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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #155181
Title: ON-THE-GO SOIL SENSORS FOR PRECISION AGRICULTURE

Author
item ADAMCHUK, V - UNIV OF NE
item HUMMEL, JOHN
item MORGAN, M - PURDUE UNIV
item UPADHYAYA, S - UNIV OF CA

Submitted to: Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/8/2004
Publication Date: 7/1/2004
Citation: Adamchuk, V.I., Hummel, J.W., Morgan, M.T., Upadhyaya, S.K. 2004. On-the-go soil sensors for precision agriculture. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 44:71-91.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Site-specific management of agricultural inputs to increase profitability of crop production, improve product quality, and protect the environment is the basic objective of precision agriculture technologies. Information about the variability of different soil attributes within a field is essential for the decision-making process. The inability to obtain plant and soil characteristics rapidly and inexpensively remains one of the biggest limitations of precision agriculture. Numerous researchers and manufacturers have attempted to develop on-the-go soil sensors to measure mechanical, physical and chemical soil properties. The sensors have been based on electromagnetic, optical and radiometric, mechanical, acoustic, pneumatic, and electrochemical measurement concepts. While only electric and electromagnetic sensors are presently used commercially, other technologies presented in this review may also be suitable to improve the quality of soil-related information in the future.