A method for manufacturing a pressure detecting unit for a measuring device for measuring a pressure status value of a plant specimen. The method includes mounting a sensor unit for detecting the pressure status value at a carrier substrate, fastening a frame to the carrier substrate, the frame including a fastening surface, a contact surface oriented opposite the fastening surface and an inner surface defining an opening and extending between the fastening surface and the contact surface, the frame being situated at the carrier substrate in such a way that the fastening surface faces the carrier substrate and the inner surface surrounds the sensor unit, and filling the opening of the frame with a filling material for forming an elastic pressure coupling layer. A pressure detecting unit for a measuring device for measuring a pressure status value of a plant specimen is also described.

Described and represented is a method for determining the content of at least one plant substance of at least one part of a plant. In order for the content of plant substances, in particular secondary plant substances, of at least one part of a plant to be determined and optimized more expediently, it is provided that the at least one part of the plant is irradiated successively with light of different wavelengths and/or wavelength ranges and that, in response to the irradiation of the at least one part of the plant with light of each wavelength and/or at each wavelength range, the chlorophyll fluorescence at least substantially the same wavelength and/or at least substantially the same wavelength range is measured in each case.

The present disclosure provides for an electronic sensor for detecting a root of a plant in soil, the electronic sensor that includes a first conductor plate configured to be disposed in soil, a switch, a power supply, and a signal extractor. The switch is electrically coupled to the first conductor plate and is configured to switch between a first mode and a second mode. The power supply is electrically coupled to the switch and is configured to provide an electrical charge to the first conductor plate in the first mode of the switch. The signal extractor is electrically coupled to the switch and is configured to extract a signal response at the first conductor plate in the second mode of the switch. The present disclosure further provides a second conductor plate configured to be disposed in soil adjacent to and substantially parallel to the first conductor plate. The second conductor plate is electrically coupled to ground.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to freshness indication. In some embodiments, a freshness indicating device is provided. The freshness indicating device comprises a collector and an indicator. The collector is adapted to collect water from an object. The object includes at least one of fruits and vegetables. The indicator is adapted to indicate the freshness of the object based on the amount of the collected water. A corresponding method and a container comprising the freshness indicating device are disclosed as well.

A system for measuring chlorophyll concentration in a leaf sample includes a leaf-holding illuminator device with a main body containing a power source, a plurality of switchable light sources emitting light at different spectra (e.g., red and white light from a broadband light source), and a cap detachably secured to the main body using one or more fastening means. The leaf sample is interposed between the main body and the cap and held in place during imaging. The system includes a mobile electronic device having a camera configured to capture an image of the leaf illuminated by the plurality of switchable light sources, the mobile electronic device having wireless connectivity to a network and an application contained therein configured to transfer the images to a remote sever or computer via the network for data processing. A final chlorophyll index value is calculated based on the transferred images.

Methods and systems for determining water status in plant tissue are provided. A number of systems are capable of using terahertz signals to generate signals measuring total water content in plant tissue, including plant leaves. Using these signals, methods are capable of determining water status variables, including water mass per leaf area, relative water content, and leaf water potential, which can aid in agricultural, ecological, and environmental health, such as dehydration and droughst stress of plants.

Described herein are mobile sensing units for capturing raw data corresponding to certain characteristics of plants and their growing environment. Also described are computer devices and related methods for collecting user inputs, generating information relating to the plants and/or growing environment based on the raw data and user inputs, and displaying same.

A crop yield prediction method and system. The method includes: obtaining a test normalized difference vegetation index and test meteorological data of a to-be-tested area; and inputting the test normalized difference vegetation index and the test meteorological data into a hierarchical linear regression model, to obtain a predicted yield of the to-be-tested area; where a method for determining the hierarchical linear regression model is: obtaining a training normalized difference vegetation index of a crop planting area; obtaining training meteorological data and measured yield data of the crop planting area; constructing a first regression equation and a second regression equation, where dependent variables of the second regression equation are a slope and an intercept of the first regression equation; and inputting the training normalized difference vegetation index and the measured yield data into the first regression equation, and inputting the training meteorological data into the second regression equation.

A method for monitoring and/or calibrating a device designed for three-dimensional X-ray optical inspection of seedlings in different growth phases may optically or X-ray optically measure natural seedlings in three dimensions at predetermined times during their growth phase. The method may create a control program for a device which is designed for the three-dimensional printing of artificial seedlings as reference samples which are replicas of the natural seedlings in each case using the recorded measured values. The method may also produce artificial seedlings with a plastic using the device in accordance with the created control program. The artificial seedlings thus produced may be measured three-dimensionally by X-ray optics and the measured values thus acquired may be recorded in a control chart or an already created control chart is adapted, with which control chart monitoring and/or calibration of the device designed for the three-dimensional X-ray optical inspection of seedlings is performed.

A mobile sensory platform includes a propulsion system configured to move the platform within a growing area, a vertically-extending support, and sensors in or on the support. Different sensors are positioned at different heights along the support. The sensors are configured to capture data associated with plants in the growing area. The platform also includes a communication interface configured to support two-way wireless communication, a power supply, and a control system configured to control movement of the platform and operation of the sensors. The sensors include microclimate sensors configured to sense microclimates around individual ones of the plants and stereo imaging sensors configured to capture images of the plants. The sensors are configured to non-invasively capture multi-dimensional data points for the individual ones of the plants. At least some of the multi-dimensional data points are associated with a 3D structure of a canopy of the individual ones of the plants.