Planter Pass Marker System for Row Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Farmers face difficulties in accurately identifying the correct row when turning around in agricultural fields due to the size of machines, varying crop conditions, and the need for precise row spacing, leading to yield-limiting overlaps or skips during pesticide application and harvesting.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses a control system on a planter or seeder to create gaps or overlaps at the start and end of rows, serving as in-field markers by controlling the planting process to produce visible pass markers, which can be recognized by agricultural equipment for efficient navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If farmers use large agricultural planters to plant crops in equally spaced rows, then planting efficiency is improved, but the difficulty of accurately identifying the correct row when turning around increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating distinct visual characteristics at specific locations (the ends of rows) that differ from the surrounding uniform crop rows. By making the row ends have different appearance properties (such as gaps, overlaps, or unique plant spacing), operators can easily identify these localized features as reference points for orientation, while the majority of the field maintains uniform crop spacing for efficient planting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-marking the row ends with distinctive features during the planting process itself. The planter system automatically creates gaps or overlaps at row ends before the harvesting or spraying operations occur, so that these reference markers are already in place to guide subsequent operations without requiring additional manual marking steps.
2Measurement precision
If farmers use GPS navigation display with RowFinder feature to predict where to turn back into rows, then row identification accuracy is improved, but the cost and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses simple, inexpensive visual markers (gaps or overlaps in plant spacing) instead of expensive GPS navigation systems. These markers are created during the normal planting process and provide sufficient accuracy for row identification without requiring sophisticated navigation equipment, expensive software, or complex operational procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces physical intermediaries (the gap or overlap markers in the crop rows) that serve as direct visual references for row identification. These physical markers mediate between the planter system and the subsequent harvesting/spraying operations, providing a simple and reliable reference system that eliminates the need for electronic GPS navigation systems.
3Measurement precision
If farmers plant pass marker variety in rows to locate passes, then row location is improved, but the yield and planter fill time are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating distinct visual characteristics at specific locations (the ends of rows) that differ from the surrounding uniform crop rows. By making the row ends have different appearance properties (such as gaps, overlaps, or unique plant spacing), operators can easily identify these localized features as reference points for orientation, while the majority of the field maintains uniform crop spacing for efficient planting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-marking the row ends with distinctive features during the planting process itself. The planter system automatically creates gaps or overlaps at row ends before the harvesting or spraying operations occur, so that these reference markers are already in place to guide subsequent operations without requiring additional manual marking steps.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus are described for creating a pass marker in a field. During planting, planting of seed is stopped and started on pass marker rows differently than on adjacent rows to create a visible offset to assist a harvester or applicator to find and drive down the right row to prevent skips and overlaps.