1. A method for identifying an edge of a crop, the method comprising: emitting a transmitted radiation pattern within a defined spatial zone; collecting one or more images of the defined spatial zone; detecting a presence of crop edge between a harvested portion and unharvested portion of a field based on an observed illumination radiation pattern on the crop edge formed by at least a portion of the transmitted radiation pattern, the observed illumination radiation pattern associated with at least one of an upper interface and a lower interface; the upper interface defining a boundary between a top of the unharvested crop and the spatial area thereabove, the lower interface defining a boundary between a bottom of the unharvested crop and the ground or harvested crop; and identifying image coordinate data, in the collected image, associated with the detected crop edge.