Residue spread mapping

A method of mapping the distribution of residue material in an environment in which at least one agricultural machine is operable, the method comprising:

• receiving sensor data from at least one sensor of a sensing arrangement mounted or otherwise coupled to the agricultural machine operating within the environment, wherein the sensor data is indicative of the residue material spread by a spreader tool of the agricultural machine;
• determining, from the sensor data, a local distribution of the residue material associated with the spreader tool;
• updating a map of a global distribution of the residue material across the environment based on a local material distribution determined from the sensor data and a location of the agricultural machine,
• wherein updating the map of the global distribution comprises assigning one of a plurality of categories to a sub-region of the environment based on the determined local distribution at a location of the particular sub-region, sub-region, wherein the plurality of categories comprise:
• a region corresponding to unharvested crop;
• a region corresponding to harvested crop and where the residue material has been spread;
• a region corresponding to standing crop and where the material has been spread into as the agricultural machine passed along an adjacent row in the environment;
• and
• a region corresponding to an area of harvested crop where the residue material has been spread more than once as the agricultural machine passes along an adjacent row in the environment;
• and
• causing the spreader tool of the agricultural machine to modify a distribution rate of the residue material when the agricultural machine travels through areas of the environment corresponding to the sub-regions where residue material has previously been spread.

A system for mapping the distribution of residue material in an environment in which at least one agricultural machine is operable, the system comprising:

• a sensing arrangement comprising at least one sensor mounted or otherwise coupled to the agricultural machine operating within the environment;
• and
• at least one controller, configured to:
• receive sensor data from the sensors indicative of the residue material spread by a spreader tool of the agricultural machine;
• determine, from the sensor data, a local distribution of the residue material associated with the spreader tool;
• and
• update a map of a global distribution of the residue material across the environment based on the local material distribution determined from the sensor data and a location of the agricultural machine,
• wherein updating the map comprises:
• categorizing at least one sub-regions within the environment based on the determined local distribution to one of a plurality of categories comprising:
• a region corresponding to unharvested crop;
• a region corresponding to harvested crop and where the residue material has been spread;
• a region corresponding to standing crop and where the material has been spread into as the agricultural machine passed along an adjacent row in the environment;
• and
• a region corresponding to an area of harvested crop where the residue material has been spread more than once as the agricultural machine passes along an adjacent row in the environment;
• and
• cause the spreader tool of the agricultural machine to modify a distribution rate of the residue material when the agricultural machine travels through areas of the environment corresponding to the sub-regions where residue material has previously been spread.