Methods and systems for estimating volumes of agricultural crops are provided. A geographic position sensor provides positions of a harvesting machine as it gathers an agricultural crop and places the crop on the ground in a windrow. A speed of the harvesting machine is determined using the geographic position sensor. Signals are received from a sensor system disposed at a bottom of the harvesting machine. The signals are indicative of profiles of segments of the windrow on the ground. Cross-sectional areas of the windrow are estimated using the signals. Volumes of the agricultural crop are estimated using the speed of the harvesting machine and the estimated cross-sectional areas of the windrow.

Plant treatment systems, apparatuses and methods are presented. One described system comprises a plant treatment apparatus and a control system configured for data communication with the plant treatment apparatus. The apparatus comprises one or more treatment channels and at least one plant treatment device associated therewith for applying treatment to a portion of a plant. In some embodiments, the plant treatment device controllably induces vibrations of at least a portion of a plant. In some embodiments, the plant treatment device causes targeted damage to at least a portion of the plant. The plant treatment apparatus comprises a sensing system comprising one or more optical sensors that provide sensing signals indicative of a condition of the portion of the plant. The control system processes the sensing signals, determines the condition of the portion of the plant and operates the plant treatment device.

An improved agricultural sheeting fastening component for use in anchoring agricultural sheet material includes two arms, each including one or more prongs having a tip adapted to pierce the sheet material to connect the fastening component to the sheet material, wherein a terminating portion of the prong(s) extends in a direction away from a junction of the prong to the arm and at an angle between the arm and the terminating portion of the prong of between about 25 and about 45 degrees.

The locations of flowers on a plant, rather than the locations of agricultural products produced from such flowers, are used to facilitate the performance of harvesting and other agricultural operations in robotic agricultural applications. In some implementations, the identified location of a fruit-producing flower may be used by a robotic device to apply an indicator tag to a flowering plant proximate the flower for later identification when performing various types of directed and automated agricultural operations. In other implementations, the identified location of a fruit-producing flower may be used by a robotic device to anchor a stem of a flowering plant to a predetermined location such that the location of the flower, and of any fruit(s) later produced by such flower, are controlled and/or known when performing subsequent agricultural operations.

Disclosed is a plant stripper for separating buds or fruit from the stems or branches of a plant. In one embodiment, the plant stripper is defined by a housing that contains a face plate, bladed rollers, and motor and gear system for counter turning the rollers. In operation, a plant stem bearing buds or fruit may be provided through a plant hole in the face plate and gripped by the counter turning rollers so that continued counter turning of the rollers pulls the stems or plants through the plant hole of the face plate. Suitably, the plant hole is gauged so that only the stem may pass through the hole but not the buds or fruit whereby the buds or fruit of the plant are stripped from the plant via action of the stem through the plant hole. In one embodiment, the plant stripper features a guide tray for catching stripped buds or fruit and guiding the same to a collection bin.

Disclosed is a plant stripper for separating buds or fruit from the stems or branches of a plant. In one embodiment, the plant stripper is defined by a housing that contains a face plate, bladed rollers, and motor and gear system for counter turning the rollers. In operation, a plant stem bearing buds or fruit may be provided through a plant hole in the face plate and gripped by the counter turning rollers so that continued counter turning of the rollers pulls the stems or plants through the plant hole of the face plate. Suitably, the plant hole is gauged so that only the stem may pass through the hole but not the buds or fruit whereby the buds or fruit of the plant are stripped from the plant via action of the stem through the plant hole. In one embodiment, the plant stripper features a guide tray for catching stripped buds or fruit and guiding the same to a collection bin.

Disclosed herein are handheld seed harvesters comprising: an elongate handle housing a driveshaft; a motor engaged with the elongate handle and the driveshaft; a reel rotatably and demountably engaged with the elongate handle and driveshaft by way of a quick-release system at an end opposite the motor, the reel having a plurality of filaments for removing seeds from plants extending outward therefrom; a hopper partially housing the reel for collecting the seeds; a handle assembly secured to the elongate handle and the hopper; and a shoulder strap securable to the elongate handle for carrying the harvester.

A device and method for removing leaves from a plant includes a downward extending and elongate support surface for supporting the plant and a pair of cutting devices disposed on either side of the support surface. Each cutting device includes a rotatable blade assembly and a grating which is disposed between the blade assembly and the support surface.

A crop harvesting apparatus includes a pressure generator configured to generate a pressure, a driver configured to have a shape that changes in response to receiving the pressure from the pressure generator, and a cutter configured to cut an object to be cut in accordance with a change in the shape of the driver.

A crop harvesting apparatus includes a pressure generator configured to generate a pressure, a driver configured to have a shape that changes in response to receiving the pressure from the pressure generator, and a cutter configured to cut an object to be cut in accordance with a change in the shape of the driver.