The invention concerns a method using a robot for an automatic treatment of a weed, the method comprises steps of capturing images of said weed with a camera on said robot; determining with said images a distance between the weed and a second vegetable organism; and selecting a treatment tool of said robot for a treatment of the weed from a group of treatment tools as function of said distance. The invention further concerns a robotic vehicle for carrying out the method for an automatic treatment of a weed.

In an embodiment, a method comprises: receiving pre-planting data representing a lower bound date value and an upper bound date value of dates for a pre-planting application of fertilizer to an agricultural field; side-dressing data representing a lower bound date value and an upper bound date value of dates for a side-dressing application; fertilizer cost data representing a cost of a fertilizer application; labor cost data representing a cost of applying fertilizer to the field; and expected profit data. Based on the received data, one or more penalty constraints are determined. Based on the received data, a fertilizing schedule is generated. The schedule comprises the one or more valid calendar dates on which fertilizing the agricultural field is recommended and the one or more valid fertilizer amounts to be applied to the agricultural field on the one or more valid calendar dates to maximize a yield from the agricultural field.

A biological lighting system to provide temporally- and spatially-modulated photon flux output and spectral power distributions to plants on a circadian and circannual basis, or circadian and life cycle basis, to maximize effective and efficient growth in a horticultural setting. The photon flux or irradiance output and the spectral power distribution are modulated to match circadian and circannual rhythms, with individual or multiple luminaires controlled through one or more controllers. Different lighting spectra can be employed depending on the direction of illumination. The photon flux or irradiance output and the spectral power distribution may be set as best suited for any particular plant species, and the system is also useful for raising animals.

The invention concerns novel nitrification inhibitors.

The invention concerns novel nitrification inhibitors.

A sensor system includes a plant growth sensor, an environmental sensor device, and processing electronics. The plant growth sensor includes a strain sensor arranged on a first stretchable and flexible substrate. The environmental sensor device includes first and second environmental sensors arranged on a second stretchable and flexible substrate. The processing electronics are electrically coupled to the plant growth sensor and the environmental sensor device. The processing electronics include a wireless communication transceiver.

A sensor system includes a plant growth sensor, an environmental sensor device, and processing electronics. The plant growth sensor includes a strain sensor arranged on a first stretchable and flexible substrate. The environmental sensor device includes first and second environmental sensors arranged on a second stretchable and flexible substrate. The processing electronics are electrically coupled to the plant growth sensor and the environmental sensor device. The processing electronics include a wireless communication transceiver.

There is provided a flowerbed sales order system capable of freely design a desired flowerbed and ordering the designed flowerbed by a simple procedure.

The present invention relates to a flowerbed sales order system including a user terminal, a server apparatus capable of communicating with the user terminal, and an arrangement identificator which identifies arrangement of different colors and/or different types of plants for each of a plurality of regions included in a flowerbed, in which the user terminal includes an order placement request transmitter which transmits an order request of the flowerbed having the arrangement identified by the arrangement identificator by an operation of a user, and the server apparatus includes an order placement request receiver which receives the order request of the flowerbed.

Apparatus to acquire an image of roots of a plant located in a target rhizotron. The apparatus includes: a turntable having a rotation axis and intended to support the target rhizotron; a lightening device; a first camera having an optical axis substantially oriented toward the rotation axis; a focus sensor arranged so as to provide a measure at least one parameter of the first camera; a control module, configured to receive the measure, compare the measure to comparison data, and inform an operator accordingly, the comparison data comprising data related to reference rhizotrons different than the target rhizotron, and/or data related to one or several previously acquired images of the target rhizotron.

Apparatus to acquire an image of roots of a plant located in a target rhizotron. The apparatus includes: a turntable having a rotation axis and intended to support the target rhizotron; a lightening device; a first camera having an optical axis substantially oriented toward the rotation axis; a focus sensor arranged so as to provide a measure at least one parameter of the first camera; a control module, configured to receive the measure, compare the measure to comparison data, and inform an operator accordingly, the comparison data comprising data related to reference rhizotrons different than the target rhizotron, and/or data related to one or several previously acquired images of the target rhizotron.