METHOD OF OPERATING A PLANTER FOR PLANTING SEEDS IN A FIELD FOR EXPERIMENTAL PURPOSES

• US 20140121910A1
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary W. Clem, Inc. (Gary W. Clem)
• Original Assignee: Gary W. Clem, Inc. (Gary W. Clem)
• Inventors: Carr, Brian W., Jenkins, Andrew G., Sporrer, Scott A., Merfeld, Nick, Woster, Marcus D., Hammer, Curtis R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,624,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 14/00 Methods or apparatus for planting not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/005 Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern

Abstract

A method of operating a planter where plot characteristics are input into a controller that is associated with a planter. A distance measuring device associated with the controller senses ground speed and distance traveled and transmits the sensed information to the controller. The controller then automatically adjusts the rotational speed of a seed plate of a row planter mounted to the planter based upon the sensed information to achieve the input plot characteristics.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A planter for planting research plots, comprising:

a plurality of row planters having a seed plate;

a sensor positioned adjacent the seed plate to detect when a seed is dropped from the seed plate; and

a controller connected to the seed plate and the sensor;

the controller receives a signal from the sensor when a seed is dropped and records the location of different types of seeds.

18. The planter of claim 9 wherein plot characteristics include row length, alley length, rows per plot, trip distance, target time, and cells on a plate.

17. A planter for planting research plots, comprising:

a plurality of row planters having a seed plate;

a controller connected to the planter that during a planting operation records and displays plot characteristics and operational characteristics.

19. A planter for planting research plots, comprising:

a plurality of row planters having a seed plate and a vacuum system;

a sensor positioned to sense a vacuum pressure in the vacuum system; and

a controller that receives a sensed pressure from the sensor, compares the sensed pressure with a predetermined pressure, and adjusts the vacuum pressure based upon the comparison.

20. A method for planting research plots comprising the steps of:

loading field map test requirements into a controller connected to a planter;

automatically adjusting operational features of the planter in order to perform the loaded field map test.