A square baler having a baling chamber, a plunger reciprocable at one end of the baling chamber, a pre-compression chamber where charges of crop are amassed and pre-compressed by a rotor prior to transfer into the baling chamber. A transducer is provided for producing an electrical output signal indicative of the load on the rotor and a processing circuit is operative to estimate the rate of crop flow into the pre-compression chamber by analyzing the output signal of the transducer over a complete filling and emptying cycle of the pre-compression chamber.

An agricultural system includes a baler with a plunger and a sensor for sensing a plunger-related value; a vehicle including a power source operable to convey power to the plunger; and a CVT arranged to drive the plunger. In order to balance a fluctuating load of the plunger over the working cycle, an electronic control unit (ECU) is coupled to the sensor and to the CVT and is configured to receive the signal from the sensor and to cause the CVT to modify a gear ratio of the CVT based on the signal from the sensor and on a mathematical model defining a CVT gear ratio variation profile derived from an expected load applied by crop on the plunger over its operating cycle.

A method and an arrangement for control of the speed of a baler includes detection and mapping of one or more of a crop property and data derived therefrom during the harvesting of a field by a combine harvester. Crop residues are deposited in a windrow in the field. The method and arrangement control the speed of the baler in the pickup of the windrow while taking into account one or more of the mapped crop property and the data derived from the crop property.

An agricultural baler having a baling chamber and a pre-compression chamber, wherein the pre-compression chamber is adapted to periodically form a slice of crop material and push the slice towards the baling chamber into a first segment of the baling chamber, the baling chamber has a plunger provided for reciprocally moving in the baling chamber thereby compressing slices of crop material into a bale, wherein at least one optical bale length sensor is provided in the baling chamber for measuring the length of the bale.

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for automatically adjusting settings on a baler based at least on the characteristics of a previously formed or forming bale. A baler collects a target crop and forms a bale. During or after formation of the bale, sensors collect data that is indicative of bale characteristics, including mass flow, shape, size, density, wrap and twine control, amongst other for the bale. A baler controller can use the identified bale characteristics to determine baler settings adjustments, for the baler, that can bring the bale, or subsequent bale, into specification based on predetermined thresholds for the bale characteristics. Further, actuators can operably adjust the baler settings on the fly.

A bale composition determination system comprising a baler configured to pick up crop material cut and lying on the ground in the form of a windrow and to form bales of the crop material. The system additionally includes one or more sensors configured to obtain electromagnetic reflectance information for the crop material. The system further includes a control system configured to receive the electromagnetic reflectance information for the crop material and to generate vegetation index values for the bales of crop material based on the electromagnetic reflectance information.

A bale identification assembly has a binding material with identification tags at spaced intervals is used by a knotter system to bind a formed bale. A read module with an antenna transmits interrogator signals and also receives authentication replies from identification tags. The bale identification assembly has a bale drop sensor with a paddle. As a completed bale passes through the discharge chute, the completed bale interacts with the paddle causing the bale drop sensor to activate. Activation of the bale drop sensor activates the antenna for a specified active cycle, and during its active cycle, the read module assigns any identification tag that is sensed to the completed bale that is leaving the discharge chute. A controller receives information from at least one crop sensor and/or bale sensor and associates the information about the completed bale with the identification tag on the completed bale.

A baler including a frame a feed assembly coupled to the frame, an auger housing coupled to the frame and in operable communication with the feed assembly, the auger housing having an exterior wall including a first open end, a second open end opposite the first open end, and defining a volume therein. The baler also including a first auger at least partially positioned within the volume and rotatable with respect to the auger housing about a first axis, and a second auger at least partially positioned within the volume and rotatable with respect to the auger housing about a second axis.

A baler including a frame, a feed assembly coupled to the frame, an auger housing defining a volume therein, where the volume of the auger housing is configured to receive crop material from the feed assembly during operation, and one or more augers at least partially positioned within the volume and rotatable with respect to the auger housing, where the one or more augers define an auger inlet plane. The baler also including a plurality of strippers coupled to the auger housing and configured to engage crop material, where each stripper includes a leading edge, and where the leading edge of at least one stripper is positioned upstream of the auger inlet plane.

A baler including a frame, a feed assembly coupled to the frame, an auger housing defining a volume therein, where the volume of the auger housing is configured to receive crop material from the feed assembly during operation, and a plurality of augers, each of which at least partially positioned within the volume and rotatable with respect to the auger housing.