Plant Fluorometer Remote Chlorophyll a Fluorescence Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems lack a non-invasive, real-time, and remote method to track crop growth dynamics, particularly under different lighting regimes, which hinders optimization of crop yield and energy use in CEA settings.
Innovation Solution
A plant fluorometer system that includes an excitation LED module, a detection module, and a controller module, which emits excitation light and detects initial and excited chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF) from plants, allowing for remote measurement of growth characteristics like relative growth rates, net assimilation rates, and plant area through chlorophyll fluorescence data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional CEA sensing systems are used to control environmental parameters, then crop production can be maintained, but there is no real-time remote method to track crop growth dynamics under different lighting regimes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/physical measurement methods with optical detection. The system uses a fluorometer that emits light at specific wavelengths (e.g., 447 nm) and detects fluorescence emissions from chlorophyll a (e.g., 680 nm, 740 nm) to remotely sense crop growth dynamics, eliminating the need for direct physical measurement of plants.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces chlorophyll a fluorescence as an intermediary signal to indirectly measure crop growth. Instead of directly measuring plant biomass or dimensions, the system detects the fluorescence emitted by chlorophyll a when excited by specific wavelengths of light, which serves as a proxy for photosynthetic activity and growth status.
2Ease of operation
If non-invasive remote sensing is implemented, then plant monitoring can be performed without destruction, but measurement precision must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes changes in fluorescence emission parameters (intensity, wavelength) of chlorophyll a in response to different lighting conditions and growth stages. By monitoring these parameter changes over time, the system can detect growth dynamics with high precision while maintaining non-invasive operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluorometer system can measure multiple growth characteristics (relative growth rate, net assimilation rate, plant area) simultaneously by detecting fluorescence at different wavelengths and comparing changes over time, making a single device capable of providing comprehensive growth monitoring.
3Productivity
If real-time monitoring is implemented, then crop management can be optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monitoring system into separate functional modules: a light source unit (emitting excitation light), a detection unit (detecting fluorescence), a controller unit (processing signals), and a communication unit (transmitting data). This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic illumination cycles where the LED emits excitation light at specific intervals, and the photodetector detects fluorescence emissions during and after these cycles. This periodic operation simplifies signal processing by creating distinct temporal patterns that can be easily differentiated from background noise.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables real-time, non-destructive, and remote monitoring of plant growth dynamics, improving energy efficiency and crop management by integrating with tunable LED lighting control systems, and providing accurate predictions of growth characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
The photodetector is configured to detect an initial chlorophyll a fluorescence ('ChlF') light and an excited ChlF light from a plant species. The photodetector is further configured to convert the detected initial ChlF light into an initial detection electrical signal and the detected excited ChlF light into an excited detection electrical signal.
Implementation Method 2
The excited ChlF light is emitted from the plant species in response to receiving the excitation light.
Implementation Method 3
The daily light integral is the accumulated light reaching the canopy, and is measured as moles of photons m−2 day−1 within the photosynthetically-active radiation (PAR) region of 400-700 nm.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for remote detection of plant growth dynamics is described. The apparatus includes an excitation LED (light emitting diode) module, a detection module and a controller module coupled to the excitation LED module and the detection module. The excitation LED module includes at least one LED. Each LED is configured to emit an excitation light in response to an excitation control signal. The excitation light has an emitted light spectrum.The detection module includes a photodetector configured to detect an initial chlorophyll a fluorescence (“ChlF”) light and an excited ChlF light from a plant species. The photodetector is further configured to convert the detected initial ChlF light into an initial detection electrical signal and the detected excited ChlF light into an excited detection electrical signal. The excited ChlF light is emitted from the plant species in response to receiving the excitation light.The controller module is configured to provide the excitation control signal to the excitation module, to capture the initial and excited detection electrical signals from the detection module and to determine chlorophyll fluorescence data based, at least in part, on the initial and excited detection electrical signals. The excitation LED module and the detection module are configured to be positioned remotely from the plant species. The chlorophyll fluorescence data represents a growth characteristic of the plant species.