The present invention is directed to an applicator having an agricultural product conveying system which transfers particulate material from one or more source containers to application equipment on demand, and meters the material at the application equipment. The conveying system includes an inline metering system including a number of metering devices associated with each compartment of a particulate material tank on the applicator to meter the particulate material disposed within each compartment. The individual metering devices include gates to initially enable the particulate material from a compartment to enter the metering device, and a rotary metering shaft to meter the flow of the particulate material into the conduits while limiting the passage of pressurized air through the metering device and into the compartment. The individual metering devices also include individual motors to control the operation of the metering devices independently from one another that can allow with sectional control and turning compensation.

A standard fertilizer applicator with coulters and shank assemblies with knives for placement of fertilizer below the soil surface is equipped with cultivator shank assemblies for tillage between the fertilizer shanks. Each cultivator shank is mounted by a plate having notches therein for adjusting the vertical height of the assembly. The plate is attached to a support bracket placed around a square beam or tool bar. When used for spring application, leveling of uneven soil is accomplished and weeds are eliminated with the same pass made to apply the fertilizer.

A method and system for evaluating and predicting a set of crop-associated features at an agriculture site, the method comprising: receiving a set of samples associated with the agriculture site; generating a sample dataset upon processing the set of samples with a set of sample processing operations; generating a set of microbiome-associated features upon performing a set of transformation operations upon the sample dataset; and returning an analysis characterizing the set of crop-associated features based upon the set of microbiome-associated features. The method can further include steps for executing an action for producing a desired outcome in relation to the agriculture site, with respect to a specific soil type and a specific crop, based upon the analysis.

The present invention discloses an agricultural implement for applying fertilizer beneath the surface of the soil. The implement has a main frame for connecting the agricultural implement to agricultural equipment. A swing arm is pivotally connected to the main frame. An adjustable actuator interconnects the swing arm to the main frame to control the movement of the swing arm with respect to the main frame. A pair of discs are mounted to the free end of the swing arm for rotation with respect to the swing arm. The discs are offset mounted with respect to one another and are angled outwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the implement. The discs form grooves for receipt of fertilizer. Fertilizer tubes are mounted to the swing arms adjacent the discs. The fertilizer tubes deposit fertilizer in the grooves formed by the discs.

The present invention is a drone for spraying liquid such as pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, plant growth regulators, plant defoliators, and fertilizers over field crop. The drone comprises: a frame with a slender rigid beam in the middle and two base structures at the two ends, a rigid tube with an array of nozzles on elongated stems and the rigid tube is suspended below the beam structure with retractable wires, at least three propellers on motors with arms that are rotatably mounted to each of the two base structures of the frame, a power source positioned in one of the bases, at least one distance detector for measuring height of the drone above the ground, an antenna for sending and receiving communication signals, an electronic control system to operate motors and sensors, a container for a liquid material with a caped opening for refilling and an air pump to maintain a positive pressure in the container and electronic valve to allow liquid in the container under pressure to be released through a transfer line to be sprayed from the nozzles, and a remote controller for operating the drone. The invention provides a specialized drone that is able to spray liquid solutions over a wide strip of the field at a height close to crop canopy to achieve high efficiency and precision and reduced drift of sprays while the drone flies at a relatively high above the crop canopy for safe operation and avoid damage to crop by air turbulence.

In one embodiment, a vehicle platform comprises a central body that can support one or more implement configurations, such as sprayer booms, or planting row units. A plurality of adjustable legs extends downward from the central body. Each adjustable leg has a corresponding leg actuator to adjust a respective vertical height of each adjustable leg. Each adjustable leg supports the central body. Planting row units are supported by or suspended from the central body

An autonomous vehicle platform system and method configured to perform various in-season management tasks, including selectively applying fertilizer, mapping growth zones and seeding cover crop within an agricultural field, while self-navigating between rows of planted crops and beneath the canopy of the planted crops on the uneven terrain of an agricultural field, allowing for an ideal in-season application of fertilizer to occur once the planted crop is well established and growing rapidly, in an effort to limit the loss of fertilizer.

An agricultural implement system includes a wheel position control system configured to control respective positions of an aligned wheel and an offset wheel of the agricultural implement system. The aligned wheel is configured to be substantially laterally aligned with a corresponding vehicle wheel/track, and the offset wheel is configured to be laterally offset from the corresponding vehicle wheel/track. The wheel position control system is configured to instruct lowering of the aligned wheel and the offset wheel to transition a toolbar assembly to a non-working position, the wheel position control system is configured to instruct raising of the aligned and offset wheels to transition the toolbar assembly to a working position, and the wheel position control system is configured to instruct raising of the offset wheel above the aligned wheel while the toolbar assembly is in the working position such that the offset wheel is disengaged from the soil surface.

To provide a plant sensor device capable of obtaining a parameter to determine a growth status other than a spectroscopy vegetation index without increasing its configuration. The plant sensor device includes a light emission part for emitting a measurement light to irradiate a target plant, a light receiving part for receiving a reflected light from the target plant, and a control section for controlling the light emission part and light receiving part. The control section determines a spectroscopy vegetation index of the target plant by obtaining a reflection rate of the target plant based on the measurement light and reflected light. The control section calculates a distance from the target plant to the light emission part in accordance with the measurement light and reflected light, and determines a plant height of the target plant based on the distance.

A compost insertion apparatus coupled to a tractor for inserting solid material into the ground includes a frame configured to be pulled behind a tractor. A bin atop the frame defines an interior area capable of holding solid material, the bottom having an outlet through which the solid material is expelled from the bin. An auger assembly includes a shaft a continuous spiral blade operative for expelling the solid material. A ripper shank is movable from a use configuration forming a furrow, the solid material being expelled into the furrow. A furrow closer assembly includes two circular angled plates forming a V-shape for covering the solid material. A track assembly is operatively coupled to the frame for supporting the bin above the ground, the track assembly having a wide profile in contact with the ground.