A photo-selective light spectrum-modifying net for use in citrus fruit production, the net comprising a woven array of parallel and mutually spaced first threads and an array of parallel and mutually spaced second threads, the second threads being inclined to the first threads to define an array of openings between the first and second threads, wherein the first threads are uncolored and composed of a first polymer which is selected from a polymer incorporating a white pigment or dye, a transparent polymer or a translucent polymer, and the second threads are colored red and composed of a second polymer which incorporates a red pigment or dye, the second threads being adapted to transmit, scatter and reflect electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range of from 640 to 680 nm. Also disclosed is a method of producing citrus fruit using the net.

A plant limb training apparatus includes a first portion with a first fulcrum portion, a first portion arm extending from the first fulcrum portion and having a first limb engagement finger, the first fulcrum portion further including an interior race and ratchet teeth around the interior race; and, a second portion, the second portion including a second fulcrum portion, a second portion arm extending from the second fulcrum portion and having a second limb engagement finger, the second fulcrum portion configured to engage the first fulcrum portion within the first fulcrum portion interior race, the second fulcrum portion further including at least one pawl element disposed to selectively engage the plurality of ratchet teeth.

A plant limb training apparatus includes a first portion with a first fulcrum portion, a first portion arm extending from the first fulcrum portion and having a first limb engagement finger, the first fulcrum portion further including an interior race and ratchet teeth around the interior race; and, a second portion, the second portion including a second fulcrum portion, a second portion arm extending from the second fulcrum portion and having a second limb engagement finger, the second fulcrum portion configured to engage the first fulcrum portion within the first fulcrum portion interior race, the second fulcrum portion further including at least one pawl element disposed to selectively engage the plurality of ratchet teeth.

The present invention provides a system for identifying individual crowns of individual fruit trees using aerial images. A crown identification device 40 of the present invention includes an identification criterion determination unit 41 and a crown identification unit 42. The identification criterion determination unit 41 includes a first image acquisition section 411 that acquires a first aerial image including a plurality of individual fruit trees in a deciduous period in a fruit farm field, a skeleton extraction section 412 that processes the first aerial image to extract a whole crown skeleton including the plurality of individual fruit trees, a vertex extraction unit 413 that extracts vertexes of each crown skeleton corresponding to each individual fruit tree, and an identification criterion extraction section 414 that extracts a crown candidate region of a minimum polygonal shape including all the vertexes as an identification criterion for each individual fruit tree and extracts a centroid of the crown candidate region. The crown identification unit 42 includes a second image acquisition section 421 that acquires a second aerial image of the fruit tree farm field at the time of identifying a crown at the same scale as the first aerial image, a whole crown extraction section 422 that processes the second aerial image to extract a whole crown image including the plurality of individual fruit trees, and a crown identification section 423 that collates the crown candidate region and the centroid of the identification criterion with the whole crown image to identify a crown region of each individual fruit tree in the second aerial image.

The present invention provides a system for identifying individual crowns of individual fruit trees using aerial images. A crown identification device 40 of the present invention includes an identification criterion determination unit 41 and a crown identification unit 42. The identification criterion determination unit 41 includes a first image acquisition section 411 that acquires a first aerial image including a plurality of individual fruit trees in a deciduous period in a fruit farm field, a skeleton extraction section 412 that processes the first aerial image to extract a whole crown skeleton including the plurality of individual fruit trees, a vertex extraction unit 413 that extracts vertexes of each crown skeleton corresponding to each individual fruit tree, and an identification criterion extraction section 414 that extracts a crown candidate region of a minimum polygonal shape including all the vertexes as an identification criterion for each individual fruit tree and extracts a centroid of the crown candidate region. The crown identification unit 42 includes a second image acquisition section 421 that acquires a second aerial image of the fruit tree farm field at the time of identifying a crown at the same scale as the first aerial image, a whole crown extraction section 422 that processes the second aerial image to extract a whole crown image including the plurality of individual fruit trees, and a crown identification section 423 that collates the crown candidate region and the centroid of the identification criterion with the whole crown image to identify a crown region of each individual fruit tree in the second aerial image.

A structure and method for three-dimensional restoration of slope soil in an abandoned ion-absorbed rare earth mining area, belonging to the field of ecological restoration technologies. The structure for three-dimensional restoration of slope soil in an abandoned ion-absorbed rare earth mining area provided by the present invention includes an ecological water-harvesting pond, ecological intercepting ditches, an improved soil layer laid on the surface of a to-be-restored slope region and a soil restoration ecological network disposed on the improved soil layer. The improved soil layer, the ecological water-harvesting pond and the ecological intercepting ditches are each provided with a combined plant synusia system. The restoration structure provided by the present invention can effectively improve an extremely degraded ecological environment of the abandoned ion-absorbed rare earth mining area caused by tailings waste land and restore the degraded or polluted mining area soil and environment caused by mine destruction during rare earth mining.

A plant locating system may include a vehicle supporting a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna and a monocular camera. The system may further include a plant locating unit comprising a processing unit and a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions to direct the processing unit to: acquire a sample image of a plant of interest captured at a time with the monocular camera at an unknown distance from the plant of interest (POI); determine a geographic location estimate of the GPS antenna at the time; identify a selected portion of the sample image comprising the POI; determine a distance between the POI and the monocular camera based upon the selected portion; and determine a geographic location estimate of the POI based on the geographic location estimate of the GPS antenna at the time and the determined distance between the monocular camera and the POI.

A computer system obtains, using a camera, a first plurality of images of a canopy an agricultural plot. For each respective fruit of a plurality of fruit growing in the agricultural plot, the computer system identifies a first respective image in the first plurality of images that comprises the respective fruit. The first respective image has a corresponding first camera location. The computer system also identifies a second respective image in the first plurality of images that comprises the respective fruit. The second respective image has a corresponding second camera location. The computer system uses at least i) the first and second respective images and ii) a distance between the first and second camera locations to determine a corresponding size of the respective fruit.

The invention discloses a medium combination for a rapid propagation medium for blueberry stein segment tissue, wherein the pre-culture medium takes the MS medium containing 2-(N-morpholine) ethanesulfonic acid as basic medium, comprising 0.1-0.5 mg/L IAA, 0.05-0.6 mg/L CPPU; the rapid culture medium takes the MS medium containing 2-(N-morpholine) ethanesulfonic acid as basic medium, comprising: 0.2-0.5 mg/L ZT; the seedling growth medium takes the MS medium containing 2-(N-morpholine) ethanesulfonic acid as basic medium, comprising: 0.1-2.0 mg/L 2-ip; and the rooting medium takes ½ MS medium as basis medium, comprising: 0.3-4.0 mg/L NAA. The invention further discloses a method of using the above medium combination to conduct rapid propagation of blueberry stein segment tissue, the propagation rate of this method is rapid.

Described are methods of applying a fumigant to soil (e.g., in a field into which a Musa plant is to be planted) to reduce Fusarium contamination in the soil, such as Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4) (a.k.a. Fusarium odoratissimum). Methods to reduce Fusarium in soil in which Musa plants will be grown are described, including introducing a Fusarium—inhibiting effective amount of a composition including methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) or a compound that generates MITC, or a functional equivalent or alternative thereof, at least 40 cm below the soil surface; allowing it to release MITC in the soil; and allowing the MITC to reduce viable propagule count in the soil. Introducing the composition may involve applying it to soil at least 40 cm below the soil surface, and/or applying it to soil and mixing/blending the soil to a depth of at least 60 cm below the soil surface to distribute the composition.