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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #151578
Title: RELATING ON-THE-GO-SOIL STRENGTH SENSOR DATA AND CONE INDEX

Author
item CHUNG, SUN-OK - UNIV OF MO
item Sudduth, Kenneth - Ken
item Kitchen, Newell
item Hummel, John

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/23/2003
Publication Date: 11/3/2003
Citation: CHUNG, S., SUDDUTH, K.A., KITCHEN, N.R., HUMMEL, J.W. 2003. RELATING ON-THE-GO-SOIL STRENGTH SENSOR DATA AND CONE INDEX. [abstract] [CD-ROM]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Soil strength has been widely used to estimate the status of soil compaction. The conventional cone penetrometer method has been well established but is laborious when large numbers of measurements are required. Therefore, we have developed a horizontally operating on-the-go soil strength profile sensor (SSPS) that uses prismatic tips connected to a load cell array and can collect data dense enough to show the within-field spatial variability of soil strength in an efficient manner. The SSPS and a cone penetrometer are different in their geometries and operational methods. Understanding the relationship of SSPS data to penetrometer cone index (CI, MPa) is critical for interpretation of test results and future application of the sensor to soil management and crop production. A prismatic soil strength index (PSSI, MPa) was defined as the measured force divided by the base area of the prismatic tip. Relationships between PSSI and CI were investigated using mathematical modeling and field experiments. Simulations using the mathematical models for PSSI and CI defined theoretical relationships between the indices. Through field experiments, the effects of soil and operational conditions on the indices were investigated, and empirical relationships were obtained. Based on these findings, previous research results obtained for CI might be used to interpret PSSI.