Field measurement of soil element concentration

• US 10,488,363 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Climate LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: The Climate Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Liu, Miao, Jurado, Luis
• Primary Examiner(s): Wecker, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US15/723,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20190101505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/007 Determining fertilization requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/04 in the solid state, e.g. by cutting
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/08 involving an extracting tool, e.g. core bit
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/4044 by chemical techniques; Digestion; Chemical decomposition
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/021 Correlating sampling sites with geographical information, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2866 Grinding or homogeneising
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/4061 Solvent extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/4088 filtration
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/25 Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/333 Ion-selective electrodes or membranes glass electrodes G01N27/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/24 Earth materials G01N33/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/245 for agricultural purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

In an embodiment, a system for measuring soil element concentration in a field in real time is disclosed. The system comprises an extraction apparatus coupled to a mobility component configured to move the system in the agricultural field. The extraction apparatus configured to receive a plurality of soil samples successively from a soil probe coupled to the mobility component, when the mobility component is operating. The extraction apparatus containing an extractant solution that is a solvent of the soil samples. In addition, the extraction apparatus comprising a mixer that is configured to mix the soil samples with the extractant solution, thereby forming a solution mix. The system also comprises a chemical sensor coupled to the extraction apparatus, the chemical sensor configured to measure a concentration level of a soil element in the solution mix. Furthermore, the system comprises a processor coupled to the chemical sensor, the processor configured to calculate a concentration level of the soil element in each of the plurality of soil samples after the soil sample is received by the extraction apparatus and before a successive soil sample is received by the extraction apparatus.

Claims

1. A system for measuring soil element concentration in an agricultural field as the system moves through the agricultural field, comprising

an extraction apparatus coupled to a mobility component configured to move the system through the agricultural field,

the extraction apparatus configured to receive a plurality of soil samples in succession, from different locations in the agricultural field, from a soil probe coupled to the mobility component, while the mobility component is operating,

the extraction apparatus containing an extractant solution that is a solvent of the plurality of soil samples;

and

the extraction apparatus comprising a mixer that is configured to mix the plurality of successively collected soil samples with the extractant solution, thereby forming a solution mix;

a chemical sensor coupled to the extraction apparatus, the chemical sensor configured to measure a concentration level of a soil element in the solution mix;

a processor coupled to the chemical sensor, the processor configured to calculate a concentration level of the soil element in each of the plurality of soil samples after the soil sample is received by the extraction apparatus and before a successive soil sample is received by the extraction apparatus.

2. The system of claim 1, the mixer comprising a paddle and an engine configured to rotate the paddle, the engine configured to rotate the paddle at at least 10 rpm, to complete the extraction of the soil element into the solution mix within one second.

3. The system of claim 1, the extraction apparatus configured to receive a soil sample of at least 60 grams at least every 10 feet of travel at a speed of at least ten miles per hour.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the mobility component;

the soil probe;

a controller configured to control operation of the mixer, the mobility component, or the soil probe.

5. The system of claim 1, the extraction apparatus being detachable from the mobility component.

6. The system of claim 1, the chemical sensor being an ion selective electrode (ISE).

7. The system of claim 1,

the soil element being nitrate,

the chemical sensor being substantially free from interference with chloride ions.

8. The system of claim 1, the chemical sensor configured to detect at least a concentration between 0.1 and 2,500 ppm within 10 seconds with a reproducibility of being within plus or minus 10% of a full scale.

9. The system of claim 1, the extractant solution containing an inhibitor chelator to reduce soil interference.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a location sensor coupled to the mobility component, the location sensor configured to produces a geographical coordinate for each of the plurality of soil samples,

the processor transmitting the concentration level of the soil element in each of the plurality of soil samples in association with the geographical coordinate produced for the soil sample to a remote server.

11. A computer-implemented method of measuring soil ingredient concentration in a field, comprising:

detecting an extraction apparatus coupled to a mobility component and a chemical sensor coupled to the extraction apparatus, the extraction apparatus comprising a mixer and a container holding an extractant solution, the mobility component configured for movement through the field; and

during movement of the mobility component until a stopping condition is reached, for each of a plurality of locations reached by the mobility component, performing;

causing the extraction apparatus to receive a soil sample from the location from a soil probe coupled to the mobility component;

causing the mixer to mix the soil sample into the extractant solution forming a solution mix containing successively collected soil samples;

receiving a reading from the chemical sensor of a concentration level of a target analyte in the solution mix; and

calculating a concentration level of the target analyte in the soil sample from the reading, before a successive soil sample from a different location is received by the extraction apparatus.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising causing the mobility component to move at a speed of at least ten miles per hour.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, the performing further comprising:

receiving a geographic coordinate indicating where the soil sample was collected;

transmitting the concentration level of the target analyte in the soil sample and the geographical coordinate to a remote server over a communication network.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, the performing further comprising:

determining an amount of the target analyte to be added to an area where the soil sample was collected based on the concentration level;

causing display of the amount.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, the performing being repeated every 6-10 seconds.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, the stopping condition being that a specific number of soil samples have been mixed into the extractant solution, a specific volume of soil has been mixed into the extractant solution, or the extractant solution has reached saturation.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising causing an update or a replacement of the extraction apparatus when the stopping condition is reached.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising causing the mixer to rotate at at least 10 rpm, to complete the extraction of the target analyte into the solution mix within one second.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising causing the extraction apparatus to receive a soil sample of at least 60 grams at least every 10 feet of travel at a speed of at least ten miles per hour.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising causing the soil probe to collect a soil sample of at least 60 grams at least every 10 feet of travel at a speed of at least ten miles per hour.