1387results about "Testing plants/trees" patented technology

A class of molecularly imprinted polymers that specifically recognizes and binds to nitrosamines members of which class are useful, for example, in analysis and separation of nitrosamines from biological fluids. Such molecularly imprinted polymers are also useful in methods of treating and manufacturing tobacco products and materials.

Disclosed herein is a high growth, high density, closed environment growing system and methods thereof. A method of accelerating plant cell growth in a growing system may include adjusting the lighting in accordance with an identified plant growth stage.

A multi-sensor device comprises a housing containing multiple sensor modules for capturing and transmitting sensor data for plants in a crop. A control unit within the housing is operable to control the sensor modules, and a communications interface is connected to the control unit for transmitting data from said plurality of sensor modules. The sensor modules can include a physiological sensor, a surface analysis sensor, and chemical sensor. The multi-sensor device can be used as a hand-held device or mounted to a mobile platform for use in an automated crop monitoring system.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for monitoring agricultural products. In particular, the present invention relates to monitoring fruit production, plant growth, and plant vitality. According to embodiments of the invention, a plant analysis system is configured determine a spectral signature of a plant based on spectral data, and plant color based on photographic data. The spectral signatures and plant color are associated with assembled point cloud data. Morphological data of the plant can be generated based on the assembled point cloud data. A record of the plant can be created that associates the plant with the spectral signature, plant color, spectral data, assembled point cloud data, and morphological data, and stored in a library.

The present invention relates to excision of explant material comprising meristematic tissue from seeds, and storage of such material prior to subsequent use in plant tissue culture and genetic transformation. Methods for tissue preparation, storage, and transformation are disclosed, as is transformable meristem tissue produced by such methods, and apparati for tissue preparation.

A modeling framework for estimating crop growth and development over the course of an entire growing season generates a continuing profile of crop development from any point prior to and during a growing season until a crop maturity date is reached. The modeling framework applies extended range weather forecasts and remotely-sensed imagery to improve crop growth and development estimation, validation and projection. Output from the profile of crop development profile generates a combination of data for use in auxiliary farm management applications.

The present invention relates to excision of explant material comprising meristematic tissue from cotton seeds. Methods for tissue preparation, storage, transformation, and selection or identification of transformed plants are disclosed, as are transformable meristem tissues and plants produced by such methods, and apparati for tissue preparation.

A modeling framework for estimating crop growth and development over the course of an entire growing season generates a continuing profile of crop development from any point prior to and during a growing season until a crop maturity date is reached. The modeling framework applies extended range weather forecasts and remotely-sensed imagery to improve crop growth and development estimation, validation and projection. Output from the profile of crop development profile generates a combination of data for use in auxiliary farm management applications.

A method and system for monitoring the health and growth of plants in a field. The method and system acquire a thermal image indicative of thermal energy emitted by the plants and process the thermal image to assess variations in the temperatures among the plants.

The disclosure provides materials and methods for conferring improved plant traits or benefits on plants. The materials can include a formulation comprising an exogenous endophytic bacterial population, which can be disposed on an exterior surface of a seed or seedling, typically in an amount effective to colonize the plant. The formulations can include at least one member selected from the group consisting of an agriculturally compatible carrier, a tackifier, a microbial stabilizer, a fungicide, an antibacterial agent, an herbicide, a nematicide, an insecticide, a plant growth regulator, a rodenticide, and a nutrient.

A method of processing a set of data collected by at least one sensor at successive points on the travel over a plot of land by at least one vehicle. Each piece of the data being recorded with a time lag in relation to the vehicle passing a given point on the plot of the land, and being associated with a recording time and with a geographical position of a measuring point supplied by a geolocation system. An optimum difference value is estimated by minimizing a degree of projection of a three-dimensional map of values measured at each geographical point, and correction of the data being measured from this difference.

A method and apparatus for assessing standing tree stems for readiness for harvesting, or for determining cutting points for processing of felled tree stems, logs, or wood pieces, or for assessing stems, logs, or wood pieces for a particular end use, includes scanning with short-wave or microwave electromagnetic energy and processing the scan data to produce an image indicating the external shape or dimensions of the stem or log and hidden internal characteristics and their position, and assessing the image. Knots and / or whorls, which are not visible from the exterior and the depth of the clear wood sheath from the surface, may be determined.

A material flow sensor for a harvesting machine comprising an acoustic chamber comprising an impact plate and a housing, microphone, a pneumatic impulse line connecting the housing and the microphone, and an electronics module, wherein the housing is shaped so as to direct sound waves created by crop matter striking the impact plate into the pneumatic impulse line, wherein the sound waves move through the pneumatic impulse line into the microphone, which detects the sound waves and converts them into an electrical signal that is a representation of the sound power derived from the sound waves, which in turn is a representation of the mass of the crop matter striking the material flow sensor.

Methods are provided for evaluating the insect resistance of a plant of interest. Specifically, methods are provided for high-throughput screening of soybean plants for resistance to kudzu bugs and stink bugs, including the brown marmorated stink bug and the southern green stink bug. In some embodiments, infesting emergent soybean seedlings with second instar stink bug nymphs and maintaining the nymphs in a closed environment with the seedling for only about 7 days allows evaluation of the stink bug resistance of a soybean variety of interest. Also provided are insect resistant plants, particularly plants resistant to kudzu bugs and stink bugs, as well as seeds produced by the resistant plants. Plants disclosed herein can be used to transfer the resistant trait into plant lines of interest.

Methods and apparatus for determining when plants require watering, and methods of attending to the watering of plants including signaling the grower that the plants are in need of hydration are provided. The novel methods include real-time measurement of plant metabolics and phytometric physiology changes of intrinsic physical or behavioral traits within the plant such as determining physiological flux measurement of enzyme flux due to environmental changes such as the wind and drought stress, soil and plant mineral deficiencies, or the interaction with a bio-control for organic disease control including, cell movement, signal transduction, internal chemical processes and external environmental processes including when plants require watering, and methods of attending to the watering of plants including signaling the grower that the plants are in need of hydration.

An apparatus and method of determining the optimal plant canopy temperature of a plant by measuring chlorophyll a variable fluorescence is described. Leaf samples taken from the plant are placed on a temperature gradient device, exposed to light for an amount of time, and the variable fluorescence emitted from the leaves is measured along with the temperature. Calculations of Fv / Fo over a period of time are used to determine the optimal plant canopy temperature for a plant or a crop. The apparatus and method can be used to compare specific cultivars, to assess the results of plant breeding programs, and to assist in crop management procedures.

Methods of compiling a database of images of plant species and the use of the database to identify unknown plant species are described. Images of the apical complexes of the plant are obtained and stored in a database to allow a comparison of the apical complexes with unknown plant species. The invention provides a facile method for the identification of unknown or unidentified plant species.

A method and system for monitoring the health of plants in a field. The method and system acquire a thermal image indicative of thermal energy emitted by the plants and process the thermal image to assess variations in the temperatures among the plants.

According to an aspect, a system for monitoring crops and soil conditions below a crop canopy includes a retractable boom assembly adapted to be coupled to an unmanned aerial vehicle. Further according to this aspect, the boom assembly includes an actuator and an elongate probe is coupled to the retractable boom assembly. Still further, the system includes a controller for maneuvering the elongate probe below the crop canopy while the boom assembly is extended by the actuator.

The invention provides a greenhouse information automatic monitoring method based on a suspension-type slide rail platform. The method realizes online patrol monitoring of greenhouse crop comprehensive information of image and infrared temperature characteristics of plant nutrition, water, diseases and diseases and pests as well as plant crown breadth, plant height and fruit growth characteristicsand the like through multi-sensor information fusion by adopting a multi-sensor system, utilizing a binocular vision multifunctional camera and combining with a laser ranging sensor and an infrared temperature sensor. By mounting the multi-sensor system on the suspension-type slide platform and combining an elevating system and an electric control rotation pan-tilt, not only accurate positioningand stationary point detection can be realized in the detection heading direction, but also multi-sensor information patrol detection at different detection distance, different pitching view fields and different detection angles is realized; and by adjusting the detection range and pan-tilt azimuth angle, the method not only can detect big plants, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, but also can meetdetection requirements of lettuce and medium and small plants in different growth periods.

The invention relates to a stereoscopic supervision and data mining system and method facing lake blue-green algae disaster. The method comprises the steps that monitoring index data related to the lake blue-green algae disaster is obtained through the three ways of remote sensing monitoring, automatic monitoring and manual patrol inspect, and the obtained data is transmitted to a data center through the internet; the data center conducts data backup and data preprocessing on the received data, and temporal interpolation, spatial interpolation and abnormal decision processing are included; the data is transmitted to a database to be stored after being preprocessed; lake three-dimensional numerical model calculation is conducted according to a data source stored in the database, according to numerical model simulated data, to-be-monitored lake blue-green algae disaster risk evaluation is conducted, and lake blue-green algae disaster forecasting and early warning information is displayed on a public platform. According to the method and system, real-time stereoscopic monitoring on the blue-green algae disaster is achieved, collected data information is fully mined, data processing and model simulation are conducted, and blue-green algae disaster information real-time receiving, rapid and accurate processing and timely release are achieved.

A self-contained UAV sensor payload and on-board or off-board hardware and software for precision agriculture. The invention combines multiple cameras and navigation sensors to create a system for automatically collecting, geo-referencing, and stitching red, green, blue, and near infrared imagery and derived vegetation indices. The invention is able to produce all of these quantities in a single flight. The tight integration with integrated navigation sensors eliminates the need for integration with external sensors or avionics hardware and enables innovative solutions to image processing and analysis which greatly improve accuracy, processing speed, and reliability over alternative approaches.

An apparatus and method of quantitatively obtaining a measurement of pollen of a plant. One method of counting comprises imaging the sample with the pollen well-distributed in the focal plane of the imager. Image evaluation software can identify and count objects in the image that are consistent with pollen. Total pollen count for the plant can be derived from the count of pollen of the sample, proportionality of the sample volume to the starting volume, and proportionality of area of sample imaged to total area of sample. Pollen quantification can be used for research or commercial production decisions relative to the plant or its seed.

A microtensiometer sensor includes a substrate layer fluidly coupled to an enclosed reservoir. A porous membrane is disposed on a surface of the substrate layer. The membrane defines a liquid side fluidly coupled to the reservoir and a vapor side fluidly coupled to a vapor interface. The porous membrane includes a plurality of through holes fluidly coupling the liquid reservoir to the vapor interface, and a nanoporous filler material disposed within the plurality of through holes. The filler material includes a plurality of open pores having a maximum diameter in the range of 0.2 to 200 nanometers. In one embodiment, the microtensiometer sensor includes a molecular membrane disposed adjacent to the vapor side of the porous membrane. In one example, the molecular membrane is formed of a highly crystalline polytetrafluoroethylene polymer having a microstructure characterized by nodes interconnected by fibrils. In one application, the microtensiometer sensor may be used in a probe to measure the average water potential within a network of plant or tree xylem. In another application, the microtensiometer sensor may be useful in real-time determination of the water potential in soil.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for non-destructive testing of a seed. In various embodiments, the method may comprise vibrating the seed to orient the seed on an axis, identifying a location of a known feature of the seed, determining a sample location on the seed based on the location of the known feature, and performing a non-destructive testing procedure on the seed proximate the sample location. In one embodiment, the method may comprise removing a sample portion of the seed from the sample location without damaging the embryo of the seed. Accordingly, the viability of the seed may be maintained while allowing for subsequent testing on the sample portion of the seed.