Patent Publication Number: US-10321623-B1

Title: Mobile soil optical mapping system

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/277,208 filed on Oct. 19, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,743,574, which claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/394,740 filed on Oct. 19, 2010. This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/253,594 filed on Oct. 17, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,204,689, which claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/982,395 filed on Oct. 24, 2007. The entire contents of these prior applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to methods and devices for analyzing and mapping soil properties within a field. In particular, the present invention relates to methods and devices for collecting and mapping soil reflectance data on-the-go. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Variations in soil properties can be detected, even with the human eye, based on differences in light reflectance. Darker soils contain higher levels of moisture or organic matter than light-colored soils. Molecules containing C—H, O—H, or N—H bonds that are exposed to light vibrate due to the force of the electric field. This vibration absorbs optical energy so that less light is reflected off the soil. While this can be detected visually, light sensors, especially those in the near infrared (NIR), can quantify the reflectance characteristics and provide the data needed to develop calibrations to soil properties. Soil reflectance has been studied extensively since the 1970s and is widely reported in the scientific literature as an effective means for approximating soil organic matter and carbon. There have been some uses of bare soil photographs where the darker areas were correlated with higher organic matter levels, but with the increased use of conservation tillage and no-till farming, the ability to collect such images has diminished. Rudimentary devices to collect reflectance data in the field, operating near or under the soil surface, were mobilized in the early 1990s. Due to several limitations in their designs, neither of these was fully commercialized. 
     Since the advent of GPS-enabled precision farming in the mid-1990s, growers have sought ways to better delineate areas of contrasting productivity within their fields. Yield maps produced by combine yield monitors and remote crop imagery both show annual crop differences, but relating those temporal variations to fundamental productivity zones has proven challenging due to the many factors affecting crop growth. Soil surveys produced by the USDA have also been examined, but the scale at which these were created is too coarse to show many important inclusions of varying soils. On-the-go sensors to measure other soil properties have been developed and widely commercialized, including one that measures soil pH, and several that relate soil electrical conductivity measurements to soil texture and soil salinity. These proximal sensors collect dense datasets and their widespread use has generated an awareness of soil spatially variability within fields. None of these commercial sensors measures soil organic matter consistently. 
     Organic matter is an important factor in crop growth, as it affects soil moisture infiltration and retention, soil tilth, rooting depth, soil-applied herbicide activity, nitrogen release, and other aspects of nutrient cycling. A precise map of organic matter will provide growers with an important piece of information as they seek to vary nitrogen, seed population, herbicides, and other inputs. 
     Veris Technologies Inc., the assignee of the present application, began development of soil optical devices in 2002 and has described a commercialized spectrophotometer system for mapping soil in its U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009-0112475 (Christy et al.). That system includes a field-deployed implement containing costly visible and near-infrared spectrometers, which collect spectra that include over 300 individual wavelengths. That level of technology is needed in soil research and where carbon measurements require an extremely high level of precision, but is not practical for grower and consultant use due to expense and complexity. 
     There is a need in the industry for a mapping system suitable for grower and consultant use, which is capable of providing accurate, useful soil organic matter measurements using a simple, low cost design. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A soil mapping system for collecting and mapping soil reflectance data in a field includes an implement having a row unit with a furrow opener for creating a furrow and an optical module. The optical module is arranged to collect soil reflectance data at a predetermined depth within the furrow as the implement traverses a field. An opening coulter and a pair of trash clearing disks can be used to clear residue and cut a slice in front of the furrow opener. The furrow opener in one embodiment comprises two disks operating at a slight angle relative to the direction of travel to form a V-shaped slot in the soil, similar to double disk furrow opener used in a row unit of an agricultural planter. Gauge wheels can be positioned on each side of the furrow opener disks to maintain a consistent furrow depth and to scrape soil from the outer sidewall of the disk during operation. The row unit is connected to a tool bar by a parallel linkage, which allows the furrow opener and optical module to follow ground undulations. An adjustable down-force feature allows the row unit to be adjusted to match soil conditions. Closing wheels or closing disks are provided to close the furrow behind the optical module to prevent erosion. 
     The optical module includes two monochromatic light sources, a sapphire window arranged to press against the soil, and a single photodiode for receiving light reflected back from the soil through the window. The two light sources have different wavelengths and are modulated at different frequencies by a function generator contained in a controller. The photodiode provides a modulated voltage output signal that contains reflectance data from both of the light sources. The output signal from the photodiode is conditioned, converted to digital, and output as optical data to a data logger or PC. Additional measurement devices are carried by the implement for collecting additional soil property data, such as electrical conductivity, pH, and elevation, which can be used together with the optical data to determine variations in soil organic matter. A GPS signal is used to georeference all of the data. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a soil mapping system is provided, comprising: an implement for traversing a field to be mapped: a furrow opener on the implement for creating a furrow as the implement traverses a field; and an optical module on the implement. The optical module comprises at least one light source, a window arranged to press against soil at a predetermined depth within the furrow with consistent pressure to provide a self-cleaning function, and a photodiode for receiving light reflected back from the soil through the window. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a soil mapping system is provided, comprising: an implement for traversing a field to be mapped; an optical module carried by the implement for collecting soil reflectance data from soil in the field; and at least one additional measurement device carried by the implement for collecting data for at least one soil property that relates to soil organic matter. The additional measurement device is selected from the group consisting of an electrical conductivity measurement device, an on-the-go soil pH measuring device, and an elevation measuring device. A means is also provided for georeferencing data collected by the optical module and the additional measurement device 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, an optical module is provided for a soil mapping system, the optical module comprising: two monochromatic light sources having different wavelengths which are modulated at different frequencies; a window having an outside surface adapted to be pressed against soil; and a photodiode arranged to receive light from the two light sources which is reflected back from the soil through the window. The photodiode having an output signal comprising a modulated voltage that contains soil reflectance data from both of the light sources. 
     Numerous other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description wherein there is shown and described an embodiment of the present invention, simply by way of illustration of one of the modes best suited to carry out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modification in various obvious aspects without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more clearly appreciated as the disclosure of the present invention is made with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view of a mobile soil mapping system according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an elevation view of a row unit for an optical module of the soil mapping system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an elevation view of a closing disk assembly used in the soil mapping system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an elevation view of a coulter assembly used for slicing soil and residue in front of the furrow opener assembly assembly for the optical module; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the coulter assembly shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a detail view of an optical module used in the soil mapping system; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of the optical module and controller for collecting reflectance data from the soil; 
         FIG. 8  is an elevation view of a mobile soil mapping system according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is an elevation view of a row unit for the optical module of the soil mapping system shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is an elevation view of the row unit shown in  FIG. 9 , with the left side gauge wheel and furrow opener disk removed to illustrate the optical module; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the row unit shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the row unit shown in  FIG. 11 , with the left side gauge wheel and furrow opener disk removed to illustrate the optical module; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the row unit for the soil mapping system shown in  FIG. 8 , together with the row unit mounting arrangement and controller. 
         FIG. 14  is a rear elevation view illustrating the optical module positioned in the V-shaped slot between the furrow opener disks. 
         FIG. 15  is a side elevation view illustrating the optical module positioned in the V-shaped slot between the furrow opener disks. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A mobile soil mapping system for collecting on-the-go reflectance measurements of soil in a field according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 13  of the accompanying drawings. 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to collect on-the-go optical measurements and correlate the data with soil organic matter levels. The soil mapping system described herein minimizes interferences from soil moisture and other sources of error through its mechanical, electronic, and data processing innovations. 
     Collecting high-quality optical measurements of soil in situ requires preparing the soil scene so the sensor will have an ideal view of the soil. This is accomplished in part by maintaining a consistent depth in the soil. The consistent depth is important because simple optical devices have difficulty differentiating soil moisture from organic matter, and soil moisture varies much more widely with depth than does organic matter. If the measurements are collected from a soil-engaging device that is bouncing over the field, the resulting data will be responding to moisture variations much more than if the measurements are at a consistent depth. 
     It is also important that the measurement scene be free of dust, crop residue, or mud that may adhere to the sensor. Therefore, the measurement window on the optical module should be kept clean. If soil from another part of the field remains on the window, the system would erroneously georeference the soil variations in the field. 
       FIGS. 1 to 5  illustrate an implement  10  having a frame with a toolbar  17  supported above the soil by frame support wheels, and a specially configured row unit  11  used to collect optical measurements of soil according to the present invention. The row unit  11  includes a pair of trash clearing wheels  12  for removing residue, a coulter  13  for cutting through any remaining residue and for opening a slot in the soil, a furrow opener assembly  14  that creates a furrow in the soil, and an optical module  15  having a window  16  arranged to be pressed against the soil at a predetermined depth within the furrow. The row unit  11  can be mounted to the toolbar  17  of the implement  10  by a parallel linkage  18  that allows the furrow opener  14  and optical module  15  (and the subframe  22  on which they are mounted) to move vertically relative to the toolbar  17  of the frame to follow ground undulations while maintaining a consistent depth in the soil. A plurality of springs  19  or a pneumatic system (not shown) can be used to provide an adjustable down-force to match soil conditions. 
     The furrow opener  14  in the illustrated embodiment includes two disks  20  that penetrate and follow in the slot created by the leading coulter  13 . The disks  20  are arranged at a slight angle relative to a direction of travel so as to form a V-shaped slot  50  or furrow in the soil. For example, the furrow opener  14  can be constructed in the same manner as a conventional double disk furrow opener used in an agricultural planter. Other types of furrow openers may also be used with the present invention. 
     The optical module  15  is mounted between the two furrow opener disks  20  and is kept at a constant depth in the soil by being pressed against the bottom of the furrow while measurements are being made. The consistent pressure of the optical module  15  against the soil provides a self cleaning function that prevents a buildup of soil on the window  16  of the optical module  15 . 
     A pair of gauge wheels  21  are mounted in close proximity to the furrow opener disks  20  to control the operating depth of the disks  20  and to scrape off any soil that adheres to the outer surfaces of the disks  20  during operation. The gauge wheels  21  are mounted together with the furrow opener disks  20  and the optical module  15  on a subframe  22  of the row unit  11 . The gauge wheels  21  maintain a consistent depth of operation of the optical module  15  in the soil during operation. For example, the gauge wheels  21  can be adjusted relative to the furrow opener disks  20  and optical module  15  to allow measurements to be taken at selected depths of approximately 1 to 3 inches below the soil surface. 
     A furrow closing assembly  23  follows along behind the optical module  15  to close the furrow after optical measurements are taken to prevent erosion. The furrow closing assembly  23  can be a pair of closing disks  24  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , or a pair of closing wheels  25  as shown in  FIGS. 8 to 13 . 
     The optical module  11  includes a single photodiode  30 , a borosilicate photodiode protection window  31 , two different wavelengths of modulating monochromatic light sources  32 ,  33  modulated at different frequencies, a temperature sensor  34 , and a wear plate  35  containing the sapphire window  16  that presses against the soil within the furrow. The modulated light is directed from the two light sources  32 ,  33  through the sapphire window  16  onto the soil. The reflected light is then received by the photodiode  30 , converted to a modulated voltage, and sent to a controller  36 . The photodiode  30  is hermetically sealed with the borosilicate window  31  protecting the surface. This allows for easy cleaning, and is robust for outdoor use. 
     The controller  36  includes two function generators  37  for generating the modulated light from the two light sources  32 ,  33 , a signal conditioning circuit  38  including a phase lock loop (PLL) to separate each source of reflected light from the photodiode signal, an analog to digital (A/D) converter  39 , and a serial output  40  for data logging. 
     The function generators  37  send two separate pulses; one goes to the first wavelength light-emitting diode (LED)  32 , the other to the second wavelength LED  33 . These pulses are directed at the soil through the sapphire window  16 . The light reflected off the soil is read by the photodiode  30  and converted into a modulated voltage. The modulated voltage from the single photodiode  30  is processed through the signal conditioning circuit  38 , which converts the modulated voltage to a DC voltage. The DC voltage is processed through the A/D converter  39 , then the output is sent through the serial output  40  to the DataLogger or PC  41 . The data is georeferenced using a GPS signal from a GPS receiver  42  connected to the DataLogger or PC  41 . 
     By modulating the LEDs  32 ,  33  at two separate known frequencies and sending the modulated photodiode voltage to the PLL  38 , each LED signal can be extracted individually from the photodiode signal, without receiving interference from the other LED light source or ambient light. This allows for a clean signal of only the reflected light of each LED to be stored, free from any outside interference. 
     Correlating sensor data to soil properties requires the development of calibration equations. Previous calibration attempts with simple optical devices have relied on bivariate regression, with the optical data as the sole sensor variable. One of the situations that can confound optical measurements of organic matter is soil moisture that relates to soil texture variations in addition to relating to organic matter variations. 
     The present invention includes the use of soil electrical conductivity sensors  43  for collecting electrical conductivity (EC) data in close proximity to the optical module  15 . The electrical conductivity sensors  43  include rolling coulters that penetrate the soil and measure the soil EC at a given depth as the implement travels across the field. Soil EC has been proven to correlate well with soil texture. The present invention uses multivariate regression with EC and optical data to help resolve the organic matter variations in the field. 
     The multivariate analysis is not limited to EC. The present invention also includes the use of an on-the-go soil pH sensor  44  that collects soil pH data as the implement travels across the field, and a GPS receiver  45  that provides elevation signals. Topography derivatives, such as slope, curvature and aspect, contribute to soil moisture variations and can be derived from the elevation signals. 
     The dual wavelength optical module  15  of the present invention measures how much light is reflected from the soil contacted by the window  16 . Darker soils typically have higher organic matter levels, and a simple regression model using lab-analyzed samples with the optical data provides reasonable calibrations. The model may be improved with addition of other sensor data, using multi-variate regression techniques. Organic matter levels vary within a field for a variety of reasons: landscape position, soil textures, and soil pH are key factors affecting organic matter development. Organic matter is formed by decaying plant material, hence areas that produce more biomass have higher organic matter levels as a result. Topography, soil texture and pH are key factors that affect biomass production. For example, most plants don&#39;t grow as well on severely sloping ground, or on tight claypan soils, or acidic soils as they do on gentle slopes, loam soils, and balanced pH soils. Soil pH also affects organic matter development with microbial activity—certain soil microbes involved in the breakdown of plant material are inactive when pH is either very high or very low. If the regression model includes topography components such as elevation, slope, and curvature, derived from GPS data, or LIDAR sensors, the model can account for organic matter difference based on landscape position. If the model has soil texture information, such as is available from soil EC sensors, organic matter differences based on textural changes are accounted for. Likewise, if soil pH data such as is available from on-the-go sensing is included, the model can make use of that information. Soil organic matter is a biological property that is related to soil physical properties such as topography and soil texture, and to soil chemical properties such as pH. Additional biological, physical, and chemical property information from sensors and other sources can also be included in the regression models used in the present invention. 
     An example of a calibration procedure that can be used with the present invention will now be explained. A database of optical, physical, chemical and biological soil information is assembled with Latitude and Longitude. Each data layer (optical, physical, chemical, and biological) is regressed to the soil property target using a leave  1  out validation. The leave  1  out algorithm removes 1 point from the database and uses the remaining points to predict the point removed. The process is repeated until all data points have been predicted. This provides a rigorous method for determining the best unbiased calibration. 
     After calculating a bivariate regression using each individual data layer, multivariate regression using every data layer combination is also conducted. The results are reported in a table containing metrics such as R-squared (co-efficient of determination) RMSE (root mean square error of the prediction) and RPD (ratio of prediction to deviation); with the best results reported at the top and the poorest at the bottom. The best calibration models are applied to the entire field measurements to provide a prediction for the soil target property. 
     Unique Features 
     At least the following features are believed to be unique to the soil mapping system of the present invention:
         1. Dual wavelength, economical system with window in firm contact with soil;   2. Mounting on specially configured row unit provides depth control and holds furrow in place during measurement;   3. Single photodiode detector receives both wavelength signals;   4. Used in conjunction with soil EC sensors, elevation sensor, and pH sensor, to improve calibration to specific soil properties;   5. Coulter ahead of unit prepares scene for investigation;   6. Wheels or disks behind system close furrow to prevent erosion; and   7. Multivariate data analysis of optical, EC, elevation, and pH data for soil property calibration.       

     The present invention provides several advantages over existing soil mapping systems. For example, the depth control and soil scene creation of the present invention are better than the on-the-go spectrophotometer described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,608,672 (Shibusawa) or the spectrophotometer described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009-0112475 (Christy et al.). 
     The cost and complexity of the dual wavelength system of the present invention are much less than on-the-go spectrophotometers described by Shibusawa and Christy et al. 
     Pressing the window of the optical module of the present invention against the soil provides an advantage over Shibusawa because it allows the window to be self-cleaning. 
     Devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,756 (Gaultney) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,040 (Funk) did not include use of a window; while the window of the present invention prevents dust and residue from occluding the soil scene. Moreover, Gaultney used only one wavelength; the present invention uses two wavelengths to improve calibration to soil properties. 
     Various modifications of the mobile soil mapping system of the present invention can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, a window can be mounted on the side of the furrow openerr, either at 90° or at the same angle as the furrow. For another example, soil property estimates based on previous soil calibrations can be made on-the-go and displayed on a computer in real-time. For another example, the system can be made to be portable or hand-held. 
     Other modifications are also possible, including the following: mechanical resistance sensor(s) can be added to the row unit; a soil temperature sensor can be added; a soil moisture sensor can be added; the optical housing can be configured to measure the soil profile; and measurements can be used to control application of seed, fertilizer, or other material in real-time. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation, and the scope of the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.