The present invention relates to the field of producing particular metabolites of interest by engineered crop plants such as transgenic crop plants. Provided are methods that are easily applicable by farmers to determine when the metabolites of interest have reached an optimal content in the plant. These methods also help to facilitate decisions about the timeframe for preparing harvest or harvesting the engineered crop plant.

A grain tailings elevator for a combine harvester includes a an elevator housing having an interior containing a conveyor arrangement configured to transport grain tailings through the elevator housing to a discharge outlet. The elevator housing has a side wall with a window to the interior of the elevator housing. A camera having a camera housing containing an image sensor is mounted to the side wall of the elevator housing over the window with the image sensor in registration with the window. The image sensor is trained on the conveyor arrangement and configured to image the grain tailings transported by the conveyor arrangement through the elevator housing.

A grain tailings elevator for a combine harvester includes a an elevator housing having an interior containing a conveyor arrangement configured to transport grain tailings through the elevator housing to a discharge outlet. The elevator housing has a side wall with a window to the interior of the elevator housing. A camera having a camera housing containing an image sensor is mounted to the side wall of the elevator housing over the window with the image sensor in registration with the window. The image sensor is trained on the conveyor arrangement and configured to image the grain tailings transported by the conveyor arrangement through the elevator housing.

A system and method for automated grain inspection and analysis of results during harvest, using an inspection system mounted on a combine harvester with geolocation tracking, allowing for real time analysis during harvest and tracking of grain quality by location of harvest.

A system and method for automated grain inspection and analysis of results during harvest, using an inspection system mounted on a combine harvester with geolocation tracking, allowing for real time analysis during harvest and tracking of grain quality by location of harvest.

A system and method for automated grain inspection and analysis of results during harvest, using an inspection system mounted on a combine harvester with geolocation tracking, allowing for real time analysis during harvest and tracking of grain quality by location of harvest.

A system and method for automated grain inspection and analysis of results during harvest, using an inspection system mounted on a combine harvester with geolocation tracking, allowing for real time analysis during harvest and tracking of grain quality by location of harvest.

A system and method for automated grain inspection and analysis of results, that inspects grains using a plurality of light spectra, analyzes the results, and produces detailed reports from the analysis.

A system and method for automated grain inspection and analysis of results, that inspects grains using a plurality of light spectra, analyzes the results, and produces detailed reports from the analysis.

The Multipurpose Leaf Crop Harvesting Apparatus and Processing Method will accomplish seven steps in one pass of the combine harvester. This apparatus and processing method harvests leaf crops and is configured to perform multiple processing operations, including fractionation of the leaf crop, leaf maceration, leaf sizing, elevating the leaf fraction to a transport vehicle, and stem conditioning, cutting and windrowing, in a single pass through the crop field. These steps are accomplished using a header unit, an adapter feeder macerator and a forage harvester vehicle, expeditiously removing the leaf fraction from the field. Following leaf fraction harvesting, the leaf fraction is processed by densification into forage feed products. The processed leaf fraction can be combined with other feeds to make up customized feed rations. The stem fraction is also processed. The present invention can also be used to harvest grass crops.