In a drone system in which a drone and a movable body operate in coordination with each other, the drone performing a predetermined operation in an agricultural field, the movable body being capable of moving with the drone aboard and allowing the drone to make a takeoff and a landing, the plan determining section determines a flight plan for the drone and a movement plan for the movable body in accordance with the flight plan, and the instructing section instructs the drone to execute an operation in accordance with the flight plan and instructs the movable body to move or to be on standby in accordance with the movement plan.

A control system is disclosed for a material application system. A sensor may be disposed and configured to monitor one or more of a material level and a material flow for the material application system. A signal may be received from the sensor corresponding to the material level or flow. A reference quantity of material contained by the material application system, an expected application rate for the material, and an indicator of current application duration may be determined. An estimated application rate may be determined based upon one or more of the indicator of current application duration, the reference quantity of material, and the signal. The estimated and expected application rates may be compared and the expected application rate updated based upon the comparison. A remaining interval for application without a replenishment of the container may be determined and indicated to an operator.

A system for dispensing agricultural products includes an agricultural product container having a memory circuit associated therewith for storing data, the stored data including data unique to the container and the quantity of material dispensed including specific rates of application. An application rate meter device is operatively connected to the agricultural product container and is configured to dispense the agricultural product from the agricultural product container. Precision placement equipment includes a placement tube assembly operatively connected to the application rate meter device to place the agricultural products in the desired locations for efficient activity of the agricultural product. Each placement tube assembly is mounted between depth wheels of a depth control wheel assembly of a planter for placement of product in-furrow between the depth wheels.

A method for controlling a spreading apparatus includes obtaining a target degree of opening and a real-time degree of opening of a material outlet of the spreading apparatus, determining whether the real-time degree of opening of the material outlet is abnormal based on a comparison result between the real-time degree of opening and the target degree of opening, and transmitting an alarm signal to a remote control device in response to the real-time degree of opening of the material outlet being abnormal.

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for monitoring and controlling an agricultural implement, including seed planting implements. Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for detecting seeds being conveyed by seed conveyor. Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for monitoring and controlling deposition of secondary crop inputs such as fertilizer and insecticide.

A system and method that automatically monitors product use, such as the type and amount of agricultural and/or horticultural product stored in and dispensed from a cartridge over time and/or by geographic location. Monitored data are stored in memory such as a tag on the cartridge and may be transmitted to a server for storage, aggregation, and analysis. The cartridge may be authenticated before being authorized for use for the benefit of a current user in dispensing the product. The cartridge may be refilled after confirmation of authorization codes on the cartridge and refilling equipment tags. The cartridge may be calibrated automatically based on the bulk density or other parameter of the product in the cartridge. Data may be aggregated from a plurality of cartridges automatically. As-applied data from individual cartridges may be used to verify, independent of operator input, treated area coverage and product application rate.

Systems and methods for aerially dispersing one or more materials are disclosed herein. More particularly, but not exclusively, the subject application relates to systems and methods for maintaining a predetermined application rate of the material(s) to an area regardless of the speed of an aircraft over the area. As such, a constant application of the material(s) over the area may be achieved despite changes in speed of the aircraft relative to the area. In one form, for example, a system includes a container for holding the material(s) and a flow regulator positioned in communication with the container and structured to control release of the material(s) from the container. A controller is structured to control the flow regulator to adjust the rate at which the material is released from the container based on the speed of the container relative to an area to which the material is dispersed.

A monitoring system for an agricultural implement having a plurality of row units. Each of the row units includes a seed meter configured to dispense seeds and a seed conveyor disposed to receive seeds from the seed meter and guide the seeds toward the soil surface. The monitor system includes a monitor and a control module. The control module is in data communication with the monitor, the seed meter and the seed conveyor for controlling a rate of the seed meter and a rate of the seed conveyor.

A system and method that automatically monitors product use, such as the type and amount of agricultural and/or horticultural product stored in and dispensed from a cartridge over time and/or by geographic location. Monitored data are stored in memory such as a tag on the cartridge and may be transmitted to a server for storage, aggregation, and analysis. The cartridge may be authenticated before being authorized for use for the benefit of a current user in dispensing the product. The cartridge may be refilled after confirmation of authorization codes on the cartridge and refilling equipment tags. The cartridge may be calibrated automatically based on the bulk density or other parameter of the product in the cartridge. Data may be aggregated from a plurality of cartridges automatically. As-applied data from individual cartridges may be used to verify, independent of operator input, treated area coverage and product application rate.

An agriculture support system includes a data obtaining device to obtain at least one type of data among a plurality of types of data relating to planting of crops, a mesh setting device to allocate, as divided data, the data obtained by the data obtaining device to each of areas of an agricultural field in which the crops are planted, a first map display to relate, to a location of the agricultural field, the divided data allocated to each of the areas by the mesh setting device and to display the divided data as a first field map, a spreading setting device to set a spreading amount of spread substance in each of the areas based on the divided data of each of the areas, and a second map display to relate, to the location of the agricultural field, the spreading amount and to display the spreading amount.