Intelligent instrument to facilitate decision making in the evaluation of soil resistance to root penetration

Abstract

This contribution introduces an instrument for decision-making in agricultural processes based on the measurements and mapping of soil resistance to root penetration. Its development was based on a new and advanced instrumentation tool, enabling in almost real-time to acquire the necessary information for spatial variability analysis of plant root penetration resistance in soils, due to natural or artificial soil compaction processes, i.e., not only for an area of soil but also for a soil profile. The system allows soil resistance assays for both laboratory and agricultural fields. Moreover, the development focused on an intelligent instrumentation concept, as well as a microprobe (30º for the spire angle, 1,6 mm for the base diameter, and 30 mm of total length), with a strain-gage transducer sensor. Results have shown that measurements of soil resistance to plant root penetration can be performed up to the limit of (483.47 ± 0.69) N, with a resolution of 15.4 N. Additionally, the versatility of the system is verified for soil resistance data collection and its interpretation to root plant penetration, since they can be presented in table formats, one-dimensional graphs, two-dimensional and threedimensional maps. Therefore, this system enables users to obtain a quick interpretation of the soil aggregation state in agricultural areas.

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“…This higher amount may be related to the occurrence of the hardening process due to aging ("age hardening") of the aggregates, which remain resistant over time after the initial soil mobilization (Utomo andDexter 1981, Kemper andRosenau 1984). Moreover, the persistent effects of the moist and dry cycles as well as the traffic of vehicles over the soil may generate aggregates of greater size and density (Grant et al 1985, Semmel et al 1990), which increase the RP values. Furthermore, the mobilization of soil in the CT results in the breaking of connections between soil particles and/or aggregates, decreasing the RP (Dexter et al 1988).…”