Systems and apparatuses for soil and seed monitoring

A soil apparatus comprising:

• a lower base portion of a base to firm seed in a trench that is formed in soil of an agricultural field;
• an upper base portion of the base;
• a neck portion having first and second protrusions to insert into the lower base portion of the base and then lock when a region of the upper base portion is inserted into the lower base portion and this region of the upper base portion presses the first and second protrusions to lock the neck portion to the upper base portion and the lower base portion;
• a window disposed in the lower base portion;
• and
• a sensor disposed in the lower base portion adjacent to the window, the sensor is configured to sense soil through the window when the lower base portion engages in soil of the agricultural field, wherein the lower base portion includes a resilient layer to position a circuit board in proximity to the window, wherein the sensor for detecting characteristics of soil or a trench includes at least one of soil moisture, soil organic matter, soil temperature, seed presence, seed spacing, percentage of seeds firmed, and soil residue presence, wherein the window is mounted flush with a lower surface of the lower base portion such that soil flows underneath the window without building up over the window or along an edge of the window,
• wherein the lower base portion includes a separate window portion to allow the window to be separately serviceable,
• wherein the lower base portion includes a water drain slit that defines a feature for the separate window portion of the lower base portion to mate with the lower base portion,
• wherein the neck portion includes a force relief that includes a partial opening to prevent damage to the lower base portion if the soil apparatus is engaged in soil while an agricultural implement is driven in a reverse direction,
• wherein the lower base portion includes a lower outer portion to protect the lower base portion,
• wherein the lower outer portion is made from a low coefficient of friction material,
• wherein the lower outer portion covers at least 50% of a height of the lower base portion.