Agricultural implement and procedure for on-the-go soil nitrate testing
An agricultural implement includes a chassis and a shank or shanks carried by the chassis. The shank or shanks include an on-the-go nitrate-N sensor or sensors. Nitrate-N conditions are determined for at least first and second zones at different soil depths, either by multiple sensors carried on one or multiple shanks during a single pass of the agricultural implement, a single sensor carried first at the first depth and thereafter at the second depth during multiple passes of the agricultural implement, or a sensor moved between the first and second zones during a single pass of the agricultural implement. Rates for applying additional nitrogen can be calculated from the determined conditions, and the application rates and determined conditions can be mapped.
1. A soil testing procedure for field testing nitrate-N in soil, comprising the steps of:
providing an agricultural implement with a chassis, a first shank and a second shank carried by the chassis and each shank configured to penetrate a surface of the soil, and at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor operatively deployed each first shank and second shank;
deploying and operating the first shank and the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor thereon at a first depth in a first depth zone in the soil and simultaneously deploying and operating the second shank and the at least one on the go nitrate-N sensor thereon at a second depth in a second depth zone in the soil, wherein the second depth zone is deeper than the first depth zone;
determining a nitrate-N condition in the first depth zone of the soil, determining a nitrate-N condition in the second depth zone of the soil; and
calculating a rate for an application of nitrogen based on the determined nitrate-N conditions in the first and second depth zones;
mapping an area to display existing nitrate-N conditions; and
mapping an area to display rates of nitrogen to be applied based on the nitrate-N conditions determined in the determining steps;
wherein the first shank and the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor thereon is deployed in the first depth zone and operated in a travel direction in front of and above the second shank, and the second shank and the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor thereon is deployed in the second depth zone and operated in the travel direction below and behind the first shank.
2. The soil testing procedure of claim 1 , wherein the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor includes a sensor configured for transient infrared reflectance spectroscopy.
3. The implement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one on-the-go sensor positioned on the first shank include two on-the-go nitrate-N sensors, and wherein the at least one on-the-go sensor positioned on the second shank include two on-the-go nitrate-N sensors.