**3.10 Crop yield monitoring and mapping**

Crop yield monitoring and mapping can be defined as the process of collecting georeferenced data on crop yield and characteristics while the crop is being harvested. It provides the ability to not just estimate yield, but to identify the location in the field where yield is produced. The information obtained during crop yield monitoring and mapping is valuable for a multitude of management purposes, including estimating the amount of nutrients removed by the harvested crop, estimating profitability, developing management zones, and analyzing the impacts of treatments used in on-farm studies. In general, yield monitors provide a realistic estimate of the "relative" yield differences within a field. Yield maps are very useful in providing a visual image which shows the variability of yield across a field [48–50]. Various methods, using a range of sensors, have been developed for mapping crop yields. Vellidis et al. [49], who evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of commercially available crop yield monitoring and mapping systems, recommended that all potential users should carefully research prospective cotton yield monitoring systems for the following attributes before purchasing: quality of the product, "user-friendliness," ease of installation, GPS requirements, availability and responsiveness of technical support, skill level required of the picker operator, and time available for downloading data files.

*A Review of the Factors Affecting Adoption of Precision Agriculture Applications in Cotton… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.114113*
