Multivariate geostatistics for assessing and predicting soil compaction

The aim of this research is to investigate the potential of geostatistical techniques for understanding and evaluating the spatial variability of soil compaction, caused by the traffic of agricultural machines and/or the action of tillage implements. Soil cone penetrometer resistance was measured in a field of inland Sicily, along a transect of 3 m length, from the soil surface until 70 cm depth. The 3D mean maps showed a random variation on the surface and a high spatial correlation among penetrometer resistance data measured at different depths. The map corresponding to five tractor passes showed the largest extension of the areas characterised by the highest values of penetrometer resist…

Fricke gel, electron spin resonance and thermoluminescence for integration and intercomparison of measurements in NCT dosimetry

VALUTAZIONE DELLA QUALITA’ DEL LAVORO NEI CANTIERI DI TRAPIANTO MECCANICO DELLE BARBATELLE

The aim of this paper is to assess the quality of the work performed by two machines for transplanting rooted vines, equipped with a laser alignment system, in a plain environment and known physical properties of the soil. Both the distances between plants and between rows with respect to the established one and the percent of missing plants were detected. The results, compared with those detected in a manual working team, showed that the quality of the work performed by the two transplanting machines is similar to that obtained in the manual working team.