It is well known that, to attain the best agricultural performance from a field, a farmer must cultivate the soil, typically through a tillage operation. Modern farmers perform tillage operations by pulling a tillage implement behind an agricultural work vehicle, such as a tractor. Tillage implements typically include a plurality of ground engaging tools configured to penetrate the soil to a particular depth. In this respect, the ground engaging tools may be pivotally coupled to a frame of the tillage implement. Tillage implements may also include biasing elements, such as springs, configured to exert biasing forces on the ground engaging tools. This configuration may allow the ground engaging tools to maintain the particular depth of soil penetration as the agricultural work vehicle pulls the tillage implement through the field. Additionally, this configuration may also permit the ground engaging tools to pivot out of the way of rocks or other impediments in the soil, thereby preventing damage to the ground engaging tools or other components on the implement.
When performing a tillage operation, it is desirable to create a level and uniform layer of tilled soil across the field to form a proper seedbed for subsequent planting operations. However, firm or compacted soil in certain portions of the field may exert a great enough force on the ground engaging tools to overcome the biasing force of the ground engaging tools. As such, the ground engaging tools may pivot relative to the implement frame as tillage implement is traversed over the field, which result in an uneven seedbed. In such instances, the operator of the tillage implement may not aware of the uneven nature of the seedbed or other soil conditions within the field.
Accordingly, an improved system and method for monitoring soil conditions within a field would be welcomed in the technology