Data Acquisition System for On-the-Go Soil Resistance Force Sensor Using Soil Cutting Blades.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Engineering
• Soil Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Agricultural land is a critical environmental component, necessitating understanding of soil physical properties.
• Soil properties significantly influence agricultural productivity and environmental health.
• Tractor passages can alter soil mechanical resistance, impacting soil structure and function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel data acquisition system for a soil resistance force sensor (SRFS).
• To quantify differences in soil mechanical resistance within and outside tractor tire tracks.
• To assess the impact of repeated tractor passages on soil properties.

Main Methods:

• Development of an original soil resistance force sensor (SRFS) with two cutting blades.
• Integration of load cells, a datalogger, and PC software into a data acquisition system.
• Field testing of the SRFS system to measure soil resistance force after tractor passages.
• Comparison of SRFS data with standard soil mechanical resistance parameters (penetrometer resistance, soil bulk density).

Main Results:

• Significant differences in soil resistance force were observed between measurements inside and outside tire tracks after one, two, and three tractor passages.
• Increased soil resistance force correlated positively with increased penetrometer resistance and soil bulk density.
• The developed system demonstrated practical applicability in evaluating soil mechanical resistance.

Conclusions:

• The proposed data acquisition system for the SRFS is suitable for practical field applications.
• The SRFS effectively quantifies soil mechanical resistance changes due to agricultural machinery.
• This technology aids in monitoring and managing soil compaction in agricultural settings.