Metrological uncertainty in agriculture measuring equipments

METROLOGICAL UNCERTAINTY IN AGRICULTURE MEASURING EQUIPMENTS Douglas da Costa Ferreira 1, Aguinaldo Soares de Oliveira 2, Vanessa Alves de Oliveira 3, Potira Luisa Alves Favoreto 4

1 UFMT, Rondonópolis, Brasil, [e-mail]
2 UFMT, Rondonópolis, Brasil, [e-mail]
3 UFMT, Rondonópolis, Brasil, [e-mail]
4 UFMT, Rondonópolis, Brasil, [e-mail]

Abstract: It was checked five enterprises from agriculture business in Mato Grosso State assessing the uncertainty in the controls of productivity, humidity and temperature through information from harvesters equipped with productivity sensors supported by GPS, weigh of grain harvest per area, electric humidity control, difference of weight from dry and humid grain and thermometers respectively. The result of this research is a preliminary evaluation of measurement uncertainty and proposes recommendations for calibration and adjustment for that equipment. Keywords: agriculture, uncertainty, harvester, calibration.
1. INTRODUCTION
Investments in agriculture in Mato Grosso are growing fast according to Aprosoja [1]. Growth of Soybean planting is significant. Harvested in 2010 were 20.6% higher than 2009, with a yield (tons harvested per hectare planted) 12.1% higher, according to IBGE [2]. This not only demonstrates the strong investment in scaling, but also in improving technology to agriculture.
New cultivation techniques, soil care, fertilizers and pesticides has been studied and widely used.
In recent years the investment in agriculture technology also is allied to mechanical technology investments. Nowadays the grain harvesters are provided with sensors to count the grain yield in harvested area and humidity sensor. Coupled with area mapping taken by GPS technology it is possible to assess which area has a higher or lower productivity, allowing the farmer to set specific corrective actions according to the results presented, which is known as agriculture