System and method of in-season nitrogen measurement and fertilization of non-leguminous crops from digital image analysis
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of determining an in-season nitrogen fertilization rate for a non-legume crop using digital image analysis, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. receiving a dark green color index obtained from analysis of a digital image of said crop, where said dark green color index is equal to DGCI=[(H−
60)/60+(1−
S)+(1−
B)]/3, where DGCI is equal to said dark green color index, H is equal to an average hue value, S is equal to an average saturation value, and B is equal to an average brightness value;
b. determining a corrected dark green color index from said dark green color index;
c. determining said nitrogen fertilization rate from said corrected dark green color index; and
d. providing said nitrogen fertilization rate to achieve a predetermined yield potential for said crop.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods of determining nitrogen levels from a digital image and in-season nitrogen measurement and fertilization of non-leguminous crops from digital image analysis are disclosed herein. In particular, a method of determining leaf nitrogen concentration and yield from a digital photograph of a fully developed leaf (collared leaf) of a crop of non-legumes, such as corn, wheat, rice, cotton, potatoes sugarcane, turfgrass or forage grass species. The digital image is processed to determine a dark green color index (“DGCI”), which is closely related to leaf nitrogen concentration and yield. Standardized color disks having known DGCI values are included in the digital photograph and serve as an comparative standard. The comparative standard allows correction of DGCI of samples when using different cameras and/or when lighting conditions change. The DGCI values can then be used to determine the amount of nitrogen fertilizer that should be applied to recover crop yield potential.
35 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of determining an in-season nitrogen fertilization rate for a non-legume crop using digital image analysis, said method comprising the steps of:
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a. receiving a dark green color index obtained from analysis of a digital image of said crop, where said dark green color index is equal to DGCI=[(H−
60)/60+(1−
S)+(1−
B)]/3, where DGCI is equal to said dark green color index, H is equal to an average hue value, S is equal to an average saturation value, and B is equal to an average brightness value;b. determining a corrected dark green color index from said dark green color index; c. determining said nitrogen fertilization rate from said corrected dark green color index; and d. providing said nitrogen fertilization rate to achieve a predetermined yield potential for said crop. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A system, comprising:
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a portable electronic device comprising a camera for taking a digital image of a vegetative plant; and a processor in communication with said portable electronic device, said processor operable for calculating a nitrogen fertilization rate to achieve a predetermined yield potential for said plant as a function of a corrected dark green color index of said image, where said function is in the form of ƒ
(x)=ax2+bx+c, where ƒ
(x) is equal to said predetermined yield potential, x is equal to said nitrogen fertilization rate, a is equal to a quadratic coefficient to said nitrogen fertilization rate, b is equal to a linear coefficient to said nitrogen fertilization rate, and c is equal to said predetermined yield potential when said nitrogen fertilization rate is equal to 0. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A process for providing an in-season nitrogen fertilization rate, said process comprising the steps of:
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a. receiving a corrected dark green color index of a digital image of a crop; b. determining said nitrogen fertilization rate for said crop from said corrected dark green color index of said image using a quadratic function in the form of ƒ
(x)=ax2+bx+c, where ƒ
(x) is equal to said predetermined yield potential, x is equal to said nitrogen fertilization rate, a is equal to a quadratic coefficient to said nitrogen fertilization rate, b is equal to a linear coefficient to said nitrogen fertilization rate, and c is equal to said predetermined yield potential when said nitrogen fertilization rate is equal to 0; andc. providing said nitrogen fertilization rate to achieve said predetermined yield potential for said crop. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification