Farmers Reap Benefits of DSS

Abstract

Maize farming in New Zealand is an important activity contributing a significant proportion of the output of the agricultural sector. Commercial contractors form an important part of the harvesting process by traveling from farm to farm harvesting maize. Traditionally, commercial harvesters have difficulty in deciding when to harvest different farms within a short period in time, taking into consideration various limitations such as limited dedicated machines and crews. We report here on the development of a scheduling and decision-making support system (DSS) that assists commercial harvesters in scheduling their activities. We also present the outcomes of the implementation of the system by a large commercial harvester.