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Precision Planting Device

Technology Benefits

Plant-specific cultivation Better discrimination between planted crops and weeds Greater automation of field operations

Technology Application

Precision farming Targeted application of pesticides Mechanical cultivation and weeding

Detailed Technology Description

Precision farming is an active area of technological development, with a number of devices having been invented in recent years for targeted, variable-rate dispensing of seeds, fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides on a site-specific basis. These applications utilize the sub-meter accuracy Differential Global Positioning System in a real-time kinematics mode (RTK GPS) to achieve centimeter accuracy, making possible plant-specific agriculture. RTK GPS's potential for mapping seeds as they are plated (with the seed maps indicating plant positions) helps realize such plant-specific cultivation with substantial economic and environmental benefits. It has been demonstrated, for example, that the ability to return to a planted field and discriminate between crop plants and weeds merely on the basis of location permits targeted application of herbicides with 20% to 80% reduction in the quantity of chemicals applied. University of California, Davis researchers have developed an ultra-precise seed planter by retrofitting a RTK GPS system and several other components onto a vacuum planter. Conducting field trials over the 1999 and 2000 growing seasons using a 4-row vacuum planter retrofitted according to their invention, the UCD researchers were able to achieve an accuracy of about 3 centimeters between mapped seed locations and actual plant locations (15 foot segments with ~ 20 to 80 plants). This is sufficiently precise to enable targeted application of pesticides to crop plants, better discrimination between planted crops and weeds in the application of herbicides, and greater automation of field operations such as mechanical cultivation and weeding.

Supplementary Information

Patent Number: US6516271B2
Application Number: US2001895853A
Inventor: Upadhyaya, Shrini | Ehsani, Mohammad | Mattson, Mark L.
Priority Date: 29 Jun 2001
Priority Number: US6516271B2
Application Date: 29 Jun 2001
Publication Date: 4 Feb 2003
IPC Current: A01B007900 | A01C000710 | G01S001948 | G01S000514 | G01S001360
US Class: 701409 | 701213 | 05601020A | 05601020R | 701468 | 701208 | 0560102A | 0560102R
Assignee Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
Title: Method and apparatus for ultra precise GPS-based mapping of seeds or vegetation during planting
Usefulness: Method and apparatus for ultra precise GPS-based mapping of seeds or vegetation during planting
Summary: For automated planting system for agricultural applications.
Novelty: Data acquisition device for automated planting system, has GPS receiver which maps geographic location of dispersed seeds or vegetation based on geographic location information