Field-Scale Draught Resistance and Soil Moisture Measurement in Australia Using a Tine-Based Force–Capacitance Sensing System

A newly developed tine-based force/capacitance soil sensing system was used to measure draught resistance and soil moisture content across a 113-ha commercial-scale grain field at Gilgandra, NSW, Australia. Soil in the field ranged in USDA classification from sandy loam, clay loam, silty clay loam to clay. The field was at an average volumetric moisture content of 30%, and under these conditions the measured data (∼15,000 observations) showed a positive correlation between soil moisture content and draught force across the whole field (r = 0.56). The high moisture content at which the experiment was conducted and the range of soil texture encountered are believed to have contributed to high friction values between soil and probe. Importantly, the recorded draught force did show a strong correlation with historical soil ECa (r = 0.65) or crop yield (r = 0.54) measured at a similar scale. The sensing system shows potential for providing fine-scale information on important yield-controlling parameters at a useful spatial scale when operated using standard farm machinery.