Farm Implement Shanks as Soil Conductivity Electrodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for measuring soil properties like conductivity, moisture, and pH are inefficient, requiring separate passes through fields, being costly, and failing to capture spatial variability due to bulkiness and manual deployment, limiting their ability to produce accurate and dense maps.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing existing soil-engaging components of farm implements as electrodes for on-the-go measurement of soil properties, including a narrow profile sensor unit that can measure soil conductivity, moisture, and pH simultaneously, allowing for dense mapping with a low investment by integrating sensors into existing tillage and planting tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If previously developed soil conductivity devices are used, then soil conductivity can be measured, but the devices are bulky and require a separate pass through the field, increasing cost and reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines soil conductivity measurement function with existing farm implements (planters, tillage tools, fertilizer applicators) by using their soil-engaging components as electrodes. This merging eliminates the need for separate measurement passes and standalone measurement devices, allowing farmers to collect soil data during normal field operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention makes existing farm implements serve dual purposes: their primary agricultural function plus soil conductivity measurement. The soil-engaging components (shanks, points, sweeps, discs, coulter) that already contact the soil during planting or tillage operations are simultaneously used as electrodes for electrical conductivity measurement, creating a multi-functional system.
2Measurement precision
If fixed moisture sensors are deployed to monitor soil moisture, then soil moisture levels can be measured, but the sensors cannot capture spatial variability due to manual deployment limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical deployment of fixed moisture sensors with an automated electrical measurement system. By using electrical conductivity measurements through soil-engaging components, the system automatically captures soil properties across multiple locations during field operations, eliminating the need for manual sensor placement and enabling dense spatial sampling.
3Measurement precision
If lab samples are collected to map soil pH and chemical properties, then soil chemical properties can be measured, but the process is laborious and cannot achieve high density mapping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces laborious mechanical soil sampling and laboratory analysis with in-situ electrical conductivity measurements. By measuring electrical properties directly in the field through soil-engaging components, the system provides rapid, high-density mapping of soil properties without requiring physical soil collection, transport, or laboratory processing.
4Productivity
If a Veris on-the-go system is used to map soil pH, then on-the-go measurement is achieved, but the cost is too expensive for many applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by using the farm implement's own soil-engaging components as measurement electrodes. Instead of requiring separate expensive measurement equipment, the system utilizes components already present on every farm implement (shanks, points, sweeps, discs, coulter), eliminating the need for costly dedicated measurement hardware and making the technology economically accessible.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient, on-the-go measurement of multiple soil properties with reduced operational costs and increased spatial accuracy, allowing for variable rate irrigation and improved crop productivity by linking soil moisture with water-holding capacity and crop usage.
Implementation Method 1
measuring voltage resulting from the current between a second pair of soil-engaging electrodes to determine soil conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
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.