Abstract: A harvester which has a global-positioning system is used to harvest crops. Fields to be harvested are divided into individual field areas for crop quality assessment selected by the farmer. Values representing the location of the selected individual field areas or crop management areas are loaded into storage on a computer or recorded. The harvester also includes a dispenser of crop markers. Each crop marker has a unique identifier when compared to the other crop markers used during the harvest. The global-positioning system determines actual field location during the harvest and when an actual field location is close or matches one of the selected field locations, a trigger signal is sent to the dispenser and a crop marker is inserted into the harvested crop stream. A table of selected field locations and the crop markers inserted into the crop stream from that field location is stored. Later on in processing, the crop marker is detected and a sample of the crop is taken from around the crop marker.

Abstract: A liquid tension-sensitive gas valve for use in an environment containing liquid includes an inlet connectable to a source of gas and an outlet connectable to a receiver of gas. An internal porous member disposed between the inlet and the outlet has a plurality of pores having pore openings which are closed when filled with liquid and which are open when the tension (negative hydrostatic pressure) of the liquid therein has increased past a predetermined level. The internal member prevents movement of gas between the inlet and the outlet when the moisture content of the internal porous member has increased to cause the liquid tension to decrease below the predetermined level, wherein moisture has closed the pores. Conversely, the internal porous member permits the movement of gas between the inlet and the outlet when the moisture content therein has decreased to cause the liquid tension to exceed the predetermined level, wherein the pores are open.

Abstract: A harvester which has a global-positioning system is used to harvest crops. Fields to be harvested are divided into individual field areas for crop quality assessment selected by the farmer. Values representing the location of the selected individual field areas or crop management areas are loaded into storage on a computer or recorded. The harvester also includes a dispenser of crop markers. Each crop marker has a unique identifier when compared to the other crop markers used during the harvest. The global-positioning system determines actual field location during the harvest and when an actual field location is close or matches one of the selected field locations, a trigger signal is sent to the dispenser and a crop marker is inserted into the harvested crop stream. A table of selected field locations and the crop markers inserted into the crop stream from that field location is stored. Later on in processing, the crop marker is detected and a sample of the crop is taken from around the crop marker.