System and method for consistent depth seeding to moisture

A seeding machine includes a main frame and a row unit coupled to the main frame. The row unit includes a row unit frame, a gauge wheel coupled to the row unit frame, a furrow opener coupled to the row unit frame, the furrow opener having a stationary or rotating surface that contacts and moves soil, and a furrow closer coupled to the row unit frame, the furrow closer having a stationary or rotating surface that contacts and presses soil. The seeding machine also includes a seeding adjustment system including a soil removal device, a moisture sensor, a controller configured to receive a signal from the moisture sensor corresponding to the detected moisture level, and an actuator configured to change a position of the soil removal device based on the signal received by the controller.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for planting seeds, in particular with a row crop planter.

It is generally desirable to plant all seeds of a particular type at a specific seed planting depth so that emergence is equal for all such seeds. Growth of such seeds also depends on soil moisture levels at the specific seed planting depth, however, and seeds exposed to varying moisture levels at a given depth will germinate unevenly, with some plants not producing crop yet draining valuable nutrients from those that do.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the disclosure provides a seeding machine that includes a main frame and a row unit coupled to the main frame. The row unit includes a row unit frame, a gauge wheel coupled to the row unit frame, a furrow opener coupled to the row unit frame, the furrow opener having a stationary or rotating surface that contacts and moves soil, and a furrow closer coupled to the row unit frame, the furrow closer having a stationary or rotating surface that contacts and presses soil. The seeding machine also includes a seeding adjustment system including a soil removal device, the soil removal device having a stationary or rotating surface that contacts and moves soil, a moisture sensor configured to detect a moisture level at one or more layers of soil, a controller configured to receive a signal from the moisture sensor corresponding to the detected moisture level, and an actuator configured to change a position of the soil removal device based on the signal received by the controller.

In another aspect, the disclosure provides a seeding machine that includes a controller having a processor configured to detect a moisture level of a first layer of soil with a moisture sensor coupled to a row unit on the seeding machine, determine whether the moisture level is outside of a predetermined range, and in response to determining that the moisture level is outside of the predetermined range, lower a soil removal device into the soil to remove a layer of the soil, the soil removal device including a stationary or rotating surface that contacts and removes the first layer of soil.

In another aspect, the disclosure provides a seeding machine that includes a main frame, a row unit coupled to the main frame, and a seeding adjustment system coupled to the row unit. The seeding adjustment system includes a soil removal device, the soil removal device selected from a group consisting of a V-wing, a row cleaner, and a disk blade. The soil removal device has a stationary or rotating surface that contacts and moves soil. The seeding adjustment system also includes a moisture sensor coupled to the row unit and configured to detect a moisture level at one or more layers of soil, a controller configured to receive a signal from the moisture sensor corresponding to the detected moisture level, and an actuator configured to change a position of the soil removal device based on the signal received by the controller. The actuator is selected from a group consisting of a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, and an electronic actuator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before embodiments of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The disclosure is capable of supporting other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

FIG. 1illustrates a seeding machine10(e.g., a row crop planter). The seeding machine10is towed by a tractor (not shown) having an operator's cab12(shown schematically). Machine10has a main frame14. A plurality of individual row units18are coupled (e.g., mounted) on a rear portion of the main frame14, such that the row units18are pulled over a layer of soil20. Seed sources, such as storage tanks22a-22c, are coupled to the main frame14, and hold seed that is delivered, e.g., pneumatically or in any other suitable manner, to a mini-hopper (not shown) on each row unit18. The storage tanks22a-22care coupled to the mini-hoppers by way of conduits26, such as hoses, and a pressurized delivery apparatus (not shown). Each storage tank22a-22ccontains the same or different varieties of seed to be planted in the soil20. Thus, each row unit18can be coupled to one of the conduits26such that each row unit18is coupled to a storage tank22a-22cto receive seed. As illustrated inFIG. 1, each row unit18further includes its own frame30, to which various components (e.g., a furrow opener, a furrow closer, etc.) are mounted.

FIGS. 2 and 3illustrate an example of a row unit118that may be used in place of one of the row units18inFIG. 1. Similar to the row unit18, the row118is also coupled to the main frame14. In some constructions, a plurality of row units118are coupled to the main frame14, similar to the row units18inFIG. 1.

As illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 3, each row unit118includes its own seed hopper122band a chemical hopper122a. The hoppers122a,122bare coupled to a row unit frame130. Each row unit118also includes a gauge wheel (or wheels)132coupled to the row unit frame130that contacts and rolls along the soil20, and a furrow opener134(e.g., an opening disk or pair of disks or other structure having a stationary or rotating surface that contacts and moves soil away to form a furrow) coupled to the row unit frame130for forming a furrow136(seeFIG. 1) in the soil20. A seed metering device138coupled to the row unit frame130receives seed from the hopper122band meters and dispenses the seeds into the furrow136. A furrow closer140(e.g., a closing and packing wheel or wheels or other structure having a stationary or rotating surface that contacts and presses soil) coupled to the row unit frame130pushes soil back into the furrow136. In the illustrated construction, each row unit118also includes a seed firmer device141coupled to the row unit frame130that firms each seed and pushes it into the furrow136before the furrow is closed.

With reference toFIGS. 2 and 3, each row unit118further includes a seeding adjustment system142. The seeding adjustment system142monitors soil moisture in the soil20and maintains a consistent seed planting depth for each seed, while simultaneously ensuring that each seed is also planted in soil with a desired soil moisture level.

The seeding adjustment system142includes a soil removal device144. In the illustrated construction, the soil removal device144is coupled to a front, leading end146of the row unit frame130and is disposed in front of the furrow opener134. In some constructions, the soil removal device144is a V-wing, row cleaner, disk blade, disk furrower, or any other structure that includes a stationary or rotating surface that contacts and removes one or more layers of soil (e.g., John Deere Part #BA25853 (V-wing sweep), John Deere Part #BA26105 (Conservation disk furrow), or John Deere Part #BA32571 (Unit-mounted row cleaner)).

The seeding adjustment system142further includes an actuator150coupled to (e.g., attached to) the row unit frame130and that moves the soil removal device144. The actuator150is further coupled to (e.g., in communication with) a controller154mounted to the row unit frame130or located remotely from the row unit frame130(e.g., on the main frame14or the operator's cab12). The controller154includes a processor, and can be hard-wired to the actuator150or in wireless communication with the actuator150, and is configured to cause the actuator150to raise or lower the soil removal device144. In some constructions, the actuator150is a hydraulic or pneumatic arm (e.g., telescoping arm) or other linkage mechanism that mechanically raises and lowers the soil removal device144. In other constructions, the actuator150includes an electrical component (e.g., solenoid or motor) that acts to raise and lower the soil removal device144.

With reference toFIG. 2, when the soil removal device144is in a raised position (e.g., after the controller154has sent a “raise” signal to the actuator150), the soil removal device144is disposed above and out of contact with a plurality of layers158,162,166of soil. With reference toFIG. 3, when the soil removal device144is in a lowered position (e.g., after the controller50has sent a “lower” signal to the actuator150), the soil removal device144is in direct contact with at least one of the layers158,162,166of soil. In some constructions, the soil removal device144is movable (e.g., vertically) between more than two discrete positions (e.g., three, four, five, or more positions). In some constructions the soil removal device44is movable to an infinite number of positions.

With continued reference toFIGS. 2 and 3, the seeding adjustment system142further includes at least one moisture sensor170. The moisture sensor170may be any of a number of types of moisture sensors, including a capacitive sensor in contact with the soil20, an infrared sensor, or a radar sensor. In the illustrated construction, the moisture sensor170is coupled directly to the seed firmer device141. In other constructions, the moisture sensor170is coupled to another area of the seeding machine10other than the seed firmer device141(e.g., to another area of the row unit frame130, to the main frame14, or to the towing tractor). In some constructions, each of the row unit frames130includes a moisture sensor170.

The moisture sensor170is in communication with the controller154. The moisture sensor170determines a moisture level of at least one of the layers158,162,166of the soil20, and sends a signal or signals corresponding to the moisture level or levels to the controller154. In some constructions, the moisture sensor170specifically determines the moisture levels of approaching soil20outside of the furrow136and ahead of the furrow opener134(e.g., to the right of the furrow opener134inFIGS. 2 and 3; see the direction of travel arrow172of the seeding machine10inFIGS. 2 and 3). In the illustrated construction, the moisture sensor170detects the moisture levels of soil directly in or underneath the furrow136. In some constructions, the moisture sensor or sensors170detect the moisture levels of both the soil outside of the furrow136(e.g., the approaching soil, and/or soil laterally spaced away from the furrow opener134) as well as the moisture levels of the soil in or underneath the furrow136. In some constructions, the moisture sensor170is located closer to a front of the row unit118, so that the moisture sensor170is better able to monitor the moisture conditions of approaching soil). In some constructions, the moisture sensor may be mounted to the machine frame14between rows, either before or laterally adjacent the row units.

With continued reference toFIGS. 2 and 3, it is desirable for seeds to be planted a specific, predetermined seed planting depth174, as measured from a top, exposed surface178of the soil20, so that emergence is equal for all such seeds. However, growth of the seeds also depends on soil moisture level at the seed planting depth174. Therefore, if all seeds are planted at the seed planting depth174, but some seeds are exposed to better moisture conditions than others at this depth, the resulting germination of the seeds will be uneven.

To avoid this result, the moisture sensor170is configured as above depending on the planting application to detect soil moisture levels in the soil at one or more of the soil layers158,162,166, and sends signals regarding the moisture levels to the controller154. If the moisture sensor170detects a desired moisture level at the seed planting depth174, the controller154maintains the soil removal device144at the raised position (FIG. 2). However, if the moisture sensor170detects that the moisture level at the seed planting depth174is not optimal (e.g., too dry (below a predetermined threshold), too wet (above a predetermined threshold), and/or outside of a predetermined range), the controller154then activates the actuator150to move the soil removal device144into a lowered position (e.g.,FIG. 3) and to remove one or more layers158,162,166of soil ahead of the furrow136, until the moisture levels are optimal at the seed planting depth174.

For example, in the illustrated construction ofFIGS. 2 and 3, the moisture sensor170detects a certain moisture level at the seed planting depth174(located in the first soil layer158inFIG. 2) as well as the moisture level in the lower, second soil layer162. The sensor170sends signals corresponding to the moisture levels of these layers to the controller154. If the controller154determines that the moisture level at the current seed planting depth174is not optimal but the moisture level in the soil layer162is optimal, the controller154then determines how much top soil needs to be removed ahead of the furrow136, such that the adjusted seed planting depth174(again, as measured from the top, exposed surface178of the soil20) will be at the desired level of moisture. The controller154may, for example, determine that the entire first layer158of soil needs to be removed. The controller154sends a signal to the actuator150, which moves the soil removal device144down to a lowered position (FIG. 3), where the soil removal device144is in position to remove the first layer158of soil. As illustrated inFIG. 3, after the first layer158has been removed, the seed planting depth174now extends to the lower, second soil layer162, thereby ensuring that when the seeds are planted at the seed planting depth174, the seeds will encounter desired levels of moisture.

In the illustrated construction, the moisture sensor170, the controller154, the actuator150, and the soil removal device144form a closed loop, such that the moisture sensor170continuously monitors moisture levels in the soil20, and the controller154continuously adjusts a position of the soil removal device144(via the actuator150) as needed to maintain the seed planting depth174in an area of desired moisture levels. This ensures an automatic, consistent seeding to both the desired seed planting depth174and also to a desired moisture level. For example, after a period of time has passed, the controller154determines that the moisture levels of the first soil layer158have become optimal again based on signals from the moisture sensor170, then the controller154automatically raises the soil removal device144to the raised position (FIG. 2) and the seed planting depth174again extends to the first soil layer158. In contrast, if after a period of time has passed, the controller154determines that both the first soil layer158and the second soil layer162both have moisture levels that are not optimal based on signals from the moisture sensor170, then the controller150will automatically lower the soil removal device144even farther (e.g., down to the third soil layer166), based again on a calculation by the controller154of how much soil must be removed such that at the seed planting depth174the seeds will encounter desired levels of moisture.

Other constructions include an open loop system, such as where the controller154provides a signal or signals to a user (e.g., via a user interface in the cab12) based on the sensed moisture levels, and the user \determines whether to manually activate the actuator150to cause movement of the soil removal device144.

In some constructions, the seeding machine10includes a plurality of row units118. Each of the row units118can include its own associated actuator150. The actuators150are coupled to a single controller154, such that the single controller154controls each of the associated actuators150individually.

In some constructions, the moisture sensor170is one of a plurality of moisture sensors170that are each coupled to a single controller154. Each moisture sensor170is associated with a different row unit118.

In some constructions, each of the row units118includes its own associated controller154, its own associated moisture sensor170, and its own associated actuator150, such that each controller154only communicates with the moisture sensor170and the actuator150associated with a single row unit118.

In some constructions, only a single moisture sensor170is used for the entire seeding machine10, and the movement of the soil removal devices144are identical for each row unit118, based on the moisture level detected by the single moisture sensor. In other constructions, there may be one moisture sensor per section of the machine (e.g. three or four sensors) where the signal from each moisture sensor is used to control the actuators on all row units of the associated section.