CONTROLLING PLANTS BY MEANS OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the control of plants which appear as undesirable matter in a field for crop plants by means of electrical energy. The subject matter of the present disclosure is a method, a device and a vehicle for controlling plants

Claims

1. A method for controlling cultivated-plant cohabitants in a field of cultivated plants, comprising: providing a device comprising a crop divider and a contact electrode, bringing the crop divider to a height which is above a growth height of the cultivated-plant cohabitants and below a growth height of the cultivated plants, bringing the contact electrode to a height which is below the crop divider at the growth height of the cultivated-plant cohabitants, moving the device through a field for cultivated plants, in which cultivated-plant cohabitants appear, during the movement guiding the cultivated plants past the contact electrode via the crop divider, contacting the cultivated-plant cohabitants with the contact electrode, wherein contact of the contact electrode with a cultivated-plant cohabitant leads to flow of a current from the contact electrode through part of the cultivated-plant cohabitant to a counter electrode, whereupon the cultivated-plant cohabitant is weakened or destroyed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a voltage prevails between the contact electrode and the counter electrode only when a cultivated-plant cohabitant nears the contact electrode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein relatively large cultivated-plant cohabitants having a greater growth height than the cultivated plants and relatively small cultivated plants having a lower growth height than the cultivated plants are present in the field, wherein, in a first step, the crop divider is brought to a height which is above the growth height of the relatively large cultivated-plant cohabitants, the contact electrode is brought to a height which is below the crop divider at the growth height of the relatively large cultivated-plant cohabitants and above the height of the cultivated plants, the crop divider together with the contact electrode is moved through the field and the contact electrode comes into contact with the relatively large cultivated-plant cohabitants in the process and they are weakened or destroyed as a result, wherein, in a second step following the first step, the crop divider is brought to a height which is below the growth height of the cultivated plants and above the growth height of the relatively small cultivated-plant cohabitants, the contact electrode is brought to a height which is below the crop divider at the growth height of the relatively small cultivated-plant cohabitants, the crop divider together with the contact electrode is moved through the field and the contact electrode comes into contact with the relatively small cultivated-plant cohabitants in the process and they are weakened or destroyed as a result.

4. A device for controlling cultivated-plant cohabitants in a field of cultivated plants, comprising: a crop divider comprising two lateral sides, wherein the lateral sides converge at a tip, a contact electrode, wherein the contact electrode is situated below the crop divider and is situated on a side of the crop divider that is opposite the tip of the crop divider, wherein the crop divider is configured for fastening to a vehicle at a height which is above a growth height of the cultivated-plant cohabitants and below a growth height of the cultivated plants.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising a sensor for detecting a cultivated plant which is nearing the contact electrode during movement.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising an actuator which applies a voltage between the contact electrode and a counter electrode once the sensor detects a cultivated-plant cohabitant which is nearing the contact electrode.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein the contact electrode is variable in its extent transversely to a direction of movement.

8. The device of claim 4, wherein the contact electrode has a central part and two side parts, wherein the side parts are configured to be folded out and protrude beyond the lateral sides of the crop divider when folded out.

9. The device of claim 4, wherein a length of the contact electrode is variable.

10. A vehicle for controlling cultivated-plant cohabitants in a field of cultivated plants, comprising: a crop divider comprising two lateral sides, wherein the lateral sides converge at a tip, a contact electrode, a voltage source and a counter electrode, wherein the crop divider is adjustable in height and the contact electrode is situated below the crop divider and is situated on a side of the crop divider that is opposite the tip of the crop divider.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, further comprising a sensor unit for ascertaining a growth height of the cultivated plants and/or the cultivated-plant cohabitants.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, further comprising a height-adjustment unit for automatic height adjustment of the crop divider and/or the contact electrode.

13. The vehicle of claim 10, comprising the device according of claim 4.

14. The device of claim 4, wherein the device is configured to control plant cohabitants in a field of cultivated plants, wherein the cultivated-plant cohabitants have a lower growth height than the cultivated plants.

15. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the vehicle is configured to control plant cohabitants in a field of cultivated plants, wherein the cultivated-plant cohabitants have a lower growth height than the cultivated plants.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] The invention is described in detail below with reference to figures, without wishing to restrict the invention to the features and combinations of features that are shown in the figures.

[0062] In the figures:

[0063] FIG. 1 shows schematically (a) a frontal view, (b) a first side view, (c) the underside, (d) a second side view, (e) a rear view and (f) a top view of one embodiment of a crop divider.

[0064] FIG. 2 shows schematically (a) a frontal view, (b) a first side view, (c) the underside, (d) a second side view, (e) a rear view and (f) a top view of the crop divider (10) from FIG. 1 together with a contact electrode.

[0065] FIG. 3 shows schematically (a) a frontal view, (b) a first side view, (c) the underside, (d) a second side view, (e) a rear view and (f) a top view of the crop divider (10) from FIG. 1 together with a contact electrode.

[0066] FIG. 4 shows schematically the crop divider (10) with the contact electrode (20) from FIG. 3.

[0067] FIG. 5 shows schematically the crop divider (10) with the contact electrode (20) from FIG. 2.

[0068] FIG. 6 shows schematically (a) a frontal view, (b) a first side view, (c) the underside, (d) a second side view, (e) a rear view and (f) a top view of the crop divider (10) from FIG. 1 together with a contact electrode.

[0069] FIG. 7 shows schematically (a) a side view and (b) a frontal view of a vehicle according to the invention.

[0070] FIG. 8 (a)-(b) shows schematically the use of a crop divider together with a contact electrode in controlling a cultivated-plant cohabitant in a population of cultivated plants.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0071] FIG. 1 shows schematically (a) a frontal view, (b) a first side view, (c) the underside, (d) a second side view, (e) a rear view and (f) a top view of one embodiment of a crop divider.

[0072] The crop divider (10) comprises two lateral sides (11, 11′) which converge at a tip (12). The base (13) is situated on the side opposite the tip.

[0073] FIG. 2 shows schematically (a) a frontal view, (b) a first side view, (c) the underside, (d) a second side view, (e) a rear view and (f) a top view of the crop divider (10) from FIG. 1 together with a contact electrode.

[0074] The contact electrode (20) is situated below the crop divider (10). The contact electrode (20) is furthermore situated on a side (base 13) opposite the tip (12) of the crop divider (10). The contact electrode (20) can be fastened to the crop divider. The contact electrode (20) comprises three flexible metal strips.

[0075] FIG. 3 shows schematically (a) a frontal view, (b) a first side view, (c) the underside, (d) a second side view, (e) a rear view and (f) a top view of the crop divider (10) from FIG. 1 together with a contact electrode.

[0076] The contact electrode (20) is situated below the crop divider (10). The contact electrode (20) is furthermore situated on a side (base 13) opposite the tip (12) of the crop divider (10). The contact electrode (20) can be fastened to the crop divider. The contact electrode (20) is designed as a grid or matting; it comprises three parts, a base part (21) and two side parts (22, 22′). The side parts (22, 22′) are outwardly foldable; in FIG. 3, they are folded in.

[0077] FIG. 4 shows schematically the crop divider (10) with the contact electrode (20) from FIG. 3. The side parts (22, 22′) are outwardly foldable; in FIG. 4, they are folded out to the sides, and so a larger electrode area is formed.

[0078] FIG. 5 shows schematically the crop divider (10) with the contact electrode (20) from FIG. 2. Guiding flanks (30, 30′) are attached to the lateral sides (11, 11′) of the crop divider (10). Between the guiding flanks, it is possible to provide a light barrier which registers whether a plant is situated between the flanks.

[0079] FIG. 6 shows schematically (a) a frontal view, (b) a first side view, (c) the underside, (d) a second side view, (e) a rear view and (f) a top view of the crop divider (10) from FIG. 1 together with a contact electrode.

[0080] The contact electrode (20) comprises three metal strips which are each rolled onto a reel (23). The length of the contact electrode can be reduced by winding the metal strips onto the reels; the length of the contact electrode can be increased by unwinding the metal strips from the reels.

[0081] FIG. 7 shows schematically (a) a side view and (b) a frontal view of a vehicle according to the invention.

[0082] According to some embodiments, the vehicle according to the invention moves through the field on wheels (65). Mounted in the front region of the vehicle is a cantilever (90) to which two crop dividers (10) and two contact electrodes (20) are attached. These are the crop dividers (10) and contact electrodes (20) from FIG. 2. The crop dividers (10) and contact electrodes (20) are arranged spaced apart from one another and next to one another, and extend transversely (at an angle of 90° in the present case) to the direction of movement and perpendicularly to gravity.

[0083] The vehicle comprises a voltage source (70). The contact electrodes (20) are connected to the voltage source (70) via cables (75). The vehicle comprises a counter electrode (80) which is in contact with the ground as a sliding electrode. The counter electrode is likewise connected to the voltage source (70) via cables (73). It is conceivable that the cantilever (90) is height-adjustable, so that the crop dividers (10) can be brought to a height which is above the growth height of the cultivated-plant cohabitants and below the growth height of the cultivated plants. The contact electrodes are then situated below the crop divider at the growth height of the cultivated-plant cohabitants.

[0084] FIG. 8 shows schematically the use of a crop divider (10) together with a contact electrode (20) in controlling a cultivated-plant cohabitant (50) in a population of cultivated plants (40). The crop divider (10) and the contact electrode (20) are those from FIG. 2. In FIG. 8(a), it can be seen that the cultivated-plant cohabitant (50) has a growth height of H.sub.K, which is lower than the growth height of the surrounding cultivated plants H.sub.G.

[0085] In FIG. 8(b), it can be seen that the crop divider (10) is brought to a height which is lower than the growth height H.sub.G of the cultivated plants, but is greater than the growth height H.sub.K of the cultivated-plant cohabitant. The contact electrode (20) is situated below the crop divider (10) at the level of the growth height of the cultivated-plant cohabitant.

[0086] In FIG. 8(b), it can be seen that the crop divider together with the contact electrode (20) is moving forward out of the picture and, in doing so, is guiding the cultivated plants (40) to the side and past the contact electrode (20). The cultivated-plant cohabitant (50) having the lower growth height H.sub.K is not swept away by the crop divider (10). It comes into contact with the contact electrode (20).