Author(s): CRUVINEL, P. E.

Summary: The use of sensors in farming have become essential for soil, plants and environment monitoring in order to greater yields, while allowing rational use of inputs and decreasing risks. Although many of them are known, still there are challenges related to sensor’s development, characterization and customization for agricultural use, bringing opportunities for research and innovation. This article presents a study for the use of a high-performance silicon drift detector in a customized Compton scattering tomograph to analyze soil compaction in agricultural field. In agriculture the soil compaction causes substantial reduction in productivity and has always been of great concern for farmers. The use of such a methodology enables non-invasive and non-destructive measurements of soil compaction directly in the crop area, i.e., allowing its mapping. Energy resolution and signal-to-noise ratio were evaluated and compared with those from a classic scintillation detector. Based on the results, it was concluded that such a sensor can improve the effectiveness of a Compton scattering tomograph dedicated for soil compaction measurements.

Publication year: 2023

Types of publication: Paper in annals and proceedings

Unit: Embrapa Instrumentation

Keywords: Agricultural sensor, Compaction measurements, Compton Computed tomography, Solid-state sensor