Plant treatment based on a water invariant chlorophyll index

Abstract

A method and system of treating plants is provided. The method includes measuring optical properties of a plant using a plurality of spectral bands. The method further includes calculating in a computational device at least two vegetative indexes using the optical properties, each of the at least two vegetative indexes correlating to one or more plant growth parameters. The method further includes calculating in the computational device a water invariant chlorophyll index from at least two vegetative indexes using the plurality of spectral bands. The also provides for treating one or more of the plants based on the water invariant chlorophyll index.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a Divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 896,460 filed Oct. 1, 2010, which is a Continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 108,371 filed Apr. 23, 2008, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 703,256 filed Nov. 7, 2003, which is now U.S. Pat. No. 7,408,145 issued on Aug. 5, 2008 and which also claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 925,831 filed Apr. 23, 2007, all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to a structure and a method for determining changes in the chlorophyll status of a plant via remote sensing of the plant's reflectance spectrum spanning from approximately 400 nm to 1200 nm.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Techniques to remotely measure crop status have historically include the use of a spectroradiometer and other instruments (Bau...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The new sensor of the present invention overcomes the time-of-day and fair weather limitations of passive technologies by incorporating its own radiant source and by rejecting the influence of ambient light on the measured canopy reflectance. Unlike passive sensor technology, this sensor will be able to operate under completely dark or full sun conditions.

[0011]Additionally, the new sensor apparatus is an improvement both in performance and cost over competing active-sensor technologies commercially available. Furthermore it improves on prior art by allowing sensors to be developed that have wavelength selectivity, improved light source performance and life, and detection means and signal processing.

[0012]As discussed above, the invention presented here will be advantageous in a number of commercial applications. For site-specific agricultural applications, the developed sensor would allow the producer to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied to a crop or facilitate spoon-feeding the crop during the growing season, thus having the potential for lowering production costs and enhancing environmental quality. Also, by being able to determine the appropriate fertilizer needs of the crop at any given location in the field, the producer can apply only the fertilizer needed to prevent yield loss or degradation of product quality (i.e., protein content in wheat and barley or sugar content in sugar beets). Subsequently, decreased fertilizer rates will substantially lower nitrogen runoff and leaching losses, which will improve the health of our watersheds, waterways, lakes, and oceans. In addition, data produced by the sensor may be used to produce relative yield maps for forecasting crop production. As for turf grass applications, the sensor technology would allow turf managers to map changes occurring on turf landscapes or for monitoring the status of turf quality.

[0013]When incorporated into variable rate applicator and / or sprayers systems, the present invention significantly reduces the use of fertilizers by precisely applying agricultural products to individual plants to be treated or eliminated. Moreover, the present invention is operable under a wide variety of conditions including cloudy conditions, bright sunlight, artificial illumination, or even total darkness. The advantage to the producer is that field operations do not have to be timed to daytime sunlight hours for operation.

Problems solved by technology

For example, early research by Resource21™ determined that during the optimal fly over times between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. for satellite imaging, cloud cover had adverse affects on visibility.

Also, spatial resolution for satellite imagery is poor (Landsat, 20 meter and panchromatic, 10 meter).

Similar problems plague aerial photographic methods as well.

Both techniques, however, suffer from the need for extensive data processing (performed by third party providers at high cost and long lead time) and geo-referencing issues.

Even with spectroradiometric methods using sunlight as the ambient light source, cloud cover and time of day (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) demands limit the mainstream acceptance of the technology for addressing the nitrogen rate over-loading problem.

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