US 11,864,484 B2
System and method for determining soil clod size or residue coverage of a field during a non-soil-working operation
Trevor Stanhope, Palos Hills, IL (US); and James W. Henry, Saskatoon (CA)
Assigned to CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd., Saskatoon (CA)
Filed by CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd., Saskatoon (CA)
Filed on Nov. 6, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/675,919.
Prior Publication US 2021/0127553 A1, May 6, 2021
Int. Cl. A01B 79/00 (2006.01); G01B 11/24 (2006.01); G01B 15/04 (2006.01); A01C 23/00 (2006.01); A01F 15/07 (2006.01)
CPC A01B 79/005 (2013.01) [G01B 11/24 (2013.01); G01B 15/04 (2013.01); A01C 23/00 (2013.01); A01F 15/07 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for determining soil clod size of a field, the system comprising:
an agricultural implement configured to perform a non-soil-working operation on the field as the agricultural implement is towed across the field;
a non-contact-based sensor installed on the agricultural implement, the non-contact-based sensor configured to capture data reflected off of a soil surface indicative of a soil clod size of the field; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the non-contact-based sensor, the controller configured to:
receive data reflected off of the soil surface from the non-contact-based sensor as the agricultural implement is moved across the field; and
determine the soil clod size of the field based on the received data;
wherein the non-soil-working operation comprises a spraying operation or a baling operation; and
wherein the non-soil-working operation is configured to be performed after a harvesting operation and before a tillage operation.