Monsanto Technology LLC

Govind Chaudhary

Brad D White

Eric L Borrowman

Johnny J Kotyk

Randall K Rader

Jeffrey Lawrence Kohne

Chi Zhang

Jarrett R Ceglinski

Kevin Lee Deppermann

Jason Kendrick Bull

Richard Hall Sheetz

Brian J Forinash

Anju Gupta

Leendert De Bruin

Hsin-Chen Chen

John J Kotyk

Louis M Pompe Van Meerdervoort

Kolbyn S Joy

Louis M Pompe Van Meerdevoort

Xiaofei Fan

Alfred B Garson, Iii

Donald J Essner

Jennifer L Becker

A seed sorting system for sorting seeds includes a seed transfer station configured to move seeds through the system. An imaging assembly includes a first camera mounted above the seed transfer station and configured to acquire images of the seeds as the seeds move through the system and a second camera mounted below the seed transfer station and configured to acquire images of the seeds as the seeds move through the system. A sorting assembly is configured to sort the seeds into separate bins based on the acquired images of the seeds.

Seed sorting

A seed sorting system for sorting seeds includes a seed transfer station configured to move seeds through the system. An imaging assembly includes an x-ray camera configured to acquire x-ray images of the seeds as the seeds move through the system. The x-ray camera is configured to produce high quality images at high line scan rates to accommodate a speed and width at which the seeds are moved by the seed transfer station through the system. A sorting assembly is configured to sort the seeds into separate bins based on the acquired x-ray images of the seeds.

A seed imaging system for imaging seeds includes a seed transfer station configured to move seeds through the system. An imaging assembly includes a first camera mounted relative to the seed transfer station and configured to acquire images of the seeds as the seeds move through the system. A second camera is mounted relative to the seed transfer station and is configured to acquire images of the seeds as the seeds move through the system. The second camera has an imaging modality different from an imaging modality of the first camera. First and second cameras may be disposed above and below the seed transfer stations, such as a transparent belt.

Seed imaging

A cabinet x-ray device for imaging seeds includes an x-ray source configured to transmit an x-ray beam along a beam path. A seed holder is configured to hold seeds and be selectively positioned in the x-ray device such that the beam path crosses the seed holder and the x-ray beam passes through at least some of the seeds. An x-ray detector is configured to detect the x-ray beam after passing through the seeds such that one or more x-ray images of the seeds can be formed. Self-supporting x-ray shielding can extend circumferentially around the x-ray beam to mitigate x-ray transmission outside the device. A drive mechanism can automatically move the seed holder so that discrete x-ray images of subsets of seeds are taken in an automatic seed imaging operation. Various seed evaluations and seed process evaluations can be made using the device.

X-ray seed imaging system, cabinet x-ray device, and methods of evaluating 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

A system for analyzing intact cotton, wherein the system comprises an X-ray scanner system and a plurality of sample containers, wherein at least one seed cotton sample container is structured and operable to retain a respective one of a plurality of intact cotton samples. The system additionally comprises a sample support platform that is structured and operable to move the plurality of sample containers past an image data generation assembly of the X-ray scanner system. The system further comprises a computer based system that is structured and operable to execute image analysis software to determine at least one metric of at least one of the intact cotton samples.

High throughput methods of analyzing seed cotton using X-ray imaging

Growing community of inventors

St. Louis, MO, United States of America

Govind Chaudhary