Abstract: A model for determining the type of soil, the water content of a soil, and the soil properties, and a soil measurement data storage portion (60) to store therein measurement data necessary to carry out the model and correlated with specific measurement conditions are provided. The water content is measured by a water content measuring portion (57) on the basis of the measurement data fed from a soil sensor (S). The type of soil is determined by a feature extracting portion (56) and a type-of-soil determining portion (58), and the determined type of soil is sent to a determining portion (59). The determining portion (59) determines corresponding conditions and a model according to the type of soil and water content of the measured place received and sets them in a predetermined processing portion.

Abstract: To provide a soil characteristics survey device capable of efficiently acquiring high precision data information about the distribution of soil characteristics in an agricultural field, and managing the data information collectively. The soil characteristics survey device is composed of a pedestal connected to the rear of the tractor, a control unit (a computer) mounted on the pedestal, and a soil excavating unit attached below the rear end of the pedestal. While being towed by a vehicle 2 such as a tractor, the device surveys in real time the distribution of soil characteristics in a given agricultural field. At the top of the control unit is attached a GPS antenna. The soil excavating unit 50 is composed of a shank 51 connected to the bottom of the pedestal and a sensing unit which is fixed so the bottom of the shank 51 and advance in the soil approximately parallel to the ground at a predetermined depth.

Abstract: An optical soil survey device to survey the optical characteristics of a given underground soil, a soil survey device to survey the soil, a soil survey system and a mobile soil survey vehicle to survey the soil are disclosed. The disclosed devices and systems may be used to survey the characteristics of a given soil for agricultural purposes. This survey can be carried out without experiencing significant resistance from the soil. A plow-shaped optical soil survey device may be provided with a plow-shaped main unit, whose forward extremity turns up soil; a frame, which supports the sensor and connects a tractor and a main unit; a spectrometer, which is mounted on the frame; a wheel, which surveys the depth of the furrow and is connected to the main unit via an arm; and a survey control unit, which is mounted on the tractor.

Abstract: To provide a soil characteristics survey device capable of efficiently acquiring high precision data information about the distribution of soil characteristics in an agricultural field, and managing the data information collectively.