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Method for ascertaining the fertilizer requirement, in particular the nitrogen fertilizer requirement, and apparatus for carrying out the method

  • US 10,007,640 B2
  • Filed: 03/02/2012
  • Issued: 06/26/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for dosing nutrient to a partial agricultural plot, wherein the nutrient requirement, in particular the N fertilizer requirement of an agricultural cultivated plant, comprising the steps of:

  • (a) storing characteristic diagrams/tables for the current nutrient uptake (Ncur) of the plant as a function of a vegetation index, and a stage of development (EC) and/or the yield to be expected in a data memory;

    (b) storing characteristic diagrams/tables for the optimum nutrient uptake (Nopt) of the plant as a function of the stage of development (EC) and/or the yield to be expected in a partial agricultural plot to be fertilized;

    (c) measuring the vegetation index in the partial agricultural plot and reading out the current nutrient uptake (Ncur) from the characteristic diagram/table as a function of the yield and/or the stage of development (EC);

    (d) reading out the optimum nutrient uptake (Nopt) with the stage of development (EC) and/or the yield to be expected from the characteristic diagram/table;

    (e) using a processor (i) configured with a program that calculates the quantity of nutrient (N) from the difference between the optimum nutrient uptake (nutrient requirement Nopt) and the current nutrient uptake (current nutrient status Ncur), and (ii) configured with a program to correct the amount of (N) by offsetting against a correction factor (DIMA) in which at least one of the parameters of duration of effect of the fertilizer (D), fertilizer immobilization (I) in the soil, mineralization (M) from the soil, and fertilizer utilization rate (A) is included, and then using the corrected amount of (N) to generate a control signal that the processor outputs to a fertilizer distributor causing the fertilizer distributor to dose nutrient in accordance with the control signal; and

    wherein the quantity of nutrient (N) is calculated from the difference pursuant to step (e) plus the difference from the optimum nutrient uptake (Nopt+1) by the next fertilizing deadline and the optimum nutrient uptake, this latter difference also corrected by offsetting against the correction factor (DIMA), and wherein the processor modifies the control signal based on the optimum nutrient uptake (Nopt+1), the processor transmitting the modified control signal to the fertilizer distributor causing the fertilizer distributor to dose nutrient in accordance with the modified control signal.

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