Sorghum in Tupaciguara: defining the harvest point

Sorghum harvest-point diagnostic in Tupaciguara, Brazil, based on a drone flight on July 25, 2026 (980 photos, 17.0 ha mapped at 1.4 cm/px, ten days before the harvest planned for around August 4). The field was classified by VARI: 83% already mature (straw or senescent) and only 1.9% still with active leaf, supporting the recommendation to harvest in a single pass.

3D-measured canopy height had a median of 2.0 m (CV of 28%, moderate variation in plant height), with no sign of widespread lodging. The remaining green spots (1.9% of the field) were concentrated in 8 points on the west/southwest edge — a typical pattern for a wetter low spot — and flagged for field checking before the harvester passed through.

The field was divided into 71 cells of 50x50 m, numbered by maturation order (1, most advanced, to 71, most delayed) as the harvester's entry route: center/south first, west edge last. Logistics estimated 7 to 9 hours to harvest the 17 ha with one harvester at about 2 ha/h.