System and method for de-plugging rotating ground engaging tools of an agricultural implement

An agricultural implement, comprising:

• a frame;
• a disk gang including a plurality of disk blades supported relative to the frame, the plurality of disk blades being ganged together via a common shaft for rotation about a rotational axis;
• a rotational actuator coupled to the common shaft such that the rotational actuator is configured to rotationally drive the plurality of disk blades about the rotational axis;
• a sensor configured to capture data indicative of material accumulation within a flow gap defined between adjacent disk blades of the plurality of disk blades;
• and
• a controller communicatively coupled to the rotational actuator and the sensor, the controller configured to:
• determine when the disk gang is experiencing a plugged condition based on the data received from the sensor;
• monitor a current ground speed of the agricultural implement as the agricultural implement is being moved across the field during the performance of an agricultural operation;
• control an operation of the rotational actuator such that the plurality of disk blades are rotationally driven about the rotational axis in response to the determination that the disk gang is experiencing the plugged condition, the controller being configured to control the operation of the rotational actuator such that the plurality of disk blades are rotationally driven at a rotational speed selected as a function of the current ground speed of the agricultural implement,
• wherein the plurality of disk blades are rotationally driven by the rotational actuator while the plurality of disk blades are disposed at a working position relative to a soil surface of a field.

A method for de-plugging rotating ground engaging tools of an agricultural implement, the agricultural implement including a frame and first and second ground engaging tools configured to be supported relative to the frame such that a flow gap is defined between the first and second ground engaging tools, the method comprising:

• receiving, with a computing device, data indicative of material accumulation within the flow gap defined between the first and second ground engaging tools;
• determining, with the computing device, when the first and second ground engaging tools are experiencing a plugged condition based on the received data;
• monitoring a current ground speed of the agricultural implement as the agricultural implement is being moved across the field during the performance of an agricultural operation;
• and
• in response to the determination that the first and second ground engaging tools are experiencing the plugged condition, controlling, with the computing device, an operation of a rotational actuator coupled to the first and second ground engaging tools such that the first and second ground engaging tools are rotationally driven while the first and second ground engaging tools are disposed at a working position relative to a soil surface of a field, wherein controlling the operation of the rotational actuator comprises controlling the operation of the rotational actuator such that the first and second ground engaging tools are rotationally driven at a rotational speed selected as a function of the current ground speed of the agricultural implement.