off during harvesting because the homoge- nous crop just requires one single optimal set- ting of the combine harvester. Therefore, I sim- ply don’t need a cruise control option and I can even save fuel as well.”
Topsoil Mapper usage The TSM soil scanner is used on the Neuwi- esenhof farm to determine site specific soil texture, compaction and soil horizons, relative water content, organic matter content, and in combination with the soil sampler, the phos- phate, manganese and calcium content in the top 110cm of the soil. The field maps created
Understanding near surface structures
The young Austrian company Geoprospec- tors was founded in 2014. Its slogan is ‘un- derstanding near surface structures’ and it offers solutions for this in agriculture and geophysics as well as in marine and air. “We wanted to collect data about soil conditions while performing any type of field operation but without contact to the soil,” says techni- cal director Michael Pregesbauer. “In order to do so, we developed the Topsoil Mapper.” The scanner works according to the electro- magnetic induction principle (similar to the wireless charging of electric toothbrushes) and contains one transmitting coil and four receiving coils that receive the transmitted signals. “The induction principle works relia- ble in any type of soil and in any condition. Dry, wet, salty, frozen, snow on top, it does not influence the results.” Each of the recep- tion coils covers 30cm of soil depth (20 to 110cm deep) while hovering the TSM be- tween 20 and 45cm above the ground. This way, the soil electrical conductivity (ECa and ECt) is measured and processed into various soil characteristics including soil compaction and/or the depth of soil horizons, relative water content, as well as the soil texture (in soil classes). As metals close to the coils can influence the measurements, it’s necessary to use a non-metal construction to mount the TSM to the carrying vehicle. While cali- brating the TSM, it takes into account any close metal parts of the carrying vehicle.
with the soil scanner are used to generate vari- able rate seed drilling maps. “In winter crops, I increase the number of seeds per hectare on parts with a low relative water content (equals lower quality soil types) to compensate for non-emerging seeds. In summer crops like seed grain maize, I use the opposite strategy as on the parts of the field with a relative low water content, water is going to be the limita- tion. I usually vary the number of maize seeds between 7 and 11 per square meter.” The TSM is not (yet) used for variable depth cultivation at the farm. “Our three-point link- age cultivator is not perfectly suitable for that.
A semi-trailed version would be more suitable.” The TSM is used on about one third (63 ha) of the farms fields. It was also used to determine the (deep) soil compaction caused by heavy slurry application equipment. “The compac- tion by self-propelled machines is so severe, even with lowest tyre pressures in crab steer, that I banned all slurry equipment from my farm. I use compost instead.” “As the TSM soil scanner, compared to other soil scanners, measures the delta (or change) in soil conditions, it’s not necessary to scan fields more often than once every 5 to 7 years,” he concludes.
The recommended tramline distance space is 18 m. Larger distances are also possible but cause the resolution to worsen. At Neuwiesen- hof farm, the common tramline distance is 6m, but also 27 and 33m distances were used. Driving speeds can be as high as 60 km/h (37,5 mph) without loss of resolution. This so-called TSM Basic version starts at €26,500.
Variable depth tillage Initially there was no intention of using the TSM for on-the-go variable depth tillage based on soil texture and compaction, but to- day this is also possible. If the implement is capable of doing so, even section wise varia- ble depth tillage is possible while scanning the soil in the front of the tractor and till in
the rear simultaneously. This TSM Pro version starts at €32,000. Savings are said to be 6-7 litres of fuel per ha, a 20% increase in productivity and a reduction of wear and tear of the tillage equipment. At the Agritechnica 2017, an on-the-go vari- able rate seed control setup was presented and since recently, the TSM optionally comes as Isobus compatible. In February 2018, Geoprospectors signed an exclusive distri- bution partnership for a large number of European countries with CNH Industrial. As a consequence of this, the TSM will also be connected to CNH’s weather stations for which CNH signed a distribution agreement with Dutch AgTech company AppsforAgri (see Future Farming 1-2018).
▶ FUTURE FARMING | 25 May 2018 17
PHOTO: RENÉ KOERHUIS
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