Abstract: An agricultural implement has implement settings for soil engaging tools that are controlled based on measured temporal and long-term soil properties in a field. A controller receives data from various soil and optical sensors and provides decision support for adjusting the implement settings. The soil sensors include a square or modified square electrical array that includes two independent, isolated disk coulters running side-by-side followed by two independent, isolated soil engaging runners. One runner has an optical sensor for organic matter, and the other runner has a temperature and moisture sensor. Above-ground optical sensors can be used to measure soil and plant material ahead of and behind the soil engaging tool. The controller can provide real time alerts to an operator that adjustments to the implement settings are needed, or the adjustments can be made automatically based on operator set thresholds, factory settings, or historical individual or global grower adjustments.

Abstract: An agricultural implement has implement settings for soil engaging tools that are controlled based on measured temporal and long-term soil properties in a field. A controller receives data from various soil and optical sensors and provides decision support for adjusting the implement settings. The soil sensors include a square or modified square electrical array that includes two independent, isolated disk coulters running side-by-side followed by two independent, isolated soil engaging runners. One runner has an optical sensor for organic matter, and the other runner has a temperature and moisture sensor. Above-ground optical sensors can be used to measure soil and plant material ahead of and behind the soil engaging tool. The controller can provide real time alerts to an operator that adjustments to the implement settings are needed, or the adjustments can be made automatically based on operator set thresholds, factory settings, or historical individual or global grower adjustments.

Abstract: A system for measuring temperature and dielectric properties of soil and other semi-solid materials on-the-go uses a long-wearing non-ferrous wear plate with two metal prongs supported by the wear plate to measure dielectric properties. The metal prongs each have a mounting end soldered to a printed circuit board containing a capacitance sensor circuit. The metal prongs have exposed ends arranged to contact the semi-solid material being measured. The sensor circuit has an oscillation frequency of 50 to 100 MHz to allow rapid dielectric measurements to be made as the sensor moves through the semi-solid material. In one embodiment, the system includes an implement for traversing a field, a shank with a leading edge for opening a furrow in soil, and a spring-loaded mounting system for biasing the wear plate downwardly relative to a shank to maintain a consistent pressure of the wear plate and metal prongs against the soil.

Abstract: A system for measuring soil properties on-the-go using a narrow profile sensor unit is provided on an implement for traversing a field. The sensor unit includes a front disk/coulter arranged to open a slot in the soil, a runner assembly arranged to follow behind the front disk/coulter for sliding contact with the soil in the slot, and a rotating disk/spoked wheel arranged to follow behind the runner assembly to close the slot. The front disk or coulter serves as a first electrode of an electrode array, the runner assembly has second and third electrodes attached thereto, and the rotating disk/spoked wheel serves as a fourth electrode. The electrode array can be used to measure soil electrical conductivity at multiple depths and to measure soil moisture. An optical window and pH sensor can also be incorporated into the runner assembly to measure soil reflectance and soil pH.

Abstract: An agricultural planter having sensors for measuring multiple soil properties adjusts planting depth and seeding rate in real time based on the measured soil properties. An optical module is carried by the planter for collecting soil reflectance data. A pair of soil contact blades protrude from or are embedded in the optical module for collecting soil EC data and soil moisture data. A switching circuit or phase lock loop allows the same soil contact blades to feed signals to both a soil EC signal conditioning circuit and a soil moisture signal conditioning circuit. The soil moisture data can be used to calibrate the soil EC data and the soil reflectance data to compensate for effects of changing soil moisture conditions across a field. The sensor module can be positioned behind a seed tube and used as a seed firmer, or incorporated into a seed tube guard.

Abstract: A system for measuring soil properties on-the-go uses soil-engaging components of an existing farm implement as electrodes for a soil conductivity measurement system. The soil-engaging components can be: electrically isolated shanks and/or replaceable points or sweeps on a tillage implement; a row cleaner or coulter device on the front of a planter row unit, the closing wheels on the back of the planter row unit, or an entire planter row unit; or an additional soil contacting component added to an existing implement shank. A soil engaging component serving as an electrode is electrically isolated from other components of the implement. A soil conductivity measurement is made by passing current between a first pair of soil-engaging electrodes and measuring voltage resulting from the current between a second pair of soil-engaging electrodes. A narrow profile sensor unit can be attached to the implement to measure additional soil properties.

Abstract: A soil mapping system for collecting and mapping soil reflectance data in a field includes an implement having a furrow opener for creating a furrow and an optical module. The optical module is arranged to collect soil reflectance data at a predetermined depth within the furrow as the implement traverses a field. The optical module includes two monochromatic light sources, a window arranged to press against the soil, and a photodiode for receiving light reflected back from the soil through the window. The two light sources have different wavelengths and are modulated at different frequencies. The photodiode provides a modulated voltage output signal that contains reflectance data from both of the light sources. Additional measurement devices are carried by the implement for collecting additional soil property data, such as electrical conductivity, pH, and elevation, which can be used together with the optical data to determine variations in soil organic matter.

Abstract: An agricultural planter having sensors for measuring multiple soil properties adjusts planting depth and seeding rate in real time based on the measured soil properties. An optical module is carried by the planter for collecting soil reflectance data. A pair of soil contact blades protrude from or are embedded in the optical module for collecting soil EC data and soil moisture data. A switching circuit or phase lock loop allows the same soil contact blades to feed signals to both a soil EC signal conditioning circuit and a soil moisture signal conditioning circuit. The soil moisture data can be used to calibrate the soil EC data and the soil reflectance data to compensate for effects of changing soil moisture conditions across a field. The sensor module can be positioned behind a seed tube and used as a seed firmer, or incorporated into a seed tube guard.

Abstract: A soil mapping system for collecting and mapping soil reflectance data in a field includes an implement having a furrow opener for creating a furrow and an optical module. The optical module is arranged to collect soil reflectance data at a predetermined depth within the furrow as the implement traverses a field. The optical module includes two monochromatic light sources, a window arranged to press against the soil, and a photodiode for receiving light reflected back from the soil through the window. The two light sources have different wavelengths and are modulated at different frequencies. The photodiode provides a modulated voltage output signal that contains reflectance data from both of the light sources. Additional measurement devices are carried by the implement for collecting additional soil property data, such as electrical conductivity, pH, and elevation, which can be used together with the optical data to determine variations in soil organic matter.

Abstract: A method and system for measuring multiple soil properties on-the-go is provided on an implement for traversing a field. An optical module is carried by the implement for collecting soil reflectance data. A pair of soil contact blades protrude from or are embedded in the optical module for collecting soil EC data and soil moisture data. A switching circuit or phase lock loop allows the same soil contact blades to feed signals to both a soil EC signal conditioning circuit and a soil moisture signal conditioning circuit. The soil moisture data can be used to calibrate the soil EC data and the soil reflectance data to compensate for effects of changing soil moisture conditions across a field. The system can also be used on a planter to control planting depth and/or seeding rate in real time based on multiple soil properties collected during planting.

Abstract: An agricultural planter having sensors for measuring multiple soil properties adjusts planting depth and seeding rate in real time based on the measured soil properties. An optical module is carried by the planter for collecting soil reflectance data. A pair of soil contact blades protrude from or are embedded in the optical module for collecting soil EC data and soil moisture data. A switching circuit or phase lock loop allows the same soil contact blades to feed signals to both a soil EC signal conditioning circuit and a soil moisture signal conditioning circuit. The soil moisture data can be used to calibrate the soil EC data and the soil reflectance data to compensate for effects of changing soil moisture conditions across a field. The sensor module can be positioned behind a seed tube and used as a seed firmer, or incorporated into a seed tube guard.

Abstract: A multi-sensor system rapidly measures diffuse reflectance of soil, soil conductivity, and other soil properties in situ, in three dimensions. The system includes a tractor-drawn implement containing a sensor shank used for X-Y axis measurements, a hydraulic probe implement containing a sensor probe for ?Z axis measurements, and a set of visible and near-infrared spectrometers, controls, and firmware that are shared by each implement. Both implements include optical sensors and soil electrical conductivity sensors. The probe implement incorporates a sensor that measures insertion force, and the shank implement includes a soil temperature sensor. These combinations of sensors are used to calibrate the system and to characterize the soil properties within a field or area. Geo-referenced soil measurements are collected with the shank implement to identify optimal locations for conducting sensor probe insertions.

Abstract: A mobile soil mapping system includes an implement for traversing a field to be mapped, and a reflectance module carried by the implement for collecting spectroscopic measurements of soil in the field. The reflectance module has a light source, an optical receiver for transmitting light to a spectrometer, and a shutter system that alters the optical path between the light source and the optical receiver. The shutter system allows the system to automatically collect a dark reference measurement and a known reference material measurement at timed intervals to compensate for drift of the spectrometer and the light source. A self-cleaning window on the reflectance module has a lower surface maintained in firm contact with the soil during operation. External reference blocks are used to calibrate the system to ensure standardized, repeatable data. Additional sensors are carried by the implement to collect other soil data, such as electrical conductivity and temperature.

Abstract: A soil sampling implement and method have a sampler assembly supported from an implement frame for movement across a field. The sampler assembly includes a tapered cylindrical cutting shoe and a soil collection trough. The cutting shoe has a leading cutting edge arranged for movement through soil in a horizontal direction to cut a cylindrical core sample. A sensing device is provided for measuring at least one soil property. The sampler assembly is moved between a lowered position in which the cutting shoe is positioned at a selected sampling depth, and a raised position in which the cutting shoe is positioned above the soil surface and a soil sample contained in the soil collection trough is brought into contact with the sensing device. A cutting shoe scraper engages and cleans the leading cutting edge of the cutting shoe when the sampler assembly is moved between the lowered and raised positions.