Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy, Ames Laboratory and Iowa State have demonstrated that X-ray technology can provide an accurate measurement of grain yields for farmers using the “precision farming” process.

According to a press release from Ames Laboratory, this technique will help make precision farming more efficient by allowing for accurate yield measurement.

“The technology for measuring yield is not mature yet,” said Inanc Feyzi, a member of the X-ray group at ISU’s Center for Nondestructive Evaluation (CNDE), in the press release.

Precision farming involves the collection of accurate data on fertilizer application, weather conditions, physical treatment and yields for small segments of land. Utilizing this data helps farmers achieve maximum yield per acre.

This technology provides accurate yield measurements on five 10 meter segments of land, according to the press release.

The equipment can be mounted on a harvester, and only two to three millimeters of steel shielding are necessary to protect the operator from the X-rays. The grain itself is only exposed for a short time, causing it no harm.

Grain passes through an X-ray beam on its way to the collection bin, and the data is translated into yield measurements.

“After looking at the numbers from the lab experiments, we believe that our accuracy is very competitive with other technology on the commercial market and has fewer drawbacks than the other approaches,” Inanc said.

Selcuk Arslan, graduate student in agriculture and biosystems engineering, made Inanc aware of the problem of yield measurement. The CNDE focuses primarily on non-invasive inspection of industrial equipment.

“This project allows us to go beyond our traditional scientific boundaries and fund research in agriculture, an area in which we would like to play a larger role,” Ames Lab Director Tom Barton said in the press release.

Susan Dieterle, public affairs representative for Ames Lab, said funding for the study was provided by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Grant program. She said the program was established to provide money for Ames Lab scientists to test new ideas.