PRESCRIBING A DRIP LINE FOR USE IN A FIELD

• US 20160205877A1
• Filed: 01/15/2015
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Rooney, Daniel James, Fitzpatrick, David, Wample, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,894,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/02 Watering arrangements located above the soil which make use of perforated pipe-lines or pipe-lines with dispensing fittings, e.g. for drip irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors

Abstract

Prescribing a drip line for use in a field includes: accessing soil conditions data that includes vertical transect data relating to at least one vertical transect of soil in a field; based on a plant type and a length of time between a first watering and a second watering of a plant via the drip line, determining, a desired plant available water content of a portion of the soil within the at least one vertical transect to be substantially achieved as a result of the first watering; and based on the vertical transect data, the determined desired plant available water content, climate conditions data and geographical conditions data, determining perforation spacing and flow rate for a set of emitters for the drip line such that the desired plant available water is substantially achieved in the portion of the soil.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for prescribing a drip line for use in a field, said computer implemented method comprising:

accessing, by a computer, soil conditions data for soil in a field, wherein said soil conditions data comprises vertical transect data relating to at least one vertical transect of said soil;

based on a plant type of at least one plant for planting in said field and a length of time between a first watering and a second watering of said at least one plant via a drip line, determining, by said computer, a desired plant available water content of a portion of said soil within said at least one vertical transect to be substantially achieved as a result of said first watering; and

based on said vertical transect data, said desired plant available water content, climate conditions data and geographical conditions data, determining, by said computer, perforation spacing and flow rate for a set of emitters for said drip line that will supply water during said first watering such that, along said drip line, said desired plant available water content is substantially achieved in said portion of said soil.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said determining, by said computer, perforation spacing and flow rate for a plurality of emitters comprises:

determining a water flow rate through said at least one vertical transect of said soil, wherein said determining said water flow rate comprises;

comparing soil type data that comprises information relating to soil types of said at least one vertical transect of said soil with water percolation data corresponding to each type of soil of said soil types; and

based on said comparing, calculating said water flow rate through said at least one vertical transect of said soil.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein said determining perforation spacing and flow rate for a plurality of emitters further comprises:

based on said determining said water flow rate through said at least one vertical transect of said soil, determining a volume of water required to be supplied, during a time period, from a location on said drip line and to said at least one vertical transect of said soil such that said desired plant available water content is substantially achieved in said portion of said soil.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein said determining perforation spacing and flow rate for a set of emitters further comprises:

accessing emitter specification data;

accessing drip line specification data; and

based on said emitter specification data, said drip line specification data and said determining said volume of water, determining a set of emitters and a placement location of said set of emitters along said drip line that enable said volume of water to be supplied to said soil through said drip line during said time period.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by said computer, drip line prescription instructions, wherein said drip line prescription instructions are configured for providing instructions to a user for placement of an emitter of said set of emitters with said flow rate at a location on said drip line in accordance with determined perforation spacing.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

presenting, by said computer, said drip line prescription instructions such that said drip line prescription instructions are enabled to be visually displayed.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said determining, by said computer, said desired plant available water content comprises:

accessing plant data comprising plant type data relating to plant types;

accessing watering data comprising a predetermined time of initiation for said first watering and said second watering and a length of said time of said first watering;

comparing said plant data and said watering data with a store of plant available water content information; and

based on said comparing, generating said desired plant available water content needed in said soil for said at least one plant to access between waterings.

8. A drip line prescriber for prescribing a drip line for use in a field, said drip line prescriber comprising:

a soil conditions data accessor coupled to a computer, said soil conditions data accessor configured for accessing soil conditions data for soil in a field, wherein said soil conditions data comprises vertical transect data relating to at least one vertical transect of said soil;

a desired plant available water content determiner coupled to said computer, said desired plant available water content determiner configured for, based on a plant type of at least one plant for planting in said field and a length of time between a first watering and a second watering of said plant via said drip line, determining a desired plant available water content of said at least one vertical transect of said soil, to be substantially achieved as a result of said first watering; and

an emitter placement determiner coupled to said computer, said emitter placement determiner configured for, based on said vertical transect data, said desired plant available water content, climate conditions data and geographical conditions data, determining a drip line prescription, wherein said drip line prescription details perforation spacing and flow rate for a set of emitters for said drip line that will supply water during said first watering such that, along said drip line, said desired plant available water content is substantially achieved in a portion of said soil.

9. The drip line prescriber of claim 8, wherein said desired plant available water content determiner comprises:

a plant data accessor configured for accessing plant data comprising plant type data relating to plant types;

a watering data accessor configured for accessing watering data comprising a predetermined time of initiation for said first watering and said second watering and a length of said time of said first watering;

a comparer configured for comparing said plant data, said watering data and said soil conditions data with a store of plant available water content information, wherein said plant available water content information comprises a plant available water content for said soil; and

a desired plant available water content generator configured for, based on said comparing, generating said desired plant available water content needed in said soil for said plant between waterings.

10. The drip line prescriber of claim 8, wherein said emitter placement determiner comprises:

a water flow rate determiner configured for determining a water flow rate through said at least one vertical transect of said soil.

11. The drip line prescriber of claim 10, wherein said water flow rate determiner comprises:

a soil type comparer configured for comparing soil type data that comprises information relating to soil types of said at least one vertical transect with water percolation data corresponding to each type of soil of said soil types; and

a water flow rate calculator configured for, based on said comparing said soil types, calculating said water flow rate through said at least one vertical transect.

12. The drip line prescriber of claim 11, wherein said water percolation data comprises:

a water flow rate corresponding to each type of soil of said soil types.

13. The drip line prescriber of claim 11, wherein said emitter placement determiner further comprises:

a water volume determiner configured for, based on said determining said water flow rate through said at least one vertical transect of said soil, determining a volume of water required to be supplied during a time period to said at least one vertical transect of said soil, such that said desired plant available water content is substantially achieved in said at least one vertical transect of said soil.

14. The drip line prescriber of claim 13, wherein said emitter placement determiner further comprises:

an emitter specification data accessor configured for accessing emitter specification data;

a drip line specification data accessor configured for accessing drip line specification data; and

a set of emitters determiner configured for, based on said emitter specification data, said drip line specification data and said determining said volume of water, determining a set of emitters and a placement location of said set of emitters on said drip line that enable said volume of water to be supplied to said soil through said drip line during said time period.

15. The drip line prescriber of claim 8, further comprising:

a drip line prescription instructions generator coupled to said computer, said drip line prescription instruction generator configured for generating drip line prescription instructions, said drip line prescription instructions being configured for providing instructions to a user for placement of a set of emitters with said flow rate at a location on said drip line in accordance with determined perforation spacing.

16. The drip line prescriber of claim 15, further comprising:

a drip line prescription presenter coupled to said computer, said drip line prescription presenter configured for presenting said drip line prescription instructions such that said drip line prescription instructions are enabled to be visually displayed.