WORK HANDLING

• US 20080297790A1
• Filed: 08/04/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cropdesign N.V. (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: Cropdesign N.V. (BASF SE)
• Inventors: Dillen, Willy, Leyns, Frederik
• Granted Patent: US 7,697,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/303
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/143 Equipment for handling produce in greenhouses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/25 Greenhouse technology, e.g. cooling systems therefor

Abstract

Apparatus suitable for use in conjunction with a container in which one or more plants is growing and having associated with it a device for receiving an enquiry signal and automatically responding by transmitting an unique identifier signal the apparatus comprising

• • (a) transporter means by which a container may be supported for moving the container,
  • (b) means for transmitting the enquiry signal,
  • (c) means for recording the identifier signal as a digital output and
  • (d) computer means to which the digital output is supplied for storage of the data in prescribed format in a database for manipulation to afford comparison of data related to the container.

Claims

1. A method for the rapid analysis of a selected phenotypic parameter in a plant, the method comprising:

a) providing a population of plants grown in an environmentally controlled greenhouse environment;

b) providing a light spectrum digital analyzing device;

c) using the light spectrum digital analyzing device to take original reflected light images of each plant and then analyze those images for the phenotypic parameter in each plant;

d) comparing the phenotypic parameter of the plants; and

e) selecting a plant with the selected phenotypic parameter from a population of plants with different genetic constitution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each plant within the population of plants is associated with a machine-readable identification number containing information about the plant'"'"'s identity and greenhouse location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the phenotypic parameter for each plant is automatically associated with that plant'"'"'s identity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected phenotypic parameter is a growth component trait.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the growth component trait is selected from the group consisting of area, height, width, number of leaves, number of inflorescences, greenness, and branching pattern.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the light spectrum digital analyzer takes reflected light images of each plant from up to six angles under controlled lighting conditions in an imaging analysis area.

7. The method of claim 6, in which the plants are transported through the image analysis area on a conveyor system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each plant is rotated while it is in the image analysis area where up to six images are taken.

9. The method of claim 6 in which the image analysis area is shielded from natural daylight to prevent light from entering the image analysis area.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a computer data base accessible by a user computer;

and automatically storing the original reflected light images and analyzed images in the computer database.

11. A method for the high throughput analysis of a trait in a plant, the method comprising:

a) providing plants for breeding purposes with different genetic constitution;

b) allowing the plants to grow in an environmentally controlled greenhouse environment, each plant being associated with a machine-readable label that distinguishes the plant from other plants;

c) analyzing each plant for the trait using quantitative, non-destructive imaging technology and associating the trait with the machine-readable information number for that plant; and

d) comparing the trait for one or more plants with the trait of the population of plants to determine the effect of genetic constitution on the trait.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the trait is a growth component trait.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the growth component trait is selected from the group consisting of area, height, width, number of leaves, number of inflorescences, greenness, and branching pattern.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the growth component trait is area and the quantitative, non-destructive imaging technology comprises a light spectrum digital analyzer and the analyzing step comprises taking reflected light images of each plant from up to six angles under controlled lighting conditions.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein each machine-readable identification number is associated with a unique, physical greenhouse location.

16. The method of claim 11 in which, during the analyzing step, up to six reflected light images of the plant from rotating through a predetermined angle of rotation are obtained using an imaging analyzer located in an image analysis area.

17. The method of claim 16 in which the plants are transported through the image analysis area on a conveyor system.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising rotating the plant while it is in the image analysis area.

19. The method of claim 18 in which the image analysis area is shielded from natural daylight to prevent light from entering the image analysis area.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the imaging analyzer is located in the greenhouse environment.