System, device and method for estimating evapo-transpiration in plants

• US 6,397,162 B1
• Filed: 03/29/1999
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Phytech Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Phytech Ltd.
• Inventors: Ton, Yuri
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US09/277,754
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 702/136,188,130 700/284,286,285 73/25.01,29.01 239/69
• US Class Current: 702/136
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/00 Botany in general

Abstract

A system for estimating evapo-transpiration from a plant is provided. The system includes (a) a first detector for detecting environmental radiation at a vicinity of the plant; (b) a second detector for detecting air humidity at a vicinity of the plant; (c) a third detector for detecting air temperature at a vicinity of the plant; (d) a fourth detector for detecting boundary diffusion layer resistance at a vicinity of the plant; and (e) a processor communicating with the first, second third and fourth detectors for retrieving data from the first, second third and fourth detectors and for calculating, based on the data a value corresponding to the evapo-transpiration from the plant.

Claims

1. A system for co-displaying a state of a plant and its environment, the system comprising:

(a) at least one environment detector for monitoring at least one parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment;

(b) at least one canopy detector for monitoring at least one parameter of the plant itself;

(c) a processor for processing said at least one parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment and said at least one parameter of the plant itself for obtaining at least one processed parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment and at least one processed parameter of the plant itself; and

(d) a display for co-displaying said at least one processed parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment and said at least one processed parameter of the plant itself, such that each of said at least one processed parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment is realized by a first displayed area of a first color selected among at least two first colors, wherein each of said at least two first colors represents a range of said at least one parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment, and further such that each of said at least one processed parameter of the plant itself is realized by a second displayed area of a second color selected among at least two second colors, wherein each of said at least two second colors represents a range of said at least one parameter of the plant'"'"'s itself.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said first color and said second color is independently selected from the group consisting of a red color, a green color and a yellow color.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one environment detector and said at least one canopy detector detect a parameter of the same nature.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one environment detector is selected from the group consisting of an air humidity detector, an air temperature detector, a boundary diffusion layer resistance detector, a solar radiation detector, a soil moisture detector and a soil temperature detector.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one canopy detector is selected from the group consisting of a leaf temperature detector, a flower temperature detector, a fruit surface temperature detector, a stem flux relative rate detector, a stem diameter variation detector, a fruit growth rate detector and a leaf CO₂ exchange detector.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said display is selected from the group consisting of a computer screen display, a monitor display, an image projector and a printer.

7. A method for displaying a state of a plant and it'"'"'s environment, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring at least one parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment;

(b) monitoring at least one parameter of the plant itself;

(c) processing said at least one parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment and said at least one parameter of the plant itself for obtaining at least one processed parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment and at least one processed parameter of the plant itself; and

(d) co-displaying said at least one processed parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment and said at least one processed parameter of the plant itself, such that each of said at least one processed parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment is realized by a first displayed area of a first color selected among at least two first colors, wherein each of said at least two first colors represents a range of said at least one parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment, and further such that each of said at least one processed parameter of the plant itself is realized by a second displayed area of a second color selected among at least two second colors, wherein each of said at least two second colors represents a range of said at least one parameter of the plant'"'"'s itself.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of said first color and said second color is independently selected from the group consisting of a red color, a green color and a yellow color.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment and said at least one parameter of the plant itself are of the same nature.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of monitoring said at least one parameter of the plant'"'"'s environment is effected by at least one environment detector selected from the group consisting of an air humidity detector, an air temperature detector, a boundary diffusion layer resistance detector, a solar radiation detector, a soil moisture detector and a soil temperature detector.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of monitoring said at least one parameter of the plant itself is effected by at least one canopy detector selected from the group consisting of a leaf temperature detector, a flower temperature detector, a fruit surface temperature detector, a stem flux relative rate detector, a stem diameter variation detector, a fruit growth rate detector and a leaf CO₂ exchange detector.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of co-displaying said at least one processed parameter of the plants environment and said at least one processed parameter of the plant itself is effected by a display selected from the group consisting of a computer screen display, a monitor display, a projected image display and a printed image display.

13. A system for estimating evapo-transpiration from a plant, the system comprising:

(a) a first detector for detecting environmental radiation at a vicinity of the plant;

(b) a second detector for detecting air humidity at a vicinity of the plant;

(c) a third detector for detecting air temperature at a vicinity of the plant;

(d) a fourth detector for detecting boundary diffusion layer resistance at a vicinity of the plant; and

(e) a processor communicating with said first, second, third and fourth detectors for retrieving data from said first, second third and fourth detectors and for calculating, based on said data, a value corresponding to the evapo-transpiration from the plant;

wherein said fourth detector includes;

(i) a first element having a first diffusion layer;

(ii) a second element having a second diffusion layer and a source of thermal energy therein; and

(iii) a thermocouple coupling said first element and said second element;

wherein, when said source of thermal energy provides said second element with a quanta of thermal energy, measuring a temperature difference between each of said first and second elements and the environment and accounting for an air density and a specific air heat of the environment and farther for mean flux density of available radiation of each of said first and second elements, enables to determine said evapo-transpirative resistance of the boundary diffusion layer in the environment.

14. A method of estimating evapo-transpiration from a plant, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) collecting values corresponding to an environmental radiation, an air humidity, an air temperature;

(b) using a dedicated detector to collect a value corresponding to a boundary diffusion layer resistance at a vicinity of the plant; and

(c) using said values collected in steps (a) and (b) for calculating a value corresponding to the evapo-transpiration from the plant;

wherein said detector includes;

(i) a first element having a first diffusion layer;

(ii) a second element having a second diffusion layer and a source of thermal energy therein; and

(iii) a thermocouple coupling said first element and said second element;

wherein, when said source of thermal energy provides said second element with a quanta of thermal energy, measuring a temperature difference between each of said first and second elements and the environment and accounting for an air density and a specific air heat of the environment and further for mean flux density of available radiation of each of said first and second elements, enables to determine said evapo-transpirative resistance of the boundary diffusion layer in the environment.

15. A device for detecting the evapo-transpirative resistance of a boundary diffusion layer in an environment, the device comprising:

(a) a first element having a first diffusion layer;

(b) a second element having a second diffusion layer and a source of thermal energy therein; and

(c) a thermocouple coupling said first element and said second element;

wherein, when said source of thermal energy provides said second element with a quanta of thermal energy, measuring a temperature difference between each of said first and second elements and the environment and accounting for an air density and a specific air heat of the environment and further for mean flux density of available radiation of each of said first and second elements, enables to determine said evapo-transpirative resistance of the boundary diffusion layer in the environment.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein said first diffusion layer of said first element and said second diffusion layer of said second element are identical, such that said mean flux density of available radiation of each of said first and second elements are identical.

17. A method for measuring the evapo-transpirative resistance of a boundary diffusion layer in an environment, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) introducing into the environment a detector including;

(i) a first element having a first diffusion layer;

(ii) a second element having a second diffusion layer and a source of thermal energy therein; and

(iii) a thermocouple coupling said first element and said second element;

(b) using said source of thermal energy for providing said second element of said detector with a quanta of thermal energy; and

(c) measuring a temperature difference between each of said first and second elements and the environment and while accounting for an air density and a specific air heat of the environment and further for a mean flux density of available radiation of each of said first and second elements calculating said evapo-transpirative resistance of the boundary diffusion layer in the environment.