System and method for controlling the operation of an agricultural implement

1 . An agricultural implement, comprising:

a frame;

a disk blade supported on the frame, the disk blade configured to rotate relative to soil in a field across which the agricultural implement is traveling;

an imaging device configured to generate image data depicting a portion of the field positioned forward of the disk blade relative to a travel direction of the agricultural implement; and

a computing system communicatively coupled to the imaging device, wherein the computing system:

analyzes the image data generated by the imaging device to identify one or more pieces of residue present on a surface of the imaged portion of the field;

classifies each of the identified one or more pieces of residue as having one of a corn stalk classification or a non-corn stalk classification, the corn stalk classification being indicative of a corn stalk that has been severed from a corresponding root ball and is present on the surface of the field;

determines a length of each identified piece of residue having the corn stalk classification;

disregards each piece of residue having the non-corn stalk classification;

determines a length parameter associated with the one or more residue pieces having the corn stalk classification based on the determined lengths; and

controls an operating parameter of the disk blade based on the determined length parameter.

2 . The agricultural implement of claim 1 , wherein the operating parameter comprises at least one of a force being applied to the disk blade, a penetration depth of the disk blade, or a position of the disk blade relative to the frame.

3 . A system for controlling an operation of an agricultural implement, the system comprising:

a disk blade configured to rotate relative to soil in a field across which the agricultural implement is traveling;

an imaging device configured to generate image data depicting a portion of the field positioned forward of the disk blade relative to a travel direction of the agricultural implement; and

a computing system communicatively coupled to the imaging device, wherein the computing system:

analyzes the image data generated by the imaging device to identify one or more pieces of residue present on a surface of the imaged portion of the field;

classifies each of the identified one or more pieces of residue as having one of a corn stalk classification or a non-corn stalk classification, the corn stalk classification being indicative of a corn stalk that has been severed from a corresponding root ball and is present on the surface of the field;

determines a length of each identified piece of residue having the corn stalk classification;

disregards each piece of residue having the non-corn stalk classification;

determines a length parameter associated with the identified one or more residue pieces having the corn stalk classification based on the determined lengths; and

controls an operating parameter of the disk blade based on the determined length parameter.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the length parameter comprises an average length of the determined lengths.

5 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the length parameter comprises a length distribution of the determined lengths.

6 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the operating parameter comprises at least one of a force being applied to the disk blade, a penetration depth of the disk blade, or a position of the disk blade relative to a frame of the agricultural implement.

7 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the computing system generates a field map identifying the determined length parameter at one or more locations within the field.

8 . A method for controlling an operation of an agricultural implement, the agricultural implement including a disk blade configured to rotate relative to soil in a field across which the tillage implement is traveling, the method comprising:

receiving, with a computing system, image data depicting a portion of the field positioned forward of the disk blade relative to a travel direction of the agricultural implement;

analyzing, with the computing system, the received image data to identify one or more pieces of residue present on a surface of the imaged portion of the field;

classifying, with the computing system, each of the identified one or more pieces of residue as having one of a corn stalk classification or a non-corn stalk classification, the corn stalk classification being indicative of a corn stalk that has been severed from a corresponding root ball and is present on the surface of the field;

determining, with the computing system, a length of each identified piece of residue having the corn stalk classification;

disregarding, with the computing system, each piece of residue having the non-corn stalk classification;

determining, with the computing system, a length parameter associated with the one or more residue pieces having the corn stalk classification based on the determined lengths; and

controlling, with the computing system, an operating parameter of the disk blade based on the determined length parameter.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the length parameter comprises an average length of the determined lengths.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the length parameter comprises a length distribution of the determined lengths.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the operating parameter comprises at least one of a force being applied to the disk blade, a penetration depth of the disk blade, or a position of the disk blade relative to a frame of the agricultural implement.