TO THE ISSUE OF CREATING MODELS OF PRECISE SOIL COMPACTION DETECTION FOR PRODUCTION SCALE USE

Abstract

Typical approaches to test soil compaction, along with technical possibilities are assessed with a purpose of scaling best approaches in production. Modern soil works related technologies, GPS accuracy aspirations for precision agriculture are addressed. Two most popular technologies in Ukraine to measure soil compaction are «The Top Soil Mapper» and «CTS-1000», although they function differently, most commonly are used independently. Simple mathematical calculations bringing together timing needed to gather reliable data to form variable depth soil ripping machinery and scale of Ukrainian production demonstrate irrelevance of applying typical mechanical methods. At the same time, sensor technologies have their own limitations. Thus, this article introduces the benefits of the mutual use of «The Top Soil Mapper» and «CTS-1000». Soil compaction models presented in the article include: 1. Smallest possible grid approach of soil compaction data presentation and interpolation for further use to create variable depth soil works assignment proves to provide a very good set of results and can be used as a standard, but at the same time it consumes so much time that production scaling is not achievable. As an example we can state that a grower with 1000 fields would need about 3 years to test all the fields, when production needs are to test all the fields within two or three months (depending on weather and crop rotation). 2. Small, midsize and large grid approach of soil compaction data presentation and interpolation for further use to create variable depth soil works assignment proves to vary from being still time inefficient to having gaps to gather enough data as main approach of any data processing for further interpolation makes an unproven assumption that the sample location is a center of a zone. In case with a smallest possible grid, that difference would be minimal, with a larger distance difference can be significant. 3. Depending on detecting zones to test compaction based other parameters does not prove to work and lacks scientific background. Thus it has been suggested to combine use of «Top Soil Mapper» and «CTS-1000».