SYSTEM FOR SELECTING PLANTS FROM AMONG A POPULATION OF PLANTS

• US 20110270531A1
• Filed: 11/01/2009
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd. (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
• Original Assignee: Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd. (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
• Inventors: Wallach, Rony, Moshelion, Menachem
• Granted Patent: US 10,412,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 22/05 Fruit crops, e.g. strawberries, tomatoes or cucumbers
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 27/00 Self-acting watering devices, e.g. for flower-pots
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/00 Botany in general

Abstract

Provided is a system (1) and method for identifying one or more plants in a population of two or more plants (4). The method includes monitoring one or more parameters of a plant (4) of the population and generating one or more time signals indicative of values of the one or more parameters. The signals are processed to calculate one or both of a transpiration rate of each plant and a rate of change of a transpiration rate over each of one or more time intervals. The plants are then ranked using an algorithm involving the calculated transpiration rates, and plants having a ranking above a predetermined ranking are identified. Further provided is a system for carrying out the method of the invention.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A system for identifying one or more plants in a population of two or more plants, comprising:

(a) two or more monitoring units, each monitoring unit comprising one or more sensors configured to sense one or more parameters of a plant of the population associated with the monitoring unit and generating one or more time signals indicative of values of the one or more parameters; and

(b) a processor configured to;

(i) receive the time signals from the monitoring units and to process the signals to calculate one or both of a transpiration rate or a rate of change of the transpiration rate of the plant associated with each monitoring unit over each of one or more time intervals;

(ii) rank the plants in the population using an algorithm involving the calculated rates of the plants;

(iii) identifying plants having a ranking above a predetermined ranking; and

(iv) displaying on a display device identifiers of the identified plants; and

(c) a display device.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein each monitoring unit further comprises a container configured to contain water and to receive a potted plant from the population.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the monitoring units comprise a sensor that is a load cell configured to measure a mass of the container and contents of the container.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the container is covered to reduce or prevent evaporation of the water from the container.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to calculate transpiration rate from the time dependent signal generated by the load cell over each of the one or more time intervals.

22. The system according to claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to determine a rate of change of a transpiration rate over a time period, and wherein the ranking involves the calculated rates of change of the transpiration rate.

23. The system according to claim 19, wherein each monitoring unit comprises a sensor configured to generate a time dependent signal indicative of a mass the plant associated with the monitoring unit.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a water usage efficiency of the plant associated with each monitoring unit.

25. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a device to determine atmospheric demand for water, the device generating a time dependent signal indicative of the atmospheric demand for water, wherein the processor is configured to receive the time dependent signal from the device.

26. The system according to claim 23, wherein the device determining the atmospheric demand for water comprises (a) a wick, a container containing water, a portion of the wick being submerged in the water, and (c) a load cell monitoring a mass of the container and it contents.

27. The method according to claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the transpiration rate of a plant associated with a monitoring unit from a time derivative of the time signal generated by a sensor of the monitoring unit.

28. The system according to claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a ratio between the transpiration rate with the atmospheric demand for water.

29. The system according to claim 17, further comprising means for generating desired conditions in the environment of the plants.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the means for generating desired conditions in the environment of the plants is any one or more of means for generating a desired temperature, means for generating a desired humidity, and means for generating a desired water salinity.

31. The system according to claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to normalize the transpiration rates to a surface area of the leaves of each plant, or to the density of stomata in the leaves.

32. A method for identifying one or more plants in a population of two or more plants, comprising:

(a) monitoring one or more parameters of a plant of the population associated with the monitoring unit and generating one or more time signals indicative of values of the one or more parameters;

(b) processing the signals to calculate one or both of a transpiration rate of the plant or a rate of change of the transpiration rate associated with each monitoring unit over each of one or more time intervals;

(c) ranking the plants in the population using an algorithm involving the calculated transpiration rates of the plants;

(d) identifying plants having a ranking above a predetermined ranking; and

(e) displaying on a display device identifiers of the identified plants.