Precision Planting, Inc.

Riley Litwiller

Todd Swanson

Dale M Koch

Jeremy J Hodel

Timothy A Schaefer

Michael Strnad

Kent Levy

Adam Vaccari

Timothy Kater

Reid Harman

Matthew P Morgan

Nicholas Minarich

Joshua Seelye

Joaquin Ganoza

An automated computer-controlled sampling system and related methods for collecting, processing, and analyzing agricultural samples for various chemical properties such as plant available nutrients. The sampling system allows multiple samples to be processed and analyzed for different analytes or chemical properties in a simultaneous concurrent or semi-concurrent manner. Advantageously, the system can process soil samples in the 'as collected' condition without drying or grinding. The system generally includes a sample preparation sub-system which receives soil samples collected by a probe collection sub-system and produces a slurry (e.g., mixture of soil, vegetation, and/or manure and water), and a chemical analysis sub-system which processes the prepared slurry samples for quantifying multiple analytes and/or chemical properties of the sample. The preparation sub-system may comprise a slurry recirculation flow loop configured with devices to stir, measure, and adjust a water to solids ratio of the slurry.

Agricultural sampling system and related methods

An automated computer-controlled sampling system and related methods for collecting, processing, and analyzing agricultural samples for various chemical properties such as plant available nutrients. The sampling system allows multiple samples to be processed and analyzed for different analytes or chemical properties in a simultaneous concurrent or semi-concurrent manner. Advantageously, the system can process soil samples in the 'as collected' condition without drying or grinding to produce a sample slurry. The system includes a chemical analysis sub-system which processes and analyzes the prepared slurry for quantifying multiple analytes and/or chemical properties of the sample. The chemical analysis sub-system may be embodied in a multi-layered microfluidic manifold processing substrate comprising microfluidic devices which extract and quantify the concentration of analytes or other chemical parameters associated with the sample. The system can be used to analyze various type of agricultural-related samples including soil, vegetation, manure, milk or other.

A soil apparatus (e.g., seed firmer) having a locking system is described herein. In one embodiment, the soil apparatus includes a lower base portion for engaging in soil of an agricultural field, an upper base portion, and a neck portion having protrusions to insert into the lower base portion of a base and then lock when a region of the upper base portion is inserted into the lower base portion and this region of the upper base portion presses the protrusions to lock the neck portion to the upper base portion.

Systems and apparatuses for soil and seed monitoring

Growing community of inventors

Tremont, IL, United States of America

Riley Litwiller