Monsanto Technology LLC

Brian J Forinash

Kevin Lee Deppermann

Allen N Ondes

Jason Kendrick Bull

Sam R Eathington

Bruce J Schnicker

Heather M Forbes

David W Finley

Andrew M Singleton

Lee Yannakakis

Angela Ranae Koestel

Angela R Cargill

Elias J Yannakakis

Kevin L Deppermann

Travis J Frey

Brad D White

Govind Chaudhary

David J Baitinger

Christopher A Hundley

Randall K Rader

Andrew D Thielen

Alan Jackson

Sam Stehling

Timothy J Forbes

Marcus McNabnay

Charles Larry Badino

Graham Mcgregor

Dale Burns

Martin Gaudet

Kelly Boddy

A seed pod shatter test system for determining the resistance to seed pod shattering in various plants, wherein the system comprises a mobile platform that is structured and operable to traverse at least one row of plants growing in plot, and at least one plant engaging head mounted to a front of the mobile platform. The at least one plant engaging head is structured and operable to condition each of the plurality of plants by contacting each of the plants in the row(s) with a predetermined amount of force as the mobile platform traverse the row(s) of plants. The system additionally comprises a data collections and analysis system that is structured and operable to determine an amount of seed pod shattering that occurred in the plurality of plants as a result of the conditioning.

System and method for automated phenotyping of shattered seed pods

An automated method for operating an automated seed sampling system having a seed loading station, a seed transport subsystem, and a seed sampling station generally includes sensing whether individual seeds are successfully isolated from a bulk of seeds at the seed loading station, and sensing whether the isolated seeds are properly positioned by the seed transport subsystem adjacent the seed sampling station in preparation for removing tissue from the isolated seeds. In some aspects, the method further includes analyzing the tissue removed from the seeds for presence or absence of at least one characteristic, and selecting seeds based on presence or absence of the at least one characteristic.

Automated high-throughput seed sampler and methods of sampling, testing and bulking seeds

A system for determining performance data of plants growing in a field. The system comprises a mass flow meter for generating mass data related to the mass of plant product passed through the mass flow meter, and that is communicatively connected to a computer based data processing system; a temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the air adjacent the mass flow meter or within the mass flow meter, and that communicatively connected to the computer based data processing system, and a moisture sensor for determining the moisture of air adjacent the mass flow meter or within the mass flow meter, and that is communicatively connected to the computer based data processing system. The computer based data processing system is structured and operable to utilize the mass data, the air temperature and the air moisture to determine a yield of the plants from which the plant product was harvested.

Yield monitoring systems and methods

An automated method for analyzing seeds generally includes collecting image data from individual seeds using a seed sampling system, determining at least one characteristic of each of the individual seeds based on the collected image data, and removing tissue from each of the individual seeds using the seed sampling system. The method also includes, prior to removing the tissue sample from each of the individual seeds, adjusting at least one operational parameter of the seed sampling system based on the at least one characteristic of the seed from which the tissue is to be removed to thereby allow for generally consistent removal of tissue from each of the individual seeds. In some aspects, the method further includes analyzing the tissue removed from the seeds for presence or absence of at least one characteristic, and selecting seeds based on presence or absence of the at least one characteristic.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for counting a plurality of objects and parsing the objects into groups of varying quantities. In various embodiments, the system includes a singulating and counting module operable to singulate and count a plurality of objects from a large volume of the objects. Additionally, the system includes a diverter and accumulator module operable to receive the singulated objects, parse the objects into groups of varying quantities, and direct each group into a selected one of a plurality of discharge funnels. Furthermore, the system includes an object collection module operable to position a plurality of object collection receptacles adjacent the discharge funnels such that each group of objects is deposited into a respective corresponding one of the object collection receptacles.

High speed counter

The present disclosure provides a transformable agricultural planter that is structured and operable to transform to a Transport Configuration wherein a width of the planter is less than or equal to a Department Of Transportation maximum load width for which special 'Wide Load' permits are not required. The planter includes a support cart including a telescoping support axle having a plurality of wheel assemblies mounted thereto and a plurality of actuators connected to the telescoping support axle. The actuators are operable to extend and retract the telescoping support axle such that a spacing between the wheel assemblies can be set to any desired distance. The planter additionally includes a main toolbar assembly connected a toolbar lift and spin assembly rotatably mounted to the support cart and operable to rotate, raise and lower the main toolbar assembly between the Transport Configuration and a Planting Configuration.

Dynamic row spacing planter system

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for counting a plurality of objects and parsing the objects into groups of varying quantities. In various embodiments, the system includes a singulating and counting module operable to singulate and count a plurality of objects from a large volume of the objects. Additionally, the system includes a diverter and accumulator module operable to receive the singulated objects, parse the objects into groups of varying quantities, and direct each group into a selected one of a plurality of discharge funnels. Furthermore, the system includes an object collection module operable to sequentially position each one of a plurality of object collection receptacles adjacent the discharge funnels such that each group of objects is deposited into a respective corresponding one of the object collection receptacles.

Systems and methods are disclosed for the selection and removal of seeds from containers and placement of the seeds on a seed tape. The systems include a seed extraction assembly and a seed tape assembly. The seed extraction assembly is configured to extract individual seeds from a tray and place the seeds within an accumulator. The accumulator is disposed in the extraction assembly and is rotatable within the assembly. The seed tape assembly is configured to place the seed disposed in the accumulator onto the seed tape. The method includes the steps of using the seed extraction assembly to extract seeds from the tray and place them within the accumulator. The seed tape assembly is then used to place the seed disposed in the accumulator onto the seed tape.

Systems and method for selection of seed and placement on seed tape

An automated system for sampling seeds includes a seed loading station for separating individual seeds from a plurality of seeds held in a seed hopper, an imaging station configured to receive the separated seeds from the seed loading station and collect image data of the received seeds, and a seed sampling subsystem configured to remove tissue samples from the seeds after the image data of the seeds is collected. And, an automated method for sampling seeds includes separating individual seeds from a plurality of seeds, imaging the separated seeds, and removing tissue samples from the imaged seeds.

A seed sampling system includes a seed transport configured to hold multiple individual seeds together as a group and transport the multiple individual seeds together as the group, and to allow the multiple individual seeds to be oriented, substantially simultaneously, while the multiple individual seeds are being held in the seed transport. The seed sampling system also includes a seed sampling subsystem configured to remove tissue from the oriented multiple individual seeds. And, a method for removing tissue from the multiple individual seeds includes loading the multiple individual seeds in the seed transport, orienting the multiple individual seeds in the seed transport substantially simultaneously, and removing tissue from the oriented multiple individual seeds.

In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides an automated seed sampling and sorting system. The system includes an imaging station for collecting image data of a set of seeds and a seed orientation station for independently positioning each seed in the set in a desired orientation based on the collected image data. The system further includes a seed sample and sort station for extracting a sample from each seed in the set, sorting each sample to a sample tray and sorting each sampled seed to a seed tray.

A planter for planting multiple rows of seeds in which the spacing between rows and the spacing between seeds in a row can be varied includes at least two planting units, each planting unit adapted for planting a row of seeds, the planting units being mounted so that the spacing between the at least two of the planting units can be changed, and the rate of planting of at least one of the planting units being independently changeable. A method of planting seeds in a field with a multi-row planter having a plurality of planting units each adapted for planting a row of seeds, includes selectively changing at least one of the spacing between at least two adjacent planting units and the rate of operation of at least one of the planting units during the planting so that at least one of the row spacing or the seed spacing in the rows is not uniform across the planted field.

Growing community of inventors

St. Louis, MO, United States of America

Brian J Forinash