Abstract
Agriculture is evolving towards the automation of field operations. Some studies suggest that soil compaction might be avoided by using lightweight robots. Due to its lower capacity compared to regular tractors, this will increase traffic in the fields with yet unknown impacts on soil. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in soil structure after each field operation conducted with a lightweight autonomous robot within a season.
The experiment was held on a sandy loam soil field at Flakkebjerg Research Station (Denmark). We used the AGROINTELLI ROBOTTI 150 D (weight of 33 kN) as an autonomous field robot for sowing a winter wheat crop on a fresh seedbed in October of 2021. The soil water content was close to field capacity. Mechanical weeding was conducted the following May after a dry period, with soil water content close to the wilting point. We took 8 x Ø10 cm soil cylinders at 10 cm depth in the seedbed (reference), and wheel tracks before and after each operation. We measured air permeability at -100 hPa matric potential and used X-ray CT to evaluate the changes in the pore system. From the 3D images, we selected a region of interest of 350 cm3 and estimated the number of macropores (> 1 mm3) and the total macroporosity for each sample.
After the first operation, the number of macropores, the total macroporosity and air permeability were 29%, 70% and 50% respectively lower on the wheel track compared to the fresh seedbed. The second operation did not have significant effects on the pre-compacted and dry wheel track due to the increased soil strength. Although critical values for crop growth were not exceeded, lightweight vehicles can also cause topsoil compaction on weak soils. Thus, highlighting the importance of considering soil mechanical strength for timing field operations.
The experiment was held on a sandy loam soil field at Flakkebjerg Research Station (Denmark). We used the AGROINTELLI ROBOTTI 150 D (weight of 33 kN) as an autonomous field robot for sowing a winter wheat crop on a fresh seedbed in October of 2021. The soil water content was close to field capacity. Mechanical weeding was conducted the following May after a dry period, with soil water content close to the wilting point. We took 8 x Ø10 cm soil cylinders at 10 cm depth in the seedbed (reference), and wheel tracks before and after each operation. We measured air permeability at -100 hPa matric potential and used X-ray CT to evaluate the changes in the pore system. From the 3D images, we selected a region of interest of 350 cm3 and estimated the number of macropores (> 1 mm3) and the total macroporosity for each sample.
After the first operation, the number of macropores, the total macroporosity and air permeability were 29%, 70% and 50% respectively lower on the wheel track compared to the fresh seedbed. The second operation did not have significant effects on the pre-compacted and dry wheel track due to the increased soil strength. Although critical values for crop growth were not exceeded, lightweight vehicles can also cause topsoil compaction on weak soils. Thus, highlighting the importance of considering soil mechanical strength for timing field operations.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Publikationsdato | nov. 2022 |
| Status | Udgivet - nov. 2022 |
| Begivenhed | 2022 ASA - CSSA - SSSA INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL MEETING: Communication & Public Engagement for Healthy People & a Healthy Planet - Baltimore, USA Varighed: 6 nov. 2022 → 9 nov. 2022 https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2022am/meetingapp.cgi/ModuleMeetingInfo/meetinginfo2022 |
Konference
| Konference | 2022 ASA - CSSA - SSSA INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL MEETING |
|---|---|
| Land/Område | USA |
| By | Baltimore |
| Periode | 06/11/2022 → 09/11/2022 |
| Internetadresse |