Crop automated relative maturity system

Abstract

An automated relative maturity system for measuring the relative maturity of a large number of plots of diverse varieties of plants growing in a field or fields. A field to be evaluated is laid out in multiple plots with a specific variety assigned to a preselected plot or plots and with areas set aside throughout the field for planting of check varieties of known relative maturity. High-precision GPS is used with a planter to record the location of each plot within the field on a map. When leaf senescence is under way throughout the field, a radiometric crop sensor mounted on a vehicle also equipped with high-precision GPS is used to scan the plants in the plots to record readings of the plants synchronized to the GPS map locations, including the check plants of known relative maturity. Software is used to calculate the relative maturity of each variety.

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         7 . A system for phenotyping plants, the system comprising:
 (a) plants comprising a plurality of micro-plots of one or more plants;   (b) a sensing apparatus;   (c) a vehicle mounting the sensing apparatus for transport of the sensing apparatus over the row of plants;   (d) a data signal generated by the sensing apparatus corresponding to the evidence selected from the group consisting of relative maturity, staygreen, health, vigor, disease, stress, biomass of the plant or plants in the single micro-plot; and   (f) a computer for receiving and storing the data signal associated with each micro-plot.   
     
     
         8 . A system of  claim 7  further comprising at least one device for determination of GPS. 
     
     
         9 . A system of  claim 7  wherein said micro-plots can include one or more plots. 
     
     
         10 . A method of plant breeding, comprising the steps of
 (a) growing a plot of the plants through to a selected maturity stage;   (b) collecting radiometric sensor data from the plot corresponding to relative maturity, staygreen, health, vigor, disease, stress, biomass of the plants in the plot;   (c) analyzing the sensor data to generate a measure of relative maturity, staygreen, health, vigor, disease, stress, biomass of plants in a plot; and   (d) using the measure of one or more of the relative maturity, staygreen, health, vigor, disease, stress, biomass as a basis for selecting between plants in plant breeding.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a GPS is used to record the location of seed planted with the plots. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein GPS is used to correlate the sensor data to the location of seeds planted in the plots. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein plants of varieties of at least one known relative maturity, staygreen, health, vigor, disease, stress, biomass are included in the plots as check plants. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the sensing apparatus is mounted on a vehicle and supported above the plants. 
     
     
         15 . A method for measuring at least one characteristic of a plurality of plots of diverse varieties of plants growing in a field, comprising the steps of (a) growing a plot and recording the position of the variety planted in each plot;
 (b) collecting radiometric sensor data from each plot corresponding to at least one selected characteristic of plants in the plot, and   (c) analyzing the sensor data to generate a measure of the characteristic of the plants in a plot.   
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein said characteristic is relative maturity. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein said characteristic is staygreen. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein said characteristic is health. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein said characteristic is vigor. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein said characteristic is disease. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein said characteristic is stress. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein said characteristic is biomass.