Abstract
A method for growing plants includes both a seeder and a harvester both of which include arrangements for singulating the seeds and for measuring parameters of the seeds while singulated. This can be used for seeding selected seeds and for harvesting particular plants. The system operates by correlating information from the individual seeded seeds and from the harvested seeds in respect of a particular location on the growth medium and may include information relating the growth medium at the location. The location can be determined by seeding the plants in patterns which can be detected by a reader on the harvester. The system can be used to control selection of seeds to take into account soil conditions at the plant.
Claims
1. A method for growing crops in a growth medium comprising: on a harvesting machine harvesting elements from crops in the growth medium; using a common threshing system to separate the harvested elements from other crop material; collecting the harvested elements from the common threshing system as a common supply of the separated harvested elements; causing relative movement between the growth medium and the harvesting machine; wherein there is provided a device for singulating the harvested elements from the common supply into a singulated stream of the harvested elements so that each harvested element is singulated from the other harvested elements into a singulated stream of the harvested elements for measurement, using a sensing system to measure at least one property of each of the singulated elements independently of the other singulated elements while in the singulated stream; dividing some of the singulated elements from others of the singulated elements into a separate path based on the property sensed; and planting seeds from at least some of the collected elements in said growth medium.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the divided elements are directed to separate storage containers carried on the transport arrangement.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sensing system comprises a device that receives a particule flux from each singulated element and performs the measurement which includes one or more of phontons, electrons, neutrons, atoms, ions, molecules, or any combination of the aforesaid.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sensing system operates to obtain said at least one property from each singulated element which contains at least one quality parameter of each collected element which is analyzed to provide a classification of the collected elements.
5. The method according to claim 1 wherein a sensing system uses said least one property from each singulated element to identify the crop plant from which the harvested element is harvested.
6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sensing system uses said least one property from each singulated element to identify a location from which the harvested element is harvested.
7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sensing system uses said least one property from each singulated element to generate summary statistics of at least one measured property of the singulated elements in relation to one or more of a time the singulated element was harvested, a location the singulated element was harvested, a plant the singulated element was harvested from, a condition of the growth medium the singulated element was harvested from, or a stored property of a seed relating to the singulated element.
8. The method according to claim 1 wherein crops are planted on said growth medium at set locations in a pattern related to different locations in the growth medium and during harvesting detecting the pattern in the crops and determing a location on the growth medium by analyzing pattern.
9. The method according to claim 8 including dividing some of the singulated elements from others based on a location of the harvested plant.
10. The method according to claim 1 wherein said least one property from each singulated element in a sequence of singluated elements placed on the growth medium is stored along with information about the location the seeds were placed.
11. The method according to claim 1 including identifying a plant from a seed placed at a location on the growth medium and separating some of the singulated elements from others based on the identity of the plant.
12. The method according to claim 1 including an input by which end users communicate quality requirements and the singulated elements are divided into the separate paths using said least one property from each singulated element by changing classification criteria of said at least one property dedicated to the communicated quality requirements of the end user.
13. The method according to claim 1 including detecting phenotype parameters of the crops in advance of said harvesting.
14. A method according to claim 1 including detecting parameters of the growth medium with a sensor device mounted on the harvesting machine at a surface of the growth medium or sub-surface; and dividing some of the harvested elements from others of the harvested elements into a separate path based on the parameters sensed.
15. The method according to claim 1 wherein the singulated elements which are divided from others are weed seeds which are diverted to a weed seed bin.
16. The method according to claim 1 wherein there is provided an auxiliary harvesting unit to harvest separately elements on said growth medium taken from a selected plant or area based on one or more of seed, phenotype, location of the selected plant.
17. The method for growing crops in a growth medium comprising: on a harvesting machine harvesting machine harvesting elements from crops in the growth medium; causing relative movement between the growth medium and the harvesting machine; wherein there is provided a device for singulating the harvested elements into a singulated stream of the harvested elements so that each harvested element is singulated from the other harvested elements into a singulated stream of the harvested elements for measurement, using a sensing system to measure at least one property of each the singulated elements indepently of the other harvested elements while in the singulated stream; dividing some of the singulated elements from others of the singulated elements into a separate path based on the property sensed; and planting seeds from at least some of the collected elements in said growth medium; wherein the sensing system comprises a device that receives a particle flux from each singulated element and performs the measurement which includes one or more of photons, electrons, neutrons, atoms, ions, molecules, or any combination of the aforesaid.
18. The method for growing crops in a growth medium comprising: on a harvesting machine harvesting elements from crops in the growth medium; causing relative movement between the growth medium and the harvesting machine; wherein there is provided a device for singulating the harvested elements into a singulated stream of the harvested elements so that each harvested element is singulated from the other harvested elements into a singulated stream of the harvested elements for measurement, using a sensing system to measure at least one property of each the singulated elements independently of the other harvested elements while in the singulated stream; dividing some of the singulated elements from others of the singulated elements into a separate path based on the property sensed; and planting seeds from at least some of the collected elements in said growth medium; and identifying a plant from a seed placed at a location on the growth medium and separating some of the singulated elements from others based on the identity of the plant.
19. A method for growing crops in a growth medium comprising: on a harvesting machine harvesting elements from crops in the growth medium; causing relative movement between the growth medium and the harvesting machine; wherein there is provided a device for singulating the harvested elements into a singulated stream of the harvested elements so that each harvested element is singulated from the other harvested elements into a singulated stream of the harvested elements for measurement, using a sensing system to measure at least one property of each the signulated elements independently of the other harvested elements while in the singulated stream; dividing some of the singulated elements from others of the singulated elements into a separate path based on the property sensed; and planting seeds from at least some of the collected elements in said growth medium; wherein there is provided an input by which end users communicate qauality requirements and the singulated elements are divided into the separate paths using said least one property from each singulated element by changing classification criteria of said at least one property dedicated to the communicate quality requirements of the end user.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a seeding apparatus according to the present invention.
(3) FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a seed sorting apparatus showing a method of particle singulation according to the present invention.
(4) FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the apparatus of FIG. 2.
(5) FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C show vertical cross-sectional views through the separating device of the apparatus of FIGS. 2 and 3.
(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of the singulation and transfer devices of FIG. 1.
(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a second embodiment of the singulation and transfer devices of FIG. 1.
(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a further embodiment of the singulation and transfer devices of FIG. 1.
(9) FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a yet further embodiment of the singulation and transfer devices of FIG. 1.
(10) FIG. 9 is a flow chart of the harvesting system.
(11) FIG. 10A illustrates a scheme for encoding position information in a pattern with two types of seeds.
(12) FIG. 10B illustrates the ground area allocated to plants in prior art row seeding.
(13) FIG. 10C illustrates a scheme for efficient placement of seeds.
(14) FIG. 10D illustrates a scheme for encoding position information in a pattern with two types of seeds.
(15) FIG. 10E illustrates a scheme for encoding position information in a pattern with one type of seeds using a transverse wave.
(16) FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of a seeding apparatus according to the present invention which creates and uses an intermediate substrate to apply controlled amounts and locations of seeds and other materials to the ground or other growth medium in a controlled pattern.
(17) FIG. 12 shows an arrangement in which a longitudinally continuous substrate comprised of two layers carrying seeds, fertilizer and other materials such as a measurement device is applied to the ground as a strip.
(18) FIG. 13 shows an arrangement in which a longitudinally continuous substrate comprised of a braided tube carrying seeds, fertilizer and other materials is applied to the ground as a strip.
(19) FIG. 14 shows an arrangement in which a longitudinally continuous substrate comprised of extruded material carrying seeds, fertilizer and other materials is applied to the ground as a strip.
(20) FIG. 15 shows an arrangement in which a longitudinally continuous substrate comprised of a tape with an adhesive layer carrying seeds, fertilizer and other materials such as fungicide is applied to the ground as a strip.
(21) FIG. 16 shows an alternative construction of the intermediate substrate in the form of a series of separate plug members to be applied individually to the ground.
(22) FIG. 17 shows an arrangement for applying the plugs of FIG. 18 to the ground at different positions in three orthogonal directions.
(23) FIGS. 18A to 18E show a series of steps in applying seeds and fertilizer to the growth medium using an application plunger which enters the ground and leaves the seed and fertilizer with a portion of the application device which remains in the ground.
(24) FIG. 19 shows separate stations of a filling station carried on the seeder where the application device is filled from supplies of the seeds and fertilizer carried on the seeder.
(25) FIGS. 20A and 20B show in enlarged view two embodiments of the application plunger of FIGS. 18A to 18E.
(26) FIG. 21 is a schematic illustration of a harvester using the arrangements described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(27) In FIG. 1 is shown a seeding apparatus 100 which includes a frame 101 on wheels 102 for transport across ground to be seeded. The frame carries one or more tool bars 103 with attached tools for preparing the soil 104, opening the soil 105 and soil closing 106. The soil opener may be a coulter for example. The specific construction of the ground engaging components is not part of the present invention and different arrangements known in the art can be used. The apparatus has a location detection device 107 and a soil sensor 108 in communication with a control device 109. The location detection device may for example be a radio receiver that operates by comparing signals from multiple beacons at known location. The beacons may be GPS satellites. Better accuracy can be achieved if the beacons are located at reference points around the field being seeded. The location detection device may also operate by laser interferometry. The soil sensor measures one or more soil parameters which may include depth, texture, moisture, organic material, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and trace elements. Alternately, the soil sensor may measure infrared reflectance from the soil to infer composition. The soil sensor may detect gamma rays from isotopes in the soil to infer elemental abundances. The soil sensor may measure x-ray fluorescence to infer elemental abundances. The soil sensor may measure laser induced breakdown spectra to infer elemental abundances. The soil sensor may measure Raman spectra to infer mineral abundances. The control device 109 may combine three-dimensional location information from a series of measurements or from a previously measured topological map to predict wind, temperature and moisture conditions over a growing season at each location. The control device may further combine the wind, temperature and moisture prediction with measured soil parameters and based at least in part on at least one of the aforementioned factors select seeding parameters for that location. The seeding parameters may include the types of seed applied, the spatial relationship between seeds, and the types and quantities of other substances such as fertilizer placed proximate to each seed.
(28) The apparatus has a plurality of compartments or containers 111, 112 and 113 for containing a plurality of separate seed types and one or more fertilizer materials to be applied to the ground. Thus in the present invention the seeding apparatus includes the storage containers 111 and 112 for seeds and optionally the storage 113 for fertilizer. In some cases only one type of seed is applied. In some cases fertilizing is carried out as a separate operation. In these cases the apparatus may include only a single compartment. The selected material from each compartment is transferred to singulator 120 for separating bulk seed or fertilizer into a stream of individual particles through supply duct 122 by bulk supply regulator 121. The bulk supply regulator may be a valve that controls the aperture of the supply duct. The bulk supply regulator may include sensors (not shown) to measure bulk parameters such as mass flow or volume flow. The bulk supply regulator may include a means to agitate bulk material to facilitate bulk flow. The system can also use a shared singulation system with a valve on each supply to control the bulk rate of each material transferred to the singulator.
(29) The singulation device is shown and described in more detail hereinafter but includes generally a duct 125 along which the seeds pass and a disk 123 forming an assembly for rotating the duct about an axis 124 such that centrifugal forces generated by the rotation act to drive the seed radially outwardly along the duct and to cause pressure on the seed against one side wall of the duct to slide along the wall. Only one duct is shown, but there may be a plurality of singulation ducts 125. As the singulated particle rate from a single duct of the present invention can be more than ten times higher than prior art singulators, a single duct is usually sufficient for seeding applications. The rate limiting factor for the present invention is the power required to operate ground opening and ground closing tools rather than the singulation rate.
(30) This forms a stream of the seeds or fertilizer pellets (collectively particles) at singulated or separated locations along the duct so that they emerge from the end of the duct one after for planting. The stream of particles emerges from the end of the singulator duct 125 at a radius R from the axis of rotation and with a velocity vector dependent on the angular displacement of the singulation duct 125. A conditioning device 128 such as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 operates on the position dependent stream of particles to direct the stream of particles toward one or more exit ports. The stream of particles at the exit port of the conditioning device is directed into a delivery device 129. The delivery device operates to deposit the stream of particles on the soil or substrate. In the simplest embodiment, the delivery device can be a seed tube of conventional design.
(31) The conditioning device may also operate to reduce the variance in the period between consecutive particles. Specifically, the average period T and the variance of the period are related to the size and shape of the particles as well as the shape, friction and rotational velocity of the singulation duct. For example, an ellipsoidal seed like a wheat kernel will initially line up in the singulator with the long axis generally aligned with the duct axis with some variation in the center of mass spacing due to differences in kernel size and inter-kernel contacts along lines that don't correspond with the long axes of the kernels. The separation between kernels increases in proportion to the initial inter-kernel distance as the kernels are accelerated by inertial forces due to rotation of the duct 125. Hence a 10% variation in inter-kernel distances in the bulk will lead to a 10% variation in the period between kernels at the end of the singulator duct 125. The variation in period directly leads to variation in seed placement by the same factor. The conditioning device may operate to reduce the variation in period from for example 10% to 1% by temporarily buffering the particles before release as described in further detail hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.
(32) As shown hereinafter, the disk 123 includes a measurement device 126 for detecting one or more parameters of the seeds and a diverting device 127 for extracting some of the seeds so that only selected ones of the seeds are applied in the seeding action. A control system 109 acts to receive data from the measuring devices and from a location system 107. The control system acts for recording measurements of the seeds relative to time and/or recording measurements of the seeds relative to location on the ground.
(33) The control system can also act for providing information about the ground, either by a previously prepared map related to the location system 107, or by a ground sensor 108 which acts to obtain in real time data about the condition of the ground. This data is used to determine for the actual location of the ground into which the seeds are to be applied to transfer seeds selected types or numbers of seeds to be applied depending on the information.
(34) When the seeder is used to select certain seeds from the supply to reduce the number or to seed selected seeds from the containers 111, 112, the diverting device is operated for diverting selected seeds away from the ground opening device in response to the detecting of at least one parameter of the singulated seeds and to transfer those seeds either back into the singulated stream or back to a storage container which can be the original container.
(35) In particular the system can be operated so that the singulation rate is higher than a minimum required rate of seeds to be applied to the ground so that a replacement seed is available, from the stream or from the stream of the other container or containers, in instances where a first tested seed does not meet a condition to continue to the transfer device and is discarded.
(36) In particular, the first and second separate containers 111, 112 can contain respective seeds with first and second quality parameters and the control device 109 selects which container is used based at least in part on at least one measured parameter of the seeds and/or the ground. Further, detector 126 may measure seed properties and control 109 determines whether measured seed properties match required seed properties for the present seeder location within thresholds. If the properties match, the seed continues to delivery device 129, otherwise the seed is diverted. This feature can be used for example to detect and reject seeds that have deteriorated during storage.
(37) The container 113 and its respective singulation device provides a system for supplying fertilizer pellets and/or powder and/or liquid fertilizer where the volume or the number of fertilizer pellets placed per unit length can be varied to bring the concentration of fertilizer at each location to a desired level.
(38) The apparatus for sorting particles based on a measurable parameter of the particles shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 comprises a supply conduit 10 carrying particles to be sorted from a feed supply 10A (FIG. 3) which supplies the particles in a continuous stream for presentation through the conduit to a rotary body 11 rotatable around an axis 12. In the embodiment shown the rotary body is a flat disk with the axis 12 arranged vertical so that the disk provides an upper horizontal surface onto which the particles 13 are supplied in the stream from the conduit 10. The conduit is arranged at the centre of the disk so that the particles are deposited onto the centre of the position where the disk is rotating but where there is little outward velocity. The kernel velocity at this point is from the flow in the supply conduit 10. The velocity at a point on the disk is v=wr where w is the angular velocity and r is the radius. If kernels are deposited in a region where the change in velocity is too high, they bounce and the flow is chaotic. Kernels are deposited in the central region to minimize the change in velocity.
(39) On the upper surface of the disk forming the rotary body is provided one or more ducts 14 (FIG. 3) each extending from an inner end 15 adjacent the axis outwardly to an outer end 16 spaced at a greater radial distance outwardly from the axis than the inner end. In this embodiment the outer end 16 of the ducts is arranged adjacent to but spaced inwardly from the edge 17 of the disk 11. In this embodiment each duct 14 extends from a position closely adjacent the centre to the periphery 17 of the disk so that the centre the ducts are arranged immediately side by side and the ducts diverge outwardly so that at the outer end 16 they are spaced around the periphery 17.
(40) The inner ends 15 are thus arranged in an array adjacent to the axis so that the supply conduit 10 acts to deposit the particles to be sorted at the inner ends 15 of the ducts for entry of the particles to be sorted into the inner ends. As the inner ends are immediately adjacent at the centre of the disk, the particles there form a pile at the centre which is automatically sorted evenly in to the open mouths of the ducts at their inner ends. Assuming a continuous pile of the particles at the centre, the rotation of the disk will act to evenly sort the particles into the individual ducts in a stream defined by the dimensions of the mouth relative to the dimensions of the particles. At the outset of the path along the duct, the particles will be immediately adjacent or overlapping. However passage of the particles along the duct while they are accelerated by the centrifugal forces will act to spread the particles each from the next to form a line of particles with no overlap. As the forces increase with increasing radial distance from the axis 12, the particles will be increasingly accelerated and thus the distance between particles will increase along the length of the duct. The kernels align with the duct axially in the first part of the duct and the kernel length defines an initial center to center spacing with some variation due to differences in kernel size. The centrifugal acceleration is uniform at a given radius, but the frictional forces for grain kernels vary by about 20%. The frictional forces scale with the Coriolis force F.sub.friction=uN, where u is the coefficient of friction (approximately 0.2-0.25 for wheat kernels), and N is the normal force to duct wall supplied primarily by the Coriolis force. As set out above, the duct can be shaped to minimize the normal force and friction by curving the duct along the line of net force as mentioned in text earlier. Conversely, the particle acceleration can be reduced by curving the duct to increase normal forces, curving the duct to constant or even decreasing radius, or increasing the coefficient of friction of a selected portion of a duct by changing the texture and/or material.
(41) Selection of the length of the duct relative to the size of the particles can be made so that the spacing between each particle and the particle behind can be selected to be a proportion of the length of the particles. The separation between seeds can be increased by increasing the rotation rate, the radial extent of the duct, or both. In the example where the separator is used for seeds, the separation between each seed and the next can be at least equal to the length of the seeds and typically 1.5 or 2.0 times the length of the seed. This separation is sufficient for operations such as measurement and diversion to be performed on individual seeds. Larger separations are possible, but reduce the duty cycle of measurement and increase impact forces in diversion and are thus less preferred.
(42) Thus the ducts are shaped and arranged so that the particles are accelerated as they pass from the inner end to the outer end so as to cause the particles to be aligned one after the other in a row as they move toward the outer end.
(43) The outer ends 16 are arranged in an angularly spaced array at an outer periphery of the rotary body so that the particles of the row of particles in each duct are released by centrifugal force from the disk outwardly from the axis of the disk. The openings all lie in a common radial plane of the disk. The ducts can be formed either as grooves cut into the upper surface of a thicker disk or by additional walls applied on to the top surface of the disk, or two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional shaped guides.
(44) An array 20 of particle separating devices 21 is arranged in an annulus at the outer edge 17 of the disk so that the individual separating devices 21 are arranged at angularly spaced positions around the disk.
(45) Each separating device is operable to direct each particle into one of a plurality of paths as determined by operation of the separating devices. In the example shown the separating devices are arranged to direct the particles upwardly or downwardly relative to the plane of the outlets 16. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4A the separating device 21 can take up an initial intermediate or starting position where the particles are not separated to one direction or the other. As shown in FIG. 4B, the separating device can be moved upwardly so as to direct the particles downwardly into a path 22 for collection within a collecting chamber 25. Similarly when the separating device is moved to a lowered position as shown in FIG. 4C, the particles are moved upwardly over the top of the separating device along a path 24 for collection within a chamber 23. The two paths 22 and 24 are separated by a guide plate 26 which ensures that the particles move to one or other of the chambers 23, 25.
(46) In order to control the separating devices 21, there is provided a measuring system generally indicated at 28 which is used to measure a selected parameter or parameters of the particles as those particles move from the end of the duct at the edge of the disk toward the separating devices. The measuring devices are carried on a mounting ring 28A.
(47) The measuring system can be of any suitable type known in this industry for example optical measuring systems which detect certain optical characteristics of the particles to determine the particular parameters required to be measured. Other measuring systems can also be used since the type of system to be used and the parameters to be selected are not part of the present invention.
(48) In a typical example, the analysis of the particles relates to the presence of degradation of the seed due to disease and this can often be detected optically for example using the systems and disclosed in the prior U.S. Pat. No. 8,227,719 of the present inventor, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference or may be referenced for further detail.
(49) Each separating device 21 is associated with a respective detecting device 28, which may include multiple detecting components, operable to measure the parameter of the particles and in response to the parameters measured by the associated detecting device, the respective or separating device is operated to select the path 22 or the path 24.
(50) It will be appreciated that the number of paths can be modified to include more than two paths if required depending upon the parameters to be measured. Such selection to an increased number of paths can be carried out by providing subsequent separating devices 21 positioned downstream of the initial separation. In this way one or both of the paths can be divided into two or more subsidiary paths with all of the separating devices being controlled by a control system 29 receiving the data from the measuring device is 28.
(51) The disk 11 thus has a front face 30 facing the supply conduit and the ducts 14 lie in a radial plane of the disk and extend outwardly from the axis to a periphery 17 of the disk 11.
(52) As shown in FIG. 2, the ducts 14 are curved so that the outer end 16 is angularly retarded relative to the inner end 15. This forms a side surface 14B of each duct which is angularly retarded relative to the direction of rotation in the counter clockwise direction as shown at D. This curvature of the ducts is arranged to follow substantially the Coriolis and centrifugal forces so that the particles follow along the duct without excessive pressure against either side wall of the duct. However the shape of the duct is arranged so that the Coriolis forces tend to drive the particle against the downstream side 14B of the duct 14.
(53) As shown best in FIG. 2, the ducts 14 are immediately side by side at the inner ends 15 adjacent the axis and increase in spacing toward the outer ends 16. At the inner ends 15 the ducts are immediately side by side so that the maximum number of ducts is provided by the maximum number of openings 15. The number of ducts can be increased, in an arrangement not shown, where the ducts include branches so that each duct divides along its length into one or more branches.
(54) In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, the detection device 28 and the separating device 21 are both located within the periphery 17 of the disk. In this way the particles are guided as they pass from the outer end of the ducts to the array of separating devices.
(55) As best shown in the FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C, each separating device comprises a separating head 40 having a front edge 41 lying generally in a radial plane of the disk 11 so that particles released from the outer ends 16 move toward the front edge 41. The separating head 40 includes the inclined guide surfaces 42 and 43 on respective sides of the front edge 41. In this way the separating head 40 is generally wedge shaped. The separating head is mounted on a lever 44 mounted inside a tube 45 so that the lever and the actuating mechanism for the lever are protected inside the tube which is located behind and protected by the separator head. An actuator 46 is provided for moving the front edge 41 between first and second positions above and below the radial plane 47 defined by the path of the particle 13. Thus in FIG. 4A a central and neutral position is shown. In FIG. 4B the front edge 41 has moved upwardly which is arranged to direct the particle to a side of the radial plane below the radial plane. In the position shown in FIG. 4C, the front edge is moved downwardly to a second side of the radial plane and is arranged to direct the particle to the first or upper side of the radial plane. This movement of the wedge shaped head and its front edge requires little movement of the front edge 41 and uses the momentum of the particle itself to cause the separation simply by the particle sliding over the guide surfaces 42 and 43. The separation head therefore does not need to move into impact with the particle or to generate transverse forces on the particle since the head merely needs to move into position allowing the particle to generate the required separation forces.
(56) In view of the provision of the lever, the actuator 46 required to generate only small distance movements and hence can be moved by piezo electric members. Alternatively the movements can be carried out by a small electromagnetic coil. This design allows the use of components which can generate the necessary high-speed action to take up the two positions of FIGS. 4B and 4C sufficiently quickly to accommodate high-speed movement of the particles. As shown the actuator 46 is located outward of the separating head and lies in a radial plane of the separating head.
(57) The arrangement of the present invention therefore provides a system for separation of the particles, for example kernels, where the particles are supplied in a feed zone and are separated by the ducts and the inlet of the ducts so as to form a plurality of streams of the particles.
(58) As shown in FIG. 8, there is shown a seeding system generally indicated at 400 including a seeding tool bar 401 on which is mounted a series of individual planting devices 402. Each planter 402 is fed with seeds by a transfer duct system 403 which is fed with seeds from a separator 404 generally as described above where a hopper 405 supplies seeds to the separator.
(59) Thus the measurement and separation system of the present invention is used on the seeding or planting apparatus 400 to sort seeds according to measured parameters related to viability so that seeds most likely to produce viable plants are planted and less viable seeds are used for other purposes. The present invention can be used to sort seeds according to size as detected by a sensor 406 for compatibility with planting devices. The sensor 406 can be used to count seeds so that a specified number can be planted or packaged. The arrangement also provides a rapid stream of singulated seeds separated by the separator 407 of known quality and number in a planting device. Because the number of singulated seeds per second provided by the present invention is much higher than prior art, a farmer can seed more acres per hour.
(60) Also as shown schematically in FIG. 8, the separation of the particles at separator 407 can be carried out using electrostatic forces where the particles are charged differentially according to selected parameters and then passed through an electric field 412 so that the differential charging causes the particles to divert to different paths.
(61) As shown in FIG. 5 there is a simple transfer system which the singulated seeds in the stream from duct 125 on disk 123 are discharged into a container 140 surrounding the disk so that the seeds flow in the singulated stream out from a bottom opening 131 through a duct 129 to the ground engaging component 104. This system does not provide any measurement of the parameters of the seeds and acts only as a high speed singulator.
(62) As shown in FIG. 6, the seeds from the bottom of the duct 129 are fed instead to a transfer member 130 in the form of a belt 132 with compartments 133 for containing the seeds and carrying them to the ground behind a ground opener 137 in this case defined by a coulter. The belt can be of the type known as a brush belt where bristles on the belt form an array of locations or individual receptacles for the seeds. The transfer member 130 acts for transferring the singulated seeds to or behind the ground opening device for placement in the opened ground. In this case the transfer device defined by the belt can operate at different speeds of transfer by a motor controller 134 controlled by an encoder 135.
(63) Thus in this arrangement the singulation device acts to singulate to spacings between the seeds having different lengths due to the fact that the seeds are not accurately carried from the duct 125 and through the duct 129. This causes some uncontrolled changes in spacing.
(64) In order to overcome this non-regular spacing, the transfer member or belt operates at timed different timed intervals to change the difference between the spacings either to reduce the difference or to intentionally place the seeds at uneven intervals on the substrate. That is the transfer device comprises a belt with receptacles for the seeds wherein the belt is driven at different forwarding speed to change intervals. The spacings between the seeds are measured by a sensing system which can be provided by the measurement device 126 or by simple optical detectors past which the seeds flow. This spacing is then communicated to the controller which controls the speed of the belt 132.
(65) Also as shown in FIG. 6, the belt 132 wraps around a drive roller 136 so that the belt moves opposite to the direction D of forward movement of the seeder. In this way the transfer device is arranged such that the velocity of a seed exiting the transfer device is approximately equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the relative velocity D between the ground opening device 137 and the ground.
(66) As shown in FIG. 7 the transfer device generally shown at 139 comprises a funnel 140 feeding into a slot or gate 141 that feeds particles into a pocket 143 shaped to direct particles toward a back wall of pocket 143 by acceleration of actuator 146. The particles are constrained to remain in the pocket during transit from feeding slot 141 to exit port 142 by casement 145. Particles or seeds are discharged from exit port 142 for seeding via seed tube 150. The acceleration of actuator 146 may be rotational as shown or linear (not shown). The rotational speed of the actuator (in revolutions per second) is the particle or seed rate in Hz divided by the number of pockets. The angular range of a pocket 147 is chosen in combination with the particle rate such that singulated particles from channel 125 on disk 123 each fall into a different pocket. Particles are released from channel 125 in a sequence with a constant average period, but with random phase with respect to required particle placement timing requirements. Frictional forces broaden the probability of a particle arriving at slot 141 with time. The transfer device 139 functions to reduce the width of the particle probability function and to shift the phase for synchronization of particle placement as illustrated at 149. Seed tube 150 is arranged to translate in two orthogonal directions. The motion of the seed tube and the velocity of the actuator is coordinated by a controller (not shown) to deliver seeds at any chosen position on the ground or growth substrate (within the range of motion).
(67) A flow chart for the logic at each translation step of the harvest sort system (HSS) is given in FIG. 9. For simplicity a connection to local information storage and external information exchange is denoted by a circle.
(68) The HSS as shown takes sensor measurements of weather, substrate, crop phenotype and location at each step. The weather information may be used immediately to, for example, adjust the cutter parameters to changes in straw texture with temperature and humidity. Secondly the weather information can be correlated with crop quality parameters and used to predict optimal harvest conditions for future crops. The substrate sensor information can be compared with substrate information collected during seeding operations to assess changes in the substrate composition during the growing season. The changes in substrate composition can be used to improve the agronomic model and determine required fertilizer inputs for future crops. The phenotype sensor measures plants immediately in front of the harvester unit and the data is analyzed to provide information about each plant in the field of view. Information about the type of plant may be combined with location information from a location sensor reading external beacons such as GPS or local field beacons to infer position relative to known seed locations with high accuracy. The location sensor establishes a search region for a pattern of plant phenotypes and the pattern of plant phenotypes within the region is compared with patterns stored by a seeding operation to identify the location of the harvester relative to the stored locations of individual seeds as for example shown in the following FIGS. 10A, 10D and 10E and from the patterns identify the provenance of each plant. That is the system can use position within a pattern to look up properties of each seed placed in a prior seeding operation using the system of the present invention. The harvester may on a plant by plant basis retrieve information about the properties of the seed that produced the plant, properties of the substrate the seed was placed in, phenotypic properties of the plant, and details of the agricultural inputs used with the plant. This information may be combined with weather information from the growing season to improve the agronomic model for subsequent seeding operations. The phenotypic properties of the each plant may be correlated with properties of elements harvested from said plant. The harvested may use the correlation to select the means used for harvesting each plant. As discussed herein after (FIG. 21), the harvested may select an auxiliary harvester to harvest individual plants or a general harvester to harvest those plants not individually selected. The properties of crop elements individually harvested plants may be directly correlated with the seed that produced the plant, the plant phenotype, agricultural inputs, weather, and substrate properties. The properties of crop elements in the general harvest can be statistically linked to the properties of the plants within the general harvest region at a given time of harvest. These features of the present invention are very useful for breeding crop types well suited to each location in a field. The harvester of the present invention harvests both crop material and information.
(69) The harvest sort system preferably uses the singulation and sorting system shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 to singulate and individually measure each harvested crop element. The harvested crop elements may be diverted to separate bins based on location in the field, properties of the harvested crop element, or both. Selected harvested crop elements may be directed directly to a seeding operation of the present invention. Alternately, stored crop elements may be directed to a seeding operation by a seeder of any type at a later date.
(70) A client may have contracted a set of assigned locations from a prior planting operation with the present invention and the harvester places crop elements from those assigned locations in a separate bin or bins for the client. A client may specify a set of property requirements for harvested crop elements (or the harvested plants) and the harvester directs crop elements meeting the client requirements to bins assigned to the client. The harvester may provide the client with real time information about fulfillment of contracted volumes or properties via a network connection.
(71) The harvest sort system shown in FIGS. 9 and 21 can in principle provide the operator with real time information about each individual crop element harvested. In practice the operator receives statistics about the number, volume or mass of crop particles that fall within each operator designated property class. The operator may for example use the information to adjust class parameters to meet marketing requirements. The operator may coordinate the operation of multiple harvesting units at geographically separated locations to collect crop elements from each location that meet a property criterion.
(72) FIGS. 10A to 10E show a method for growing crops where, during the seeding, the seeds are placed in different patterns in the growth medium where the patterns define respective different locations in the growth medium. This pattern system can be used at a later proceed by any reader to identify accurately the location on the growth medium. Thus GPS can be used to identify a general area which might be of the order of 1 meter in area and subsequent to seeding in patterns in the area so defined, the system operates for identifying the different locations by reading the different patterns.
(73) The pattern can be one dimensional in either the transverse or longitudinal direction or more preferably is two dimensional in both the transverse and longitudinal direction to determine a specific location in the substrate.
(74) FIG. 10A shows a possible position encoding pattern with two types of plants. One period of a waveform is shown. The upper curve consists only of plants of a first type 801 and the lower curve includes one plant of a second type 802. The number of plants of type 802 and their position in a waveform may be used to distinguish one curve from another transverse to the direction of the waveforms 803. A pattern of plant of type 802 may also be used to indicate the phase of a waveform. A sensor on the harvester collects data and a computation means analyses the data to generate plant generate an internal representation of plant positions and phenotypes to shown schematically in FIG. 10A. The computation means then compares the measured pattern and stored seeding patterns and finds the best match. The computation means next assigns a seed from the stored seed positions to each plant in the pattern. The computation means also identifies seeds that failed to germinate by analysing the sequence of plants for gaps. The computation means may further analyse the phenotype properties, associated seed properties and measured location properties to provide information that improves the predictive accuracy of the agronomic model.
(75) FIG. 10B shows a schematic representation of the area allocated to each seed in prior art row seeders. The seeds are close together in the row direction and farther apart transverse to the row direction. This means that each plant is crowded in the row direction and needs to extend further to access solar insolation or soil resources in the transverse direction. FIG. 100 shows an alternative seeding scheme based on hexagonal close packing made possible by the present invention. The plants in the hexagonal packing scheme are able to use resources more efficiently.
(76) FIG. 10D shows a schematic representation of a modified hexagonal close packed encoding method with two types of plants. The first type is read as an A and the second type is read as a B along the axis indicated. The unique sequence is compared with stored sequences to find the best match. Once a match is found, the identity of each seed in the sequence can be determined and the properties of each said seed retrieved for analysis as described above. Further, the identity of seeds that produced plants surrounding the unique sequence can be determined by counting the number of lattice intervals between a reference plant and an unknown plant along each lattice axis.
(77) FIG. 10E shows an encoding method that can be used with a single type of plant based on a modified hexagonal close packed scheme. A triangle wave with wavelength and two layers is shown running from A to B and a second wave with two layers is shown running from A to B offset by . The phase difference / can be used to distinguish between layers transverse to the wave axis. The position of each seed is uniquely determined by its phase within the wave and relative to a reference point. Although the wavelengths of the two waves shown are equal in the diagram, the wavelengths need not be equal. One way to define a reference point is to arrange plant waves with different wavelengths to have common phase along a line transverse to the wave axis. Alternately, the reference point may be an external marker or beacon.
(78) As shown in FIG. 11 an arrangement to deposit singulated particles from the singulation system on an intermediate substrate or carrier is provided. The intermediate substrate material functions to preserve spatial relationships between and among particles so deposited. A sensor measures one or more properties of the growth substrate or ground and the property information is used by a modeler module to predict crop properties for a plurality of trial particle arrangements and select a particle arrangement or prescription based on input data from the operator. The modeler invokes the agronomic modeler for each trial particle arrangement. The operator may, for example, specify that wheat, canola and peas are to be intercropped and request the modeler choose fertilizer inputs and seed locations for each type that maximizes the combined economic value if weather conditions are average. Alternately the operator may seek to minimize the effect of flooding or drought by selecting seed types and locations that produce minimal variance in total crop value over a wide range of weather conditions. The control unit generates signals to a substrate former and units to place seed, fertilizer and other inputs on the intermediate substrate according to the prescription from the modeler. The intermediate substrate material may be deposited on the ground or growth substrate at a later second time by a ground applicator in a manner that substantially transfers the spatial arrangement of particles on the intermediate substrate to the arrangement of the particles on the ground or growth substrate. For example, if seeds are transferred to an intermediate substrate at an interval of 10 mm, then the intermediate substrate is deposited on soil in a manner that the interval between seeds is also 10 mm. The intermediate substrate is subsequently placed on the ground by the ground applicator.
(79) The substrate sensor of FIG. 11 may consist of one or more instruments that scan the substrate with spatial resolution on the scale of the root zone or canopy zone of a crop plant. The substrate sensor may measure the infrared spectrum and the raw spectrum is analyzed to provide information about the concentrations of water, nitrogen and phosphorous containing compounds in the soil or growth substrate. The substrate sensor may measure the dielectric response of the substrate to provide information about the moisture content. The substrate sensor may measure the Raman spectrum to provide information about minerals in the substrate. The substrate sensor may measure gamma rays from isotopes in the soil and analyze the intensity and energy to infer the concentrations of elements in the soil. The radio nucleide gamma emitters may be naturally occurring or generated, for example by neutron activation. The substrate sensor may measure laser induced breakdown spectra (LIBS) and the spectra are analyzed to provide information about the concentrations of elements in the substrate. The substrate sensor may transmit radio waves or acoustic waves and measure the reflections. The reflections are analyzed to provide information about the soil structure. The substrate sensor may be a camera and the images are analyzed to provide information about the number and size of stones or the quantity and type of crop residue. The information from the sensor or sensors is used by the agronomic model to predict the nutrition available to plants at the location. The modeler predicts plant growth with different choices of seed type and arrangement together with different choices of fertilizer and other agricultural agents at the location and selects the combination that best meets operator requirements.
(80) FIGS. 12 to 15 show arrangements in which a longitudinally continuous substrate carrying seeds, fertilizer and other materials such as fungicide is applied to the ground as a strip. The intermediate substrate may be comprised, for example from materials such as polylactic acid, cellulose acetate, or similar materials. The term fertilizer used herein can of course relate to a crop growth enhancement material which can be used in this system. The materials applied as shown include the seed, fertilizer and a component which acts to control diffusion of the fertilizer toward the seeds. The fertilizer reservoirs can be located in different locations relative to the seed so as to temporally regulate the fertilizer available to the seed, in some cases using different materials at the different locations. For example, the distance between seed and fertilizer (or the diffusion constant of the material) can be varied according to expected or actual water availability. The intermediate carrier can include a barrier to diffusion to keep the material within the area of the seeds and to define a path for diffusion from a fertilizer reservoir and seed. The details of the seed and fertilizer arrangement may vary from location to location according to agronomic modeling for each location using sensor information from each location.
(81) In FIG. 12 the intermediate substrate is comprised of two layers 911 and 912 each fed over a roller 913 with sprockets to engage holes 914. The holes 914 serve as registration marks for guiding the intermediate substrate to a specified location on the growth substrate. Seeds 906, fertilizer 903 and other material 909 such as a measurement device are placed on first layer 911 at positions and quantifies determined by the agronomic algorithm based on at least one measured property for the location where the intermediate substrate is to be placed. The second layer 912 is placed over the first to hold the materials deposited in position.
(82) FIG. 13 shows an arrangement in which seeds 906 and other materials are confined at discrete positions by a variable diameter tube comprised of material 915 that is braided continuously to enclose the seeds. The material may be cellulose or nylon based for example. The intermediate substrate is selected so that it provides physical protection to the seeds.
(83) FIG. 14 shows an arrangement in which the intermediate substrate is composed of a material 917 that increases viscosity following extrusion from nozzle 916. Seeds 906 and other materials are added while the substrate material is in a low viscosity state and become entrained in the flow. The seeds and other materials are held in place for deposition on the growth substrate as the intermediate substrate material increases viscosity and hardens. The intermediate substrate material can for example be a thermosetting polymer which may be of the type which is UV cured for rapid operation. Preferably the polymer is biodegradable. In some embodiments the fertilizer and other materials may be injected into the intermediate substrate material in solution form immediately prior to extrusion at concentrations specific to each seed and location.
(84) FIG. 15 shows an arrangement wherein a tape material 923 with an adhesive coating 924 is dispensed and seeds 906 and fertilizer 903 or other materials are placed onto and held in place by the adhesive material. The tape material may be cellulose for example. Each seed or other material may be placed at arbitrary positions on the tape by for example translating the tape and moving a placement device transverse to the direction of motion and perpendicular to the tape plane.
(85) FIG. 16 shows an alternative construction of the intermediate substrate in the form of a series of separate plug members to be applied individually to the ground. FIGS. 16 and 17 show seed plugs 180 with a shank 182 and a head 181. The shank contains seed 183 and fertilizer 184 separated by a diffusion control material 185. The plugs are fed to an applicator 186 in the form of a roller 187 with longitudinal slots each carrying a block 188 movable longitudinally in the slot. The block is loaded with a plug and the block is translated in the slot to a required position prior to ground engagement. As the roller rolls on the ground it pushes each plug into the ground at the location defined by its supporting block and the head is released leaving the plug in the ground. Computer control of the blocks in the slots both longitudinally of the roller and radially of the roller controls the location of placement of the plug in 2D. Placement in the longitudinal direction of movement is controlled by omitting some of the plugs from the available slots.
(86) FIGS. 20A and 20B each show a seed plug 901 with detachable head 902 containing fertilizer 903 abutting the outer diameter of payload tube 904. Payload tube 904 contains a transport regulating medium 905 immediately adjacent to the fertilizer 903 that provides a plant germinating from seed 906 with a controlled rate of nutrition from fertilizer. The payload tube as shown includes a stop region 910 that limits the depth of penetration into the substrate. In an alternate arrangement, the payload tube may have an adjustable stop. In another alternative arrangement the payload tube may have no stop and be mounted on an XYZ stage for positioning the plug at any location and any depth. The payload tube has loosely packed soil 907 positioned between the seed 906 and piston head 908. Piston head 908 retains the transport regulating medium, seed, and soil within payload tube 904 and may be used during tube loading to regulate soil packing so as to provide good contact between the seed and soil while not hindering sprout emergence. The requirements of each seed type will vary. The transport regulating medium 905 may contain hydroscopic substances that attract and retain soil moisture to aid the germination and development of the seed 906. The payload may include an optional diagnostic device 909 capable of making a measurement and communicating that measurement to an external reader. The diagnostic device could for example measure the concentration of nitrogen or phosphorous containing compounds in the root zone and relay the information via a radio link. The removable head may contain any combination of fertilizer, herbicide, fungicide, pesticide, a biological agent, or soil. The order of constituents within the payload tube is for illustrative purposes. The constituents may be placed within the payload tube and detachable head in any order. In FIG. 20A, the head 902 is located on the exterior of the tube 904 so that the head has portions contacting the exterior surface of the tube 904. In FIG. 20B the head is located at the end of the tube and held in place by the plug of fertilizer 903.
(87) FIGS. 18A to 18E display a sequence for insertion of a plug as described in FIG. 20A into a growth substrate. The plug is positioned above the desired location in FIG. 18A and inserted vertically FIG. 18B until the tube stop is in contact with the substrate surface and the piston head is at the same level as the substrate surface as shown in FIG. 18C. In FIG. 18D the piston head remains at the level of the substrate surface and the payload tube is withdrawn from the substrate vertically leaving the detachable head and payload tube contents embedded in the substrate. Finally, the piston head is moved to the top of the payload tube (FIG. 18E) and the payload tube is reloaded as best shown in FIG. 19. The plug may be inserted as shown in FIG. 17. Alternately, the plug may be inserted from a XYZ platform mounted on the seeder. The seeder as a whole is translated in the X-direction. The plug is loaded on the XYZ platform and the platform translates in the Y direction to set the Y coordinate for plug placement. When the seeder reaches the desired X coordinate for plug placement, the platform is translated in the X direction such that there is little or no relative motion between the ground and platform and the plug is inserted by platform translation in the Z direction. The XYZ platform may alternately move a seed tube and deposit a seed in the same manner.
(88) The combine harvester component 700 of the system is shown in FIG. 21 and comprises tractor 701 forming a transport arrangement for movement across crops to be harvested mounted on ground wheels 702. The combine includes conventional components including a header 703 with cutter bar 704 and reel 705 supplying cut crop to feeder house 706. Inside the combine the fed crops are separated into grain and non-grain material by a beater 707, rotor 708 and sieve 709 so that the non-grain material is discharged from the rear at 710. The combine is operated by a worker in a cab 711 who has various control systems 712 to hand to control the various operations of the combine. A central processor 713 controls the operation of the system and receives signals from a location system 714.
(89) The harvesting system on the combine thus includes components for collecting the crop and separating the grain from other crop material which is discharged.
(90) The separated grain in this system is fed not directly to storage in a conventional combine but instead to a singulation, sensing and separating system 715 cooperating with the processor 713 and arranged to measure at least one property of each separate seed. The construction and operation of the singulation, sensing and separating system 715 is described in more detail hereinafter and is shown in the above PCT publication WO 2018/018155 which is incorporated by reference.
(91) The sensing and separation system 715 acts to sort the seeds into separate paths 719 which in this embodiment lead to a number of separate bins 716, 717 and 718. In this embodiment the bins 716 and 717 are used as storage bins for transportation of the harvested material and the bin 718 is used to collect the best seeds for use in an attached seeding operation carried on the combine and shown at 720. The seeding system includes a tank 721 for the collected seeds, a singulator 722 which may be of the type disclosed herein and a ground planting system 723 for planting the singulated seeds. Fertilizer or other accessory materials can be added as indicated at 724. While the number of bins shown is relatively small, it will be appreciated that the system can include a whole array of bins each containing seeds having different characteristics so that the seeding system can select from any one of the array of bins depending on measured characteristics and measured requirements. The seeding system using the array can be either attached to and part of the harvester or can be a separate later seeding action but using the array of seeds from the bins generated by the above system. The seeds can be transferred from a storage bin on the harvester to a supply bin on the seeder or the array of bins can be transferred as a structure.
(92) Regarding the quantity of containers, the system herein can act to sort large volumes of seeds into two or more containers, but in some scenarios the system will also be sorting smaller quantities into large array(s) of smaller containers. In one example of scale an array of containers could be 10001000 containers or more.
(93) Also, each container can contain a minimum of one seed per container (for further analysis i.e. genetic) or each container could contain many seeds (i.e. all of the seeds from a particular plant or patch of similar plants that was harvesting for the purpose of seeding).
(94) When planting seeds directly from the large array, the identity of the container that the seed came from would recorded as well as the location that the seed was planted and sample seeds (parent) would be saved in the container for further analysis (genetic) and comparison to the resulting children. That is, after the crop grows the system can go to the location of the specific plants in question and examine the results and compare the parent seed(s) with the children. This technique can be extremely valuable for enhancing and accelerating plant breeding activities.
(95) Also, the seeds in the array might not be harvested initially by the system. The seeds can be from seed companies wanting to plant thousands or millions of varieties efficiently on a single crop using our container array and plant position locating system as described above. Although the system would not be harvesting under this scenario, the system could still measure the properties of the seeds that are being planted and the system would keep track of the location (via planting pattern, GPS, RF tag on field or other position locating method).
(96) Also shown in FIG. 21 is an auxiliary harvesting component 730 which is mounted in front of the header 703 so as to individually harvest selected plants from the field rather than feed them into the general harvest. This can be done by analyzing the plants in front of the header by a sensing system 731 such as a camera and imaging analysis system and by moving the auxillary harvesting component 730 across the header to the required location relative to the width of the header and to operate the system when the plants to be harvested are reached. This results in a selection of plants of a particular characteristic which are stored separately and may form the seeds for the planting system 720. The auxiliary harvesting component 730 includes a sorting mechanism of the type described above to select from the selected plants the best seeds for use in the seeding process or other purpose.
(97) The arrangement shown in FIG. 21 and described herein can also be used in a method for harvesting crops where the substrate is used simultaneously for mixed crops of two or more different types planted and harvested simultaneously. Thus the machine 700 acts for harvesting the two or more crops previously planted and acts for separating required seeds of the two or more crops from other crop material using a common threshing system. Subsequent to the common harvesting the seeds of one of the crops are separated from the collected seeds of others of the collected crops. Preferably the collected elements are separated on a common machine with the harvesting using the separation system described in detail herein.
(98) However as an alternative (not shown) the collected seeds are transported to a site separate from a harvesting machine and are separated at the separate site again using a stand-alone version of the system described herein.
(99) The arrangement shown in FIG. 21 and described herein can also be used in a method for harvesting crops wherein two or more different crops are planted in the substrate and harvested using the machine 700 of FIG. 21. In this arrangement the seeding system used which is either the seeder 720 or a stand-alone seeding system of a conventional nature is operated during planting to place the different crops at set locations in a pattern or crop coding related to different locations in the substrate. Thus the pattern or code of type A and type B seeds can be laid out in a unique pattern related to the location at which the seeds are applied. During the harvesting the pattern or code in the crops is then detected and the location on the substrate determined by analyzing the pattern.
(100) The system herein acts to separate not only A from B, but also different fractions of A and B so for example A+B.fwdarw.A1, A2, B1, B2
(101) The harvester can identify the precise location of individual seeds from a prior seeding operation by a combination of one or more of GPS, position transponders, and the crop position encoding system described herein. This enables the system to associate the parameters of a seed placed at each location with the parameters of the crop plant and parts of the crop plant harvested. Thus the system allows a whole array of many thousands of different seed types to be individually seeded at identified locations. This can be done using a seeder with a large array of containers for different seed types where the seeder can take from any one of the containers and can place that selected seed at a required location with the resultant data recorded for use in later analysis. This can be done at harvesting or as a separate analysis step for example using drones. The arrangement herein also closes the circle in that it can operated to carry out the following steps: (a) during seeding measure seed parameters (b) during seeding measure location parameters (c) during seeding place seed at measured location based on (a) and (b) (d) during harvesting measure plant phenotype at location (e) during harvesting harvest crop by location and separate seed from debris (f) during harvesting measure seed parameters (g) during harvesting direct seed to path based on (f) (h) during harvesting store seed (i) go to (a)
(102) Note that the measurements at (a) and (f) can be different as a seed ages in storage losing vitality and germination potential due to the exhaustion of enzymes and energy reserves. By correlating the change from (f) to (a) with (d), we can statistically identify markers that predict germination potential for similar seeds.
(103) Seeding operations use more seed than required for the target plant population to compensate for seeds that fail to germinate. By identifying vitality markers, seed requirements and cost can be reduced.
(104) The pattern can be detected by measuring the harvested crops elements after harvesting using the sensing and separation system 715. As an alternative or in addition the pattern is detected by measuring the crops in advance of the harvesting using the sensing system 731.
(105) The sensing and separation system 715 as described above and shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 is mounted at a suitable location in the combine so as to receive the separated grain. This can for example be located at the typical elevator auger so that the material lifted from the sieves is carried upwardly but instead of entering the conventional single bin the material is fed to the feed tube 12 of the sensing and separation system.
