MONITORING OF A PLANT CONDITION

Abstract

A plant measurement system is arranged to monitor plant and/or plant organ movements in real-time and relies on small scale digital sensor technology. The sensor is foreseen of an affixing means easily attached to a plant or plant organ to capture dynamic plant movements. The sensor module can be integrated in large plant monitoring setups and has wireless capabilities, enabling the use in remote locations. The system determines the orientation of its sensors to assess movements over time and can process the digital data of multiple sensor modules in real-time. These data are readily available for visualization of continuous plant and/or plant organ movements. The system can be applied for monitoring plant development, stress responses and adaptation responses to internal and external stimuli. Real-time plant information is provided to detect stress conditions and enable precise environmental control.

Claims

1.-33. (canceled)

34. A method of monitoring the condition of a plant, the method comprising: analyzing in real-time changes in leaf angle by motion detecting of the leaf or its petiole using a horticulture appliance mounted by an attaching, fastening or affixing means to the leaf or to its petiole, this horticulture appliance further comprising a sensing device which comprises a digital inclinometer and/or inertial measurement unit for defining the orientation of the sensing device and the plant part to which it is attached and comprising a communicator operatively connected to a processor, and algorithmically restructuring and visualizing data derived from the sensory system to represent leaf movements in space and time.

35. The method of monitoring the condition of a plant according to claim 34, wherein algorithmically performing sensor data fusion to combine gyroscope data (angular velocity) together with accelerometer (linear acceleration) measurements to improve accuracy and reduce drift effects.

36. The method of monitoring the condition of a plant according to claim 34, wherein algorithmically performing the following by the processor (1) timestamping, (2) conversion of the sensed data, (3) sensor and sensor node identification, (4) data filtering and interpolation, (5) sensor verification, (6) data concatenation per sensor, and (7) data visualization per sensor.

37. The method of monitoring the condition of a plant according to claim 34, the method comprising analyzing real-time changes in leaf angle by motion detecting of a plant petiole using a horticulture appliance mounted by an attaching, fastening or affixing means to the plant petiole.

38. The method according to claim 34, with the horticulture appliance comprising an actuator.

39. The method according to claim 34, wherein the actuator is operationally connected to an apparatus that modulates the plant environment.

40. The method according to claim 34, wherein the communicator is a low-energy wireless communicator, or it is a communicator wired connected with the processor.

41. The method according to claim 34, wherein the communicator for handling data transfer comprises a processing unit for pre-processing and visualization of the data.

42. The method according to claim 34, wherein the sensing device comprises a digital inclinometer and/or an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for defining the orientation of the sensing device.

43. The method according to claim 34, wherein the communicator is adapted to integrate the data of one or multiple sensors and to convert it into data packets that can be stored locally or sent wirelessly via protocols including Wifi, LiFi, Bluetooth, LoRa or LoRaWAN to the processing unit.

44. The method according to claim 34, wherein when operational the processor receives data directly from the sensing device via the communicator or through a gateway.

45. The method according to claim 34, wherein the attaching, fastening or affixing means is closed as a sleeve surrounding part of the leaf or its petiole or it comprises a material which is a depressible material securing to the plant or it comprises a notch or groove that fits with a leaf or its petiole.

46. The method according to claim 34, to analyze in real-time changes in plant morphology.

47. The method according to claim 34, in which all of the steps of measuring changes in leaf angle, storing the detected condition and transmitting to the processor of the stored condition data, processing these data and activation of an actuator to change the plant's condition or to change the plant's environment are done in real-time.

48. The method according to claim 34, for facilitating diagnosis of adverse plant conditions caused by abiotic and biotic stress in a plant or in plants in the same environment, the method comprising determining the severity of abiotic and biotic stress on reference values of a normal or non-stressed condition.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0079] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

[0080] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the plant condition monitoring appliance. Movement sensors are attached to the petiole or organ [4] that extends from a plant stem [5] to measure changes in leaf angle. The sensor module [1] is attached to the petiole with an affixing means [2], and is connected to the communication [3] and processing unit [3, 6]. This figure shows both the options of a wired [7] or a wireless connection. The processing unit [3, 6] can trigger an actuator [8] to modify the environmental conditions and ultimately the plant condition.

[0081] FIGS. 2a and 2b are schematic views showing a movement sensor attached to the petiole [4] that extends from a plant stem [5] to measure changes in leaf angle. The sensor module [1] is attached to the petiole with an affixing means [2], The figures show the option of a clip and is connected to the communication and processing unit [3]. The figures show the option of a wired [7] connection. The angle between the petiole [4] and the plant stem [5] can change indicating a condition of the plant.

[0082] FIG. 3 is a flow-chart presenting the sensor data acquisition, transfer and analysis of the communication and processing unit.

[0083] FIG. 4 is a graphic that demonstrates the leaf petiole angle change of tomato plants in normal conditions and during low oxygen stress in the rooting zone.

[0084] Circle (.circle-solid.) displays the normal conditions visualized the nyctinastic movement, and triangle (.box-tangle-solidup.) displays the epinastic movement towards low oxygen stress in the rooting zone. A denotes the duration of the oxygen stress, B is stress recovery when oxygen is resupplied.

[0085] FIG. 5 is a graphic that demonstrates the leaf petiole angle change of tomato plants in normal conditions and during drought stress.

[0086] Circle (.circle-solid.) displays the normal conditions visualized the nyctinastic movement, and triangle (.box-tangle-solidup.) displays the drought stress demonstrating nyctinastic rhythms are gradually lost during R1-R2, and a strong petiole movement is observed in R3. R0 to R3 denote increased drought stress condition.

[0087] FIG. 6 is a graphic that demonstrates the leaf petiole angle change of potato plants in normal conditions and during low oxygen stress in the rooting zone.

[0088] Circle (.circle-solid.) displays the normal conditions visualized the nyctinastic movement, and triangle (.box-tangle-solidup.) displays the epinastic movement towards low oxygen stress in the rooting zone. A denotes the duration of the oxygen stress, B is stress recovery when oxygen is resupplied.

[0089] FIG. 7 is a graphic that demonstrates the leaf petiole angle change of bell pepper plants in normal conditions and during low oxygen stress in the rooting zone.

[0090] Circle (.circle-solid.) displays the normal conditions visualized the nyctinastic movement and triangle (.box-tangle-solidup.) displays that nyctinastic rhythms are gradually lost during low oxygen stress in the rooting zone. A denotes the duration of the oxygen stress, B is stress recovery when oxygen is resupplied.

[0091] FIG. 8 is a graphic that demonstrates the leaf petiole angle change of bean plants in normal conditions, during drought stress and during low oxygen stress in the rooting zone.

[0092] Circle (.circle-solid.) displays the normal conditions visualized the nyctinastic movement, square (.square-solid.) display that nyctinastic rhythms are gradually lost during drought stress, and triangle (.box-tangle-solidup.) display the epinastic movement towards low oxygen stress in the rooting zone respectively. A denotes the duration of the oxygen stress, B is stress recovery when oxygen is resupplied. Drought stress was applied during A and B together.