Provided is a piercing tool which can be used by optionally replacing a distal end portion, which is to be first brought into abutment against an object to be pierced such as the ground, and can rigidly mount the distal end portion. A piercing tool (1) includes: a distal end portion (2), which has a cylindrical shape, and is to be first brought into abutment against an object; and a main body portion (3), which has a cylindrical shape at at least a part of the main body portion (3), and has one end portion to which the distal end portion (2) is mounted. The distal end portion (2) is configured so as to be removably mounted to the one end portion (32) of the main body portion (3). The main body portion (3) has an outer peripheral surface having a male thread (36) formed so as to be engaged with the female thread at the end portion (32) of the main body portion (3) on a side to which the distal end portion (2) is mounted, and includes an incomplete thread portion formed in an inner end portion area in the male thread (36). The distal end portion (2) has a penetrating screw hole (26) in a portion facing the male thread (36), and, when the distal end portion (2) is mounted to the one end portion (32) of the main body portion (3), a stop screw (4) having no head portion is fitted and fixed into the penetrating screw hole (26).

An information processing device calculates a rate related to growth of a plant from sensing data, and performs control to display a sample position image arranged according to a sensing position of each piece of the sensing data in a map region of a user interface screen in an image mode determined according to a rate calculated from each piece of the sensing data.

An information processing device calculates a rate related to growth of a plant from sensing data, and performs control to display a sample position image arranged according to a sensing position of each piece of the sensing data in a map region of a user interface screen in an image mode determined according to a rate calculated from each piece of the sensing data.

There is disclosed a method and system for regulating plant irrigation at a crop field. The method comprises obtaining soil water tension (SWT) data and/or soil water content (SWC) data corresponding to a crop field. The SWT data and/or the SWC data is segmented into three segments. A respective line of best fit is determined for each of the three segments. The intercepts of the lines of best fit are used to determine an irrigation start threshold and an irrigation stop threshold. Devices that control irrigation for the crop field are caused to start or stop irrigation based on the irrigation start threshold and irrigation stop threshold.

The invention is concerned with a method and a system for the identification and mapping of objects on the basis of a picture taken of the object. The objects to be identified and mapped are classified in the database(s) on the basis of their position and/or characteristic(s). A picture that has been taken of an object to be identified is saved in the user device. The position of the object is informed to the service. The method is mainly characterized by the service checking whether there is earlier information of an object from the same position. The service identifies the object on the basis of the picture, the position of the object and, its characteristic(s). In the absence of earlier identification information of an object in the same position, the service marks the location of the object on a map on the basis of the position information.

Methods, apparatus, systems and processor-readable storage media for distributed farming are provided herein. A computer-implemented method includes facilitating transfer of one or more substrates and one or more crops at approximately a given stage of a growth cycle, from (i) a first location to (ii) one or more growing units, wherein the given stage of the growth cycle comprises a stage prior to completion of the growth cycle; processing data, captured via multiple sensors within the one or more growing units, wherein the data comprise (i) data pertaining to at least one of the one or more substrates and the one or more crops, and (ii) data pertaining to the one or more growing units; and performing one or more automated actions based at least in part on the processing of the data.

Methods, apparatus, systems and processor-readable storage media for distributed farming are provided herein. A computer-implemented method includes facilitating transfer of one or more substrates and one or more crops at approximately a given stage of a growth cycle, from (i) a first location to (ii) one or more growing units, wherein the given stage of the growth cycle comprises a stage prior to completion of the growth cycle; processing data, captured via multiple sensors within the one or more growing units, wherein the data comprise (i) data pertaining to at least one of the one or more substrates and the one or more crops, and (ii) data pertaining to the one or more growing units; and performing one or more automated actions based at least in part on the processing of the data.

A method is provided for hyperspectral inversion of a phosphorus content of rubber tree leaves. The method includes: acquiring hyperspectral data of to-be-detected rubber tree leaves; extracting key wavelengths of the rubber tree leaves according to the hyperspectral data and a pre-established wavelength extraction model, where the key wavelengths are related to the phosphorus content of the rubber tree leaves, and the pre-established wavelength extraction model is obtained by learning and training hyperspectral sample data and sample phosphorus content data pairs in a pre-established sample database by adopting a competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) algorithm and a successive projection algorithm (SPA); and inputting the key wavelengths into a pre-established phosphorus content prediction model to calculate the phosphorus content of the to-be-detected rubber tree leaves. Moreover, the CARS algorithm and the SPA are comprehensively applied to extract the key wavelengths closely related to the phosphorus content of the rubber tree leaves.

A precision agriculture support system is provided with a measuring device, a storage device and a plant species determining unit. The measuring device measures a first spectral characteristic of light derived from vegetation in a support target area. The storage device stores a database of spectrum according to species that shows a spectral characteristic of a desired crop. The plant species determining unit determines whether a plant included in the vegetation is the desired crop or not based on the database of spectrum according to species and a measurement result of the first spectral characteristic. The plant species determination unit further carries out distinction of agricultural crops, distinction of agricultural crops and weeds and the like. Furthermore, the precision agriculture support system identifies an area where abnormality is occurring, estimates a nature of the abnormality and carries out an early warning by providing a countermeasure against the abnormality.

A precision agriculture support system is provided with a measuring device, a storage device and a plant species determining unit. The measuring device measures a first spectral characteristic of light derived from vegetation in a support target area. The storage device stores a database of spectrum according to species that shows a spectral characteristic of a desired crop. The plant species determining unit determines whether a plant included in the vegetation is the desired crop or not based on the database of spectrum according to species and a measurement result of the first spectral characteristic. The plant species determination unit further carries out distinction of agricultural crops, distinction of agricultural crops and weeds and the like. Furthermore, the precision agriculture support system identifies an area where abnormality is occurring, estimates a nature of the abnormality and carries out an early warning by providing a countermeasure against the abnormality.