Corn Stalk Stump Imaging for Post-Harvest Strength Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for assessing corn stalk strength are inaccurate, labor-intensive, and disruptive to plant development, requiring controlled conditions and pre-harvest testing, which limits their effectiveness in plant breeding programs.
Innovation Solution
A post-harvest system and method for evaluating stalk strength by analyzing the pith and rind of discarded corn stalk stumps, using a stalk stump cutter to create a flat cross-section and imaging device to assess integrity, allowing for non-invasive, accurate scoring of stalk strength post-harvest.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pre-harvest stalk strength testing is performed using current methods (push test, sensor pressing, air blowing), then stalk strength can be assessed, but the plant development is disrupted and the plant becomes unusable for further scientific testing
Solution Approach 1:
The stalk strength assessment is performed post-harvest on the stalk stump after the plant has completed its growth cycle, eliminating the need to disrupt plant development during its life cycle. The measurement is taken on the remaining stalk material after harvest, allowing the plant to complete its natural development without intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The assessment target is extracted from the living plant to the post-harvest stalk stump. By separating the measurement object from the living plant system, the method eliminates the harmful effect of disruption while maintaining the ability to assess stalk strength through analysis of the remaining stalk material.
2Productivity
If field-count method is used to assess stalk lodging, then stalk lodging percentage can be calculated, but the method is highly dependent on environmental conditions that do not occur at a frequency consistent enough to assure continued progress
Solution Approach 1:
The method replaces the field-based mechanical observation system with a laboratory-based analytical system. Instead of relying on field observations of lodging events, the technique uses controlled laboratory measurement of stalk stump properties (such as bending strength, flexibility, or structural integrity) to assess stalk strength, eliminating environmental variability from the measurement process.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement parameters are changed from field-based lodging percentage to controlled laboratory physical properties of the stalk stump. By measuring parameters such as flexural strength, bending modulus, or structural integrity under controlled conditions, the method transforms the assessment from environmental-dependent to environmentally-independent.
3Reliability
If laboratory-based stalk strength methods are used (breaking strength, crushing strength, rind puncture), then measurement independence from environmental forces is achieved, but the methods require sampling during reproductive period or before harvest
Solution Approach 1:
The stalk stump remains in the ground after harvest, preserving the sample for future analysis. Instead of requiring immediate sampling during the reproductive period, the method allows the plant to complete its cycle and then performs the measurement on the remaining stump, eliminating the timing constraint.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement is extracted from the active growth period and performed on the post-harvest stalk stump. By separating the measurement timing from the plant's active development phase, the method achieves both environmental independence and flexibility in testing timing.
4Measurement precision
If current stalk strength assessment methods are used, then stalk strength can be measured, but the data generation process is labor-intensive and requires controlled conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The stalk stump serves as its own measurement subject without requiring complex controlled environment facilities. The remaining stalk material after harvest naturally provides the sample for measurement, eliminating the need for controlled condition chambers or complex sampling infrastructure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for post-harvest or at-harvest determination of pre-harvest strength of a corn stalk wherein the system comprises a stalk stump cutter structured and operable to cut a discarded post-harvest stalk stump to provide a substantially flat and even cross-sectional surface of the stalk stump, an imaging device structured and operable to acquire image data of the stalk stump cross-section, and a computer based data processing system structured and operable to analyze the image data and determine a pre-harvest stalk strength of the corresponding stalk.