Computer controlled fertigation system and method

• US 7,809,475 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BLUM AG Tec LLC
• Original Assignee: FW Enviro, LLC
• Inventors: Kaprielian, Craig L.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US11/735,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 700/14, 700/16, 700/284, 239/63, 137/78.2, 137/78.3, 47/201, 47/211, 47/485, 47/79
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/042 Adding fertiliser to watering systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/21 Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/189 Soil moisture sensing

Abstract

A system and a method of computer controlled irrigation and fertigation composed of one or more sensors positioned in order to quantify the amount of water and/or nutrients that a plant is consuming. By controlling the fertigation, the plant or a part thereof, has improved yield and quality.

Claims

1. A method of fertigation comprising the steps of growing a plant in a plant container;

providing at least one sensor for measuring the total water consumption by the plant in the plant container, the plant container being separated from the underlying soil by elevating the plant container;

analyzing data from said at least one sensor to determine the amount of water and nutrients to be delivered to the plant; and

delivering the determined amount of water and nutrients to the plant by an irrigation device at a predetermined schedule.

2. The method of fertigation according to claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor for measuring the amount of water delivered to the plant.

3. The method of fertigation according to claim 2, wherein said sensor is a liquid volume gauge.

4. The method of fertigation according to claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor for measuring the amount of excess water from the plant container.

5. The method of fertigation according to claim 4, wherein said sensor is a liquid volume gauge.

6. The method of fertigation according to claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor for measuring the chemical content of excess water from the plant container.

7. The method of fertigation according to claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor to measure the amount of water available to the plant.

8. The method of fertigation according to claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor to measure the total amount of water delivered to the plant, at least one sensor to measure excess water, at least one sensor to measure the total amount of water available to the plant and at least one sensor for the measurement of the chemical content.

9. The method of fertigation according to claim 1, wherein data from said at least one sensor is analyzed by a central processing unit.

10. The method of fertigation according to claim 9, wherein said analysis from said central processing unit determines the timing of irrigation events.

11. The method of fertigation according to claim 9, wherein the analysis from said central processing unit determines the amount of water to be applied during an irrigation event.

12. The method of fertigation according to claim 9, wherein the analysis from said central processing unit is used in preparing the concentration of each nutritional component.

13. The method of fertigation according to claim 1, wherein said irrigation device is a drip irrigation line.

14. The method of fertigation according to claim 1, wherein the plant or a part thereof, has an average increased nutrient value greater than 5%.

15. The method of fertigation according to claim 1, wherein the plant or a part thereof, has improved quality.

16. The method of fertigation according to claim 1, wherein the plant or a part thereof, is less susceptible to pest, fungal and insect infestations.

17. A method of fertigation comprising the steps of:

selecting a plant from the group consisting of angiosperms, gymnosperms and pteridophytes;

growing the plant in a plant container;

providing at least one sensor for measuring the total water consumption by the plant in the plant container;

analyzing data from said at least one sensor to determine the amount of water and nutrients to be delivered to the plant; and

delivering the determined amount of water and nutrients to the plant by an irrigation device at a predetermined schedule.

18. A method of fertigation comprising the steps of:

growing a plant in a plant container;

providing at least one sensor for measuring the total water consumption by the plant in the plant container, providing a scale for measuring the amount of water available to the plant;

analyzing data from said at least one sensor to determine the amount of water and nutrients to be delivered to the plant and delivering the determined amount of water and nutrients to the plant by an irrigation device at a predetermined schedule.

19. A method of fertigation comprising the steps of;

growing a plant in a plant container;

providing at least one sensor for measuring the total water consumption by the plant in the plant container;

providing at least one collection container for measurement of chemical content of excess water from said plant container;

analyzing data from said at least one sensor to determine the amount of water and nutrients to be delivered to the plant; and

delivering the determined amount of water and nutrients to the plant by an irrigation device at a predetermined schedule.

20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising at least one sensor for measuring chemical content of said excess water.

21. A method of fertigation comprising the steps of;

growing a plant in a plant container;

providing at least one sensor for measuring the total water consumption by the plant in the plant container;

providing at least one additional sensor from the group consisting of a stem diameter sensor, a fruit diameter sensor, a leaf temperature sensor, a relative rate sap sensor, an infrared sensor, a near-infrared sensor and a stem auxanometer, analyzing data from said at least one sensor to determine the amount of water and nutrients to be delivered to the plant; and

delivering the determined amount of water and nutrients to the plant by an irrigation device at a predetermined schedule.

22. A method of fertigation comprising the steps of;

growing a plant in a plant container;

providing at least one sensor for measuring the total water consumption by the plant in the plant container;

analyzing data from said at least one sensor to determine the amount of water and nutrients to be delivered to the plant;

delivering the determined amount of water and nutrients to the plant by an irrigation device at a predetermined schedule; and

periodically flushing the plant container.

23. A fertigation system comprising a central processing unit;

at least one sensor for measuring total water consumption by a plant in a plant container;

a scale for measuring the total amount of water available to the plant;

a first communication device to send data from said at least one sensor to the central processing unit;

at least one mixing tank containing nutrients and water;

at least one injector;

a second communication device to send instructions from the central processing unit to said at least one injector;

an irrigation device for delivering water and nutrients to the plant;

wherein the central processing unit analyzes the data from said at least one sensor and controls fertigation by determining the amount of water and nutrients to be delivered to the plant and instructing said at least one injector to deliver water and nutrients from said at least one mixing tank to the plant through the irrigation device.

24. A fertigation system comprising a central processing unit;

at least one sensor for measuring total water consumption by a plant in a plant container;

at least one collection container for the measurement of the chemical content of excess water from the plant container;

a first communication device to send data from said at least one sensor to the central processing unit;

at least one mixing tank containing nutrients and water;

at least one injector;

a second communication device to send instructions from the central processing unit to said at least one injector;

an irrigation device for delivering water and nutrients to the plant;

wherein the central processing unit analyzes the data from said at least one sensor and controls fertigation by determining the amount of water and nutrients to be delivered to the plant and instructing said at least one injector to deliver water and nutrients from said at least one mixing tank to the plant through the irrigation device.

25. The fertigation system according to claim 24 further comprising at least one sensor for measuring chemical content of said excess water.

26. A fertigation system comprising a central processing unit;

at least one sensor for measuring total water consumption by a plant in a periodically flushed plant container;

a first communication device to send data from said at least one sensor to the central processing unit;

at least one mixing tank containing nutrients and water;

at least one injector;

a second communication device to send instructions from the central processing unit to said at least one injector;

an irrigation device for delivering water and nutrients to the plant;

wherein the central processing unit analyzes the data from said at least one sensor and controls fertigation by determining the amount of water and nutrients to be delivered to the plant and instructing said at least one injector to deliver water and nutrients from said at least one mixing tank to the plant through the irrigation device.

27. A fertigation system comprising a central processing unit;

at least one sensor for measuring total water consumption by a plant in a plant container;

at least one additional sensor from the group consisting of a stem diameter sensor, a fruit diameter sensor, a leaf temperature sensor, a relative-rate sap sensor, an infrared sensor, a near-infrared sensor and an auxanometer;

a first communication device to send data from said at least one sensor to the central processing unit;

at least one mixing tank containing nutrients and water;

at least one injector;

a second communication device to send instructions from the central processing unit to said at least one injector;

an irrigation device for delivering water and nutrients to the plant;

wherein the central processing unit analyzes the data from said at least one sensor and controls fertigation by determining the amount of water and nutrients to be delivered to the plant and instructing said at least one injector to deliver water and nutrients from said at least one mixing tank to the plant through the irrigation device.

28. A fertigation system comprising a central processing unit;

at least one sensor for measuring total water consumption by a plant in a plant container, the plant container being separated from the underlying soil by elevating the plant container;

a first communication device to send data from said at least one sensor to the central processing unit;

at least one mixing tank containing nutrients and water;

at least one injector;

a second communication device to send instructions from the central processing unit to said at least one injector;

an irrigation device for delivering water and nutrients to the plant;

wherein the central processing unit analyzes the data from said at least one sensor and controls fertigation by determining the amount of water and nutrients to be delivered to the plant and instructing said at least one injector to deliver water and nutrients from said at least one mixing tank to the plant through the irrigation device.

29. The fertigation system according to claim 28, wherein said plant container is separated from the soil.

30. The fertigation system according to claim 28 further comprising at least one sensor for measuring the total amount of water delivered to the plant.

31. The fertigation system according to claim 30, wherein said sensor is a liquid volume gauge.

32. The fertigation system according to claim 28 further comprising at least one sensor for measuring the amount of excess water from the plant container.

33. The fertigation system according to claim 32, wherein said sensor is a liquid volume gauge.

34. The fertigation system according to claim 28 further comprising at least one sensor to measure the total amount of water available to the plant.

35. The fertigation system according to claim 28 further comprising at least one sensor for measuring the chemical content of the excess water from the plant container.

36. The fertigation system according to claim 28 further comprising at least one sensor to measure total amount of water delivered to said plant, at least one sensor to measure the total amount of excess water, at least sensor to measure the total amount of water available to the plant and at least one sensor for measurement of the chemical content.

37. The fertigation system according to claim 28, wherein data from at least one sensor is analyzed by said central processing unit.

38. The fertigation system according to claim 37, wherein the analysis from said central processing unit determines the timing of irrigation events.

39. The fertigation system according to claim 37, wherein the analysis from said central processing unit determines the amount of water to be applied during an irrigation event.

40. The fertigation system according to claim 37, wherein the analysis from said central processing unit is used in preparing the concentration of each nutritional component.

41. The fertigation system according to claim 28, wherein said irrigation device is a drip irrigation line.