INSTANTANEOUS MULTIPLE-DEPTH SOIL MECHANICAL IMPEDANCE SENSING FROM A MOVING VEHICLE

A three-depth soil mechanical impedance sensor was developed and tested within a laboratory soil bin. Soilmechanical impedance measurements were made on a continuous basis at three simultaneous depths of 178, 279, and 381 mmfrom one end of the soil bin to the other using three prismatic tips and three Omega LCF500 load cells. This article discusseshow the sensor can be used for measuring the soil mechanical impedances that plant roots encounter during normal growth.The soil sensor also offers excellent opportunities to study the forces acting on soil-engaging implements and subsequentcontrol of tillage tools. Compaction created from past tillage machinery operation and trafficking by heavy equipmentsometimes forms plowpans in crop fields. These layers, as well as other naturally occurring dense soil layers that impedewater infiltration and root penetration, can be located using the three-depth soil mechanical impedance sensor. Thelaboratory experiment for testing and verifying the devices performance showed that the three-depth sensor can measuredifferences in soil mechanical impedance with depth and location and that these impedances correlate well withcorresponding cone penetrometer measurements.