The present inventors have recognized that various diseases in plants, such as Phytophthora infestans (late blight) and Alternaria solani (early blight), and/or various stages of such diseases in plants, can be reliably detected by applying measurements from electromagnetic reflections detected from a plant in a model to produce an output indicating a probability of the disease and/or stage. In one aspect, coefficients can be applied to each measurement at each wavelength to emphasize identification of a given disease or stage. In another aspect, an imager can capture images comprising spectral pixels in which each pixel comprises measurements from the electromagnetic reflections for application in a model to identify a given disease or stage.

A crop sensor includes: a housing sized and shaped to correspond to a foodstuff of a crop; a sensor to sense a physiochemical parameter relative to growth of the crop; and an energy-harvesting unit to generate electrical energy for the sensor from movement of the housing.

A method of observing the complete lifecycles of living creatures. A portable enclosure is created to match the best environment needed for any life-form to flourish. This enclosure contains lights, video cameras and colorful background scenes to record the lifecycle of the living creature. The video and still photography is then transmitted by WIFI to a smart phone, tablet or computer for review.

A method of creating an adjustable opening dimension for bird enclosures for attracting different species of birds to the enclosure.

A method of observing complete lifecycles of non-living material and living tissue going through changes due to chemical and temperature alterations or living tissue additions.

A portable enclosure is created to match the best environment needed for a material and living tissue observation as the material and living tissue undergoes intentional changes. This enclosure contains lights and video cameras to record the lifecycle of the material or living tissue changes. The video and still photography is then transmitted by WIFI to a smart phone, tablet or computer for review.

A method of observing the complete lifecycles of living creatures. A portable enclosure is created to match the best environment needed for any life-form to flourish. This enclosure contains lights, video cameras and colorful background scenes to record the lifecycle of the living creature. The video and still photography is then transmitted by WIFI to a smart phone, tablet or computer for review.

A method of creating an adjustable opening dimension for bird enclosures for attracting different species of birds to the enclosure.

A method of observing complete lifecycles of non-living material and living tissue going through changes due to chemical and temperature alterations or living tissue additions.

A portable enclosure is created to match the best environment needed for a material and living tissue observation as the material and living tissue undergoes intentional changes. This enclosure contains lights and video cameras to record the lifecycle of the material or living tissue changes. The video and still photography is then transmitted by WIFI to a smart phone, tablet or computer for review.

An aerification system for controlling moisture content and gas exchange below a surface of one or more plant growing areas includes at least first and second sub-systems installed below the surface of the one or more plant growing areas. The first and second sub-systems each having a water permeable layer overlying a respective water impermeable layer, where the water impermeable layer defines a respective boundary of each of the first and second sub-systems. The system also includes at least one conduit connecting the water permeable layer of the first sub-system to the water permeable layer of the second sub-system, and at least one pumping system for pumping water therebetween. The pumping system is configured to alternate between pumping water to the first sub-system and the second sub-system in order to periodically raise and lower a water level in the water permeable layer of each of the first and second sub-systems.

An aerification system for controlling moisture content and gas exchange below a surface of one or more plant growing areas includes at least first and second sub-systems installed below the surface of the one or more plant growing areas. The first and second sub-systems each having a water permeable layer overlying a respective water impermeable layer, where the water impermeable layer defines a respective boundary of each of the first and second sub-systems. The system also includes at least one conduit connecting the water permeable layer of the first sub-system to the water permeable layer of the second sub-system, and at least one pumping system for pumping water therebetween. The pumping system is configured to alternate between pumping water to the first sub-system and the second sub-system in order to periodically raise and lower a water level in the water permeable layer of each of the first and second sub-systems.

A system includes an aerial sensor platform including a spectral imaging device, a position sensor, and an orientation sensor and includes a ground-based sensor platform including at least one soil sensor. The system also includes a computing device with instructions that are executable by a processor to obtain spectral imaging data collected by the spectral imaging device and soil data collected by the at least one soil sensor. The spectral imaging data represents a particular field of view (based on data from the orientation sensor) of a particular geographic region (based on data from the position sensor) of a crop field and the at least one soil sensor is associated with the particular geographic region. The instructions are further executable by the processor to schedule an agricultural activity based on the spectral imaging data and the soil data.

A system includes an aerial sensor platform including a spectral imaging device, a position sensor, and an orientation sensor and includes a ground-based sensor platform including at least one soil sensor. The system also includes a computing device with instructions that are executable by a processor to obtain spectral imaging data collected by the spectral imaging device and soil data collected by the at least one soil sensor. The spectral imaging data represents a particular field of view (based on data from the orientation sensor) of a particular geographic region (based on data from the position sensor) of a crop field and the at least one soil sensor is associated with the particular geographic region. The instructions are further executable by the processor to schedule an agricultural activity based on the spectral imaging data and the soil data.

A method for determining sap flow velocity, constituted of: providing a heat source and a thermal sensor on a single needle: at a no-flow condition, providing first heat energy to produce a steady state first pre-determined temperature rise: determining a total amount of first heat energy provided to produce the first pre-determined temperature rise: at a flow condition: providing second heat energy to produce a steady state second pre-determined temperature rise: determining a total amount of second heat energy provided to produce the second pre-determined temperature rise: and determining a sap flow rate responsive to the determined total amount of first heat energy and the determined total amount of second heat energy.

The present invention relates to an automated analytical system and an automated method for separating and detecting an analyte, as well as an automated analytical instrument.