ADJUSTABLE SOIL CORING MACHINE FOR SAMPLING IN TALL ROW CROPS

Soil sampling is difficult when the crop canopy is tall and row width is variable between experiments. A specialized hydraulically-driven soil sampling tractor was designed and constructed with variable wheel width and clearance height. The tractor has an adjustable wheel width from 1.6 (5.2) to 2.4 m (7.9 ft.) and clearance height from 2.2 (7.2) to 2.7 m (8.9 ft.). A Giddings hydraulic soil coring probe is front mounted on the tractor. The operator can control wheel width, height, position of the operator platform and probe, travel direction, and speed from the console. Soil cores are carried on the tractor between sampling locations. The tractor mounted system has performed well during sampling trips throughout the growing season in various row widths.