Wheel track monitoring system for an irrigation system

A wheel track monitoring system for an agricultural mobile irrigation system, the wheel track monitoring system comprising:

• a wheel track condition sensor comprising a RADAR sensor for sensing a condition of a wheel track created by the agricultural mobile irrigation system and generating corresponding wheel track condition RADAR data, wherein the condition of the wheel track is formed behind the agricultural mobile irrigation system;
• a location sensor for sensing locations of the agricultural mobile irrigation system and generating corresponding location data;
• a processing system in communication with the wheel track condition sensor and the location sensor and operable to—
• store the wheel track condition RADAR data and the location data for a plurality of locations of the agricultural mobile irrigation system as it moves across an irrigated field;
• analyze the wheel track condition RADAR data to determine if the condition of the wheel track is unacceptable at any locations of the agricultural mobile irrigation system as it moves across an irrigated field;
• generate a corrective action signal if the condition of the wheel track is unacceptable at any locations of the agricultural mobile irrigation system, wherein the corrective action signal indicates the locations at which the condition of the wheel track is unacceptable and includes at least a portion of the wheel track condition RADAR data for each of the locations at which the condition of the wheel track is unacceptable, wherein the corrective action includes instructions to adjust a water application rate of the agricultural mobile irrigation system.

An agricultural mobile irrigation system comprising:

• a plurality of spaced-apart and interconnected mobile towers;
• a fluid distribution conduit supported by the mobile towers and connected to a source of fluids;
• a plurality of fluid emitters connected to the fluid distribution conduit for applying fluids to fields underneath the agricultural irrigation system;
• a control system for controlling a speed and direction of the mobile towers and application of the fluids by the fluid emitters;
• and
• a wheel track monitoring system comprising:
• a wheel track condition sensor comprising a camera for sensing a condition of a wheel track created by the mobile towers and generating corresponding wheel track condition image data, wherein the condition of the wheel track is formed behind the mobile towers;
• a processing system in communication with the wheel track condition sensor and the control system, the processing system being operable to—
• analyze the wheel track condition image data to determine if the condition of the wheel track is unacceptable, wherein the condition of the wheel track comprises a water content of soil within the wheel track;
• generate a corrective action signal if the condition of the wheel track is unacceptable at any locations of the agricultural irrigation system the corrective action signal including an instruction to adjust a water application rate.