System and method using nir sensing to control height of cutting element on agricultural machine

A system comprising:

• a swather machine configured to cut a plant material, the swather including a cutting mechanism having a cutting element configured to cut the plant material at a particular cut height;
• a near-infrared testing system configured to emit near-infrared radiation and receive a reflected response from the plant material cut at the particular cut height, analyze the reflected response, and generate evaluation data including an actual value for a property of the plant material cut at the particular cut height;
• and
• a cut controller operably coupled to the cutting element to control the particular cut height at which the plant material is cut based at least in part on a comparison of the actual value for the property and a target value for the property, including—
• adjusting by the cut controller a height of the cutting element to change the particular cut height if the actual value for the property is substantially different from the target value, and
• maintaining by the cut controller the particular cut height if the actual value for the property is within a preestablished percentage of the target value.

A method comprising:

• cutting with a swather machine a plant material at a particular cut height;
• receiving and analyzing with a near-infrared testing system near-infrared radiation reflected by the plant material cut at the particular cut height, and generating evaluation data including an actual value for a property of the plant material cut at the particular cut height;
• and
• controlling with a cut controller the particular cut height at which the plant material, including comparing the actual value for the property and a target value for the property and—
• adjusting by the cut controller a height of the cutting element to change the particular cut height if the actual value for the property is substantially different from the target value, and
• maintaining by the cut controller the particular cut height if the actual value for the property is within a preestablished percentage of the target value.