Agricultural system for controllably optimizing harvesting of forage

An agricultural work equipment for controllably harvesting a forage crop material and being of an agricultural system for harvesting the forage crop material, the agricultural work equipment comprising:

• a forage processing assembly including a mower-conditioner associated with a cutting apparatus, an upper roller, and a swath gate;
• a control system including:
• a forage processing assembly condition sensor configured for sensing an actual condition of the forage processing assembly and thereby for outputting an actual condition signal associated with the actual condition of the forage processing assembly;
• at least one of (a) a first forage processing assembly forage crop material yield sensor positioned on the swath gate that is configured for sensing an actual forage crop material yield during a first forage processing operation and for outputting an actual forage crop material yield signal associated with the actual forage crop material yield, or (b) a first forage processing assembly forage crop material moisture sensor connected to the swath gate that is configured for sensing an actual forage crop material moisture during the first forage processing operation and for outputting an actual forage crop material moisture signal associated with the actual forage crop material moisture;
• a controller operatively coupled with the forage processing assembly condition sensor, the at least one of the first forage processing assembly forage crop material yield sensor or the first forage processing assembly forage crop material moisture sensor, and the forage processing assembly and configured for:
• receiving the actual condition signal;
• receiving at least one of the actual forage crop material yield signal of the actual forage crop material moisture signal;
• determining a first adjustment signal based at least in part on the actual condition signal and at least one predicted forage crop material condition associated with the forage processing operation, the at least one first predicted forage crop material condition including a predicted yield of the forage crop material;
• determining a second adjustment signal based at least in part on at least one of the actual forage crop material yield signal and the actual forage crop material moisture signal;
• and
• outputting the first adjustment signal and thereby for initially adjusting, prior to beginning the forage processing operation, a device of the forage processing assembly and outputting the second adjustment signal and thereby for further adjusting, after beginning the first forage processing operation, the first device of the forage processing assembly.

A method for controllably harvesting a forage crop material by an agricultural system, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing the agricultural system which includes a first agricultural work equipment for controllably harvesting the forage crop material, the first agricultural work equipment including a first forage processing assembly including a mower-conditioner associated with a cutting apparatus, an upper roller, and a swath gate, and a first control system including a first forage processing assembly condition sensor, at least one of (a) a first forage processing assembly forage crop material yield sensor positioned on the swath gate that is configured for sensing an actual forage crop material yield during a first forage processing operation and for outputting an actual forage crop material yield signal associated with the actual forage crop material yield, or (b) a first forage processing assembly forage crop material moisture sensor connected to the swath gate that is configured for sensing an actual forage crop material moisture during the first forage processing operation and for outputting an actual forage crop material moisture signal associated with the actual forage crop material moisture, and a first controller operatively coupled with the first forage processing assembly condition sensor the at least one of the first forage processing assembly forage crop material yield sensor or the first forage processing assembly forage crop material moisture sensor, and the first forage processing assembly;
• sensing, by the first forage processing assembly condition sensor, a first actual condition of the first forage processing assembly and thereby outputting a first actual condition signal associated with the first actual condition of the first forage processing assembly;
• receiving, by the first controller, the first actual condition signal;
• receiving at least one of the actual forage crop material yield signal or the actual forage crop material moisture signal;
• determining, by the first controller, a first adjustment signal based at least in part on the first actual condition signal and at least one first predicted forage crop material condition associated with the first forage processing operation, the at least one first predicted forage crop material condition including a predicted yield of the forage crop material;
• determining a second adjustment signal based at least in part on at least one of the actual forage crop material yield signal and the actual forage crop material moisture signal;
• and
• outputting, by the first controller, the first adjustment signal and thereby for initially adjusting, prior to beginning the first forage processing operation, a first device of the first forage processing assembly and outputting the second adjustment signal and thereby for further adjusting after beginning the first forage processing operation, the first device of the forage processing assembly.