent upon said weight signals received.
17. 17. A method according to claim 6, said method comprising receiving said weight signals intermittently; and adjusting said rate of application of additive from an initial pre-programmed rate in dependence upon said weight signals.
18. 18. A method according to one of claim 16 or 17, wherein said additive dispenser comprises a fluid flowmeter and said step of controlling said additive dispenser comprises controlling a rate of flow output by said flowmeter.
19. 19. A method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, further comprising: receiving a first user input and in response to said first user input retaining a current rate of application of additive and no longer adjusting said rate; and receiving a further user input and in response to said first user input recommencing adjusting said rate of application of additive in dependence upon said weight signals received.
20. 20. A method according to any one of claims 16 to 19, comprising in response to not detecting a weight signal for a predetermined time, signalling a warning to a user; and controlling said rate of application of additive being added to said crop in dependence upon at least one of at least one previously received weight signal and said pre-programmed rate of application.
21. 21. A method of controlling a rate of application of additive being added to a crop comprising a further step of: estimating at least one of: a total yield of crop for an area of land and total yield of crop harvested from said weight signals received and at least one of: a speed of said harvester and a distance travelled by said harvester.
22. 22. A computer program which when executed by a computer is operable to control said computer to perform a method according to any one of claims 16 to 21.
23. 23. A method of treating crops comprising: measuring a weight of a trailer being filled with crops by a harvester; intermittenfly transmitting signa's indicative of said weight to a crop treatment apparatus mounted on said harvester; receiving said weight signals at said crop treatment apparatus; controlling said additive dispenser to dispense said additive to said crop at a rate of application of additive that is dependent upon said weight signals received.
24. 24. A method of weighing a crop in a crop trailer that is receiving a crop from a harvester, said method comprising: determining a weight of crop contained within said trailer, intermittently transmitting said determined weight to a crop treatment apparatus on said harvester.
25. 25. A method according to claim 24, wherein said step of determining comprises: receiving a plurality of weight signals from a plurality of weighing devices, each mounted at different points on a trailer and determining from said plurality of weight signals a total weight of crop within said trailer.
26. 26. A method according to claim 24 or 25, wherein said step of transmitting said weight of said crop is performed in response to at least one of a signa' from an operator, a predetermined time having elapsed, and a predetermined weight having been attained.
27. 27. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 26, comprising a further step of estimating at least one of total yield of crop for an area of land and a total yield of crop harvested from a rate of change of said weight signals.
28. 28. A computer program which when executed by a computer is operable to control said computer to perform a method according to any one of claims 24 to 27.
29. 29. A crop treatment apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
30. 30. A harvester substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
31. 31. A weighing apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
32. 32. A trailer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows: a..: hvwster at t contrc4kd nt of pp1toaton sat crnp treatmaW apparatus c0rr4!t4Sin% S iv zettt'et opebble t( ncSe wfrt3es ittn weight signal, ind1tsn, wagbtoth*wvsted paainelwiut 1mm sai4 SmMer; ait aIdLiM dispenser operable to dispense said a&ftLiw tosS cop; and co*trnt c*oiüMy opeSble te contd aid MSii appl1⁄4Mu*i of' a&Ohve being u dlsj*snsed to said crop hys*Laddithe dapeaser In dependence upon said weightAo tecste said we*td signals iaterwhteiUy aaI said control c&vcuiuy b i untfiguted to adjust said rate th&ppfleatlon ctaddtlM from an IStiat pre-ptgramme*I tate in dependence upon said weight sipSi LtD *St41" tt' ttfljø$tzwacccrdth.s amfigured to adjust stud tate at applfankn in dependence upm art avaase oflald o ze change said weigu aignals nt a ptnnnstthne. (0o:4;A*j:" "j$ØS"t j'' Th additive canpSes a fluid andsa4crot,tveatntei*tappaatusømfln a Thzd flowmcte optrahk tois*tpt a omtrø1Wflow of ddltv. s&4 cmitrol *t%tdrybethg j: . ::c.' t...S:ii* ttcatnwntapparatus tkutbvrcozuprlslug inp*zSrahiycaMgucedt.mceiveuc npt*tL said saUt i4nndby b.izi a$Rur44 in $SpOnst to estwng a lint wkr1nput to *etnu& tcUrfltat of apptwabun tdàmvazad nmspansvmn tev4ptalatat user Input to reconuflenct adjusting said tav at tppbt1on of adthtivflt dependextce :fl, i_i: 4.. :A4K b'S, $3 k*t4iS MO4 lfltOiflYPNCUdU4& tim g$ tieatmtflt appay4ttts ising opa*Jc in rnysq to tM 4*edng z webjht sigS bra .ki:::, i*iS *M *4* t*SS1Safl $ $tt4S:*k$Q 4tiIk treatment çparatus cømpflSg estknttthM bgkopemMe to recei%'e said sntghthpah and at ItS otie & speed efa1dhaNesta hind ii diststrevcflt{ Inidhanetr abd t osthst*nd met ont c a. totM yIeld of cn! Lot ipi ann øLe*4 anti 4 ttt4yWd to 8. Atnip treatment appandus accordkza to any pr&Mmgd*imwherekt said *x<p 4; . Oc A system for contM1Ina amunutof d3⁄4thr tOe added tG a LI') sytten pi1&4 a 4mp trefl*tpt *4PpatatUs accotding te ny e (4 claims s-S sad awJ$hin$ apparatus (or raoath**n acp trailes for rceMxig a aop front said lutrveeter, si4 w%*gflug sppamtus ber,& jiperaWe t w.gh an 4n30Ltnt of cwj o contflied watMn said knfler said we%}4ni appatattas conipruxng w1reles (0 eomntunksSn Ir o4tttsm artoitry op*able tu MtemfthiMItflantnuit a sght of O said crop 1kw yeeelpt by said trop treatment appant* on said harvesr it Asy4extv aeouUng w daba So weigMsg appatatus eompns'sg a phtr&it o(Wdgbbtg dekes, eath operaNe tø be mountstd 4 dWerent points on * ttt and tegflhier beig operable to wSgh an amouwt otcrn siiita1ned within sMd trailer.at A system aceordin$ to tkn iGa said weigbi$ apØtusioiztpdSg esthn alien 1isgc eperabkito estimate at lest laui ott a tDtal yiald oLirop ftn an ars of * 1ithdts:s!4os 11 iS i1ft$ :t:o.sit::*Pto: aid: 1 I;W4P$tfrt 1 1 toniprWng contoI ekcwtryoperabls te contml said tnnsnnsszonc*rmntry to transmit s Sght nsa ct i cp* t fw an tptrator, a Sw c; x4 A eompdtg a harvester said eroDuntment apparatu*rbetn mounS on said harvester ,. A method of eentwflipg a rate oteppbcatiou pftddiliw being adde4 to a etp hi aharswdutflanstrngntsaM asahi 4unnpSng reetngweigt* s%gSs W*dlcatings wtmt of bawested crop retained wftbin a 4; :bi*: controlling a s44Wve 4ispeiwer to dispexmswd addkWe W sud top at a rate :W op*4S;otS'U thM:.&*tS Sthu::vjj receMag saul weight signals intermittsly; a*d nnai4rattotztpp1ttadgn oftddfthfloni an lnIttälptejogratwad tcLu4ioMn LI') A method acvQrd3ngtG one of daim ui * wba'eth saki adthSe d4speuser cbmprlsen ib4d tlewmemr andeS step emuntrthting said a&lltlw dispenser con*pIss ceutnlflng a ete of flew vtinputby said flownieter. o.20ts. MthSf::ISSfl:tS:., iflflS:'ci: :pdg:; o reaM pg a titat user tnput and in nsponse tGsazd first user input retaining a current rate of appUcat*rrn of additwe awl wSnger Sjusling Mid rate and r*cSlng a t4tdtt user Input and in response toaki first user Input ttcomntencin adjt4sting said rate of ap$zestkrn otaMittve in dependence upon said & method arding to anya of eWms t to 0j isuesponato not detecdqg a webjkt stna1 for a predetermined timc w*ptalhng 3: :aSi!gflWø4.contSing said ratcefapplátlon of *dditMt Wifl $14 tc snid ctop In dependence upôtt at 1st one Mat least one pttnIoSyreteived wei*bt 4i and said pt*-progrannued rate of applicatha tE:6fdaôd:thtóLitiAf$ tt * .tsL:::,4:4kcs iF f:: :t:*j**Msikl 4tL m i.J a&I4A b: : : : dmr W $ nasut1ng a wecght of a tfMIer bekig fLfled with creps by nkt banatez and 22 A wwptñarram wiSh wbeo exetated by a coxnpitter ti oper*ble to tontSl said compater IQ perf*rw a metbotaccodng te any one of clts 15 to a A. crop tvcattneat pparatus stantfMly u baSnbefbre eescrlbea with frs.e t; at: panphg:n:g LtD (0