Apparatus, system and method for eradicating soil-borne pests using variable controlled electric current

A system for introducing electricity into soil to eradicate soil-borne pests, said system comprising:

• a leading row having a plurality of downwardly pointing ripper shanks, each of said ripper shanks configured to cut a path through the soil;
• a trailing row disposed behind said leading row and generally parallel therewith, said trailing row having a plurality of downwardly disposed stinger shanks, each of said stinger shanks having at least one electrically conductive exterior surface and being aligned with one of said ripper shanks so as to define a plurality of shank pairs therewith and to move through said path cut by said corresponding ripper shank;
• a source of electricity electrically connected to each of said stinger shanks so as to transmit a quantity of electricity thereto;
• a voltage controller electrically connected to said source of electricity and configured to select said quantity of electricity to be transmitted to each of said stinger shanks based on the condition of the soil;
• and
• a probe row disposed between said leading row and said trailing row, said probe row having a soil probe configured to move through one of said paths formed by said leading row, read the condition of the soil in said path and transmit a reading signal to said voltage controller, said voltage controller further configured to receive and process said reading signal to automatically determine said quantity of electricity required to be transmitted to each of said stinger shanks to effectively and efficiently eradicate the pests by continuously discharging electricity from said source of electricity into the soil from said stinger shanks as said stinger shanks move through the soil.

A method of introducing electricity into soil to eradicate soil-borne pests, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) selecting an apparatus having a leading row comprising a plurality of ripper shanks, a trailing row comprising a plurality of stinger shanks and a probe row comprising a soil probe, said trailing row disposed behind said leading row with each of said stinger shanks positioned in aligned relationship with one of said ripper shanks to define a shank pair, said probe row disposed between said leading row and said trailing row;
• b) positioning said apparatus on the soil to be treated and generating electricity from a source of electricity;
• c) moving said apparatus across the soil to form a path in the soil associated with each of said ripper shanks with said soil probe in one of said paths and one of said stinger shanks disposed in each of said paths, said soil probe configured to read the condition of the soil and send a reading signal to a voltage controller;
• d) processing said reading signal by said voltage controller to determine a quantity of electricity to eradicate the pests
• e) transmitting a control signal from said voltage controller to said source of electricity to produce said quantity of electricity for each of said stinger shanks;
• f) transmitting said quantity of electricity to each of said stinger shanks;
• and
• g) discharging said quantity of electricity into the soil from said stinger shanks to eradicate the pests.