Various embodiments of a system for automatically sensing and spraying plants and/or plant precursors as they are planted or otherwise distributed on and/or within the ground is disclosed.

Agricultural seed planting systems include a processing unit, a frame, a furrow opener coupled to the frame for opening a furrow in soil, and a sensor in communication with the processing unit and adapted to sense a characteristic associated with seed planting. The sensor may generate a signal associated with the sensed characteristic and the processing unit may receive the signal. In some aspects, the sensed characteristic may be either a soil characteristic or a seed characteristic. Information associated with the sensed characteristic can be saved in memory for future use and to assist with more effective planting in the future.

An air seeding system and method includes a manifold mounted across a plurality of row planter units. Electric motors are mounted on the manifold and are operatively connected to the seed meters. A microprocessor or controller adjusts the speed of the motors in response to field data input so as to adjust the rate of seed dispensement to achieve desired plant population. The motor speeds can be adjusted on the fly, without stopping the air seeder. The system senses ground speed, senses the raised and lowered positioned of the row planter units, and senses any blockage of the row planter units. The motors eliminate the need for a ground drive wheel.

The invention relates to a single seed dispenser (10) for a precision automatic sower comprising a cover (11) for seeds to be distributed joined to a body (12) containing a cavity (24) in communication with an aspirator of the seeds via a conduit (22) inserted in a hole (23) realised on the body (12), a distribution disc (13) with holes (38, 54) contained in a compartment delimited by said body (12) and by said cover (11); a driving disc (31) joined through pins (53) to the distribution disc (13), both discs being put into rotation by means of a shaft (29) actuated by an actuator for commanding rotation of the discs (13, 31); and a selector device (14) for the seeds pivoted on the edge of the body (12), where the selector device (14) comprises a plate (142) which presents, on a side facing the centre of the distribution disc (13), at least two toothed portions (143, 144), having teeth of different sizes and a curved sector (59) mounted against the surface of the distribution disc (13) opposite to the plate (142) and is provided with protrusions (591) having inclined surface (592) facing the distribution disc (13) at holes (38) therein.

A method and system for producing a plant-based image includes receiving a source image; screening the source image into a set of picture elements; and producing raster data indicating at least a type or density of seeds or plants to plant for each picture element.

A vacuum seed meter includes a vacuum channel and a seed disc having seed cells defined as openings through a perimeter region of the seed disc, which rotates through the vacuum channel. The seed meter includes a sensor that addresses the seed cells in a way that enables prediction of imminent seed starvation of the seed meter.

An agricultural implement system is provided including a fluid conduit configured to provide product to a ground engaging tool. The ground engaging tool is configured to deposit the product into soil. The agricultural implement system also includes an air source fluidly coupled to the fluid conduit, and configured to provide an air flow through the fluid conduit in a downstream direction toward the ground engaging tool. The agricultural implement system further includes a product delivery system fluidly coupled to the fluid conduit, and configured to transfer the product into the air flow. In addition, the agricultural implement system includes a product flow measurement system configured to determine a mass flow rate of the product based on a pressure drop between an upstream portion of the fluid conduit and a downstream portion of the fluid conduit, a flow rate of the air flow, and a velocity of the air flow.

An agricultural machine includes a seeding system comprising a plurality of planting units, each planting unit configured to meter and deliver seed and a control system configured to obtain a seed planting model that identifies a plurality of seed planting locations on a worksite, identify a machine path on the worksite, identify, based on the machine path, a set of the seed planting locations for each of the planting units, and control each planting unit to deliver seeds to the set of seed planting locations identified for the planting unit.

A vegetative health mapping system which creates two- or three-dimensional maps and associates moisture content, soil density, ambient light, surface temperature, and/or additional indications of vegetative health with the map. Moisture content is inferred using radar return signals of near-field and/or far-field radar. By tuning various parameters of the one or more radar (e.g. frequency, focus, power), additional data may be associated with the map from subterranean features (such as rocks, soil density, sprinklers, etc.). Additional sensors (camera(s), lidar, IMU, GPS, etc.) may be fused with radar returns to generate maps having associated moisture content, surface temperature, ambient light levels, additional indications of vegetative health (as may be determined by machine learned algorithms), etc. Such vegetative health maps may be provided to a user who, in turn, may indicate additional areas for the vegetative health device to scan or otherwise used to recommend and/or perform treatments.

An agricultural combine including a residue spreading system adapted for spreading residue onto a field. The residue spreading system includes a seed container and a seed dispensing system adapted to dispense seeds from the seed container into the residue so that, in operation, the dispensed seeds are spread onto the field together with the residue.