Precision Planting, Inc.

The Climate Corporation

Todd Swanson

Dale M Koch

Jason J Stoller

Kent Levy

Ian Radtke

Jeremy J Hodel

Timothy A Schaefer

Reid Harman

Dillon Sloneker

Michael Strnad

Adam Vaccari

Matthew O'Neall

Riley Litwiller

Hayden Splechter

Dexter Travis

Derek A Sauder

Justin L Koch

Troy L Plattner

Chad E Plattner

Ben L Schlipf

Timothy Kater

Luke Stuber

Brian McMahon

Matthew P Morgan

Justin McMenamy

Tim Schaefer

Matthew Morgan

Nicholas Minarich

Nicholas Winkler

Aaron Herrmann

Joshua Seelye

Chris Roseman

Joaquin Ganoza

Matthew O'NEALL

Jermey Hodel

Paul Wildermouth

Riley Litwillwer

Dale Koch

Neall O

Matthew O'neall

A system for sensing characteristics of a trench in a soil surface during planting operations. A trench opening assembly opens a trench in the soil surface as the trench opening assembly moves in a forward direction of travel. A trench closing assembly disposed rearward of the trench opening assembly closes the opened trench with soil. One or more sensors may be disposed on an appurtenance disposed in said trench configured to provide characteristics of an area of the open trench or an area of the trench closed with soil by the trench closing assembly or a sensor may be disposed outside of said trench configured to provide characteristics of an area of the trench closed with soil or a combination of the sensors may be disposed in the trench and outside of the trench.

Seed trench closing sensors

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 coulter assembly for collecting soil samples from an agricultural field in one embodiment comprises an annular collection blade configured for penetrating soil to capture a sample, an annular cam ring configured for stationary mounting to a frame of an agricultural vehicle and comprising a cam track, a blade hub coupled to the blade for rotatably supporting the annular collection blade from the annular cam ring, and a movable sample collector mounted to the annular collection blade. The moveable sample collector is configured and operable for extracting a soil sample as the annular collection blade is rotated through the soil. The moveable sample collector in one embodiment comprises a piston mechanism including a cylinder and rod movably disposed therein which actuated by the annular cam ring to alternatingly open and close a collection end of the cylinder as the annular collection blade rotates through the soil.

An agricultural trench depth sensing system having a trench implement adapted to be disposed in a soil trench opened in a soil surface. In one embodiment an ultrasonic sensor detects a distance to an upper surface of said trench implement or a target disposed thereon. In another embodiment, said trench implement includes one or more fingers which rotate with respect to said trench implement to detect the soil surface relative to said trench implement. In another embodiment, said trench implement includes side sensors for detecting the sidewall of the soil trench.

Agricultural trench depth sensing systems, methods, and apparatus

Systems, methods and apparatus for adjusting the depth of a trench opened by a row unit of an agricultural planter. The row unit includes a trench depth adjustment assembly configured to modify the furrow depth. In one embodiment, the depth adjustment assembly may include a gear box having one or more gears which engage with a gear rack. The gear box may be pivotally connected to a depth adjustment body supporting a rocker that adjusts upward travel of gauge wheel arms. In another embodiment, the depth adjustment assembly may include a depth adjustment arm having a screw receiver that cooperates with a driven screw that adjusts the position of the depth adjustment arm acting on the gauge wheels to adjust trench depth.

Agricultural trench depth systems, methods, and apparatus

A system for seed orientation includes a seed disk capable of rotation in operation and having at least one singulator to adjust an orientation of seed to a desired seed orientation for placement within a furrow during planting. A vision system in proximity to the seed disk determines seed orientation data for seed on the seed disk.

Systems, implements, and methods for seed orientation with adjustable singulators during planting

Described herein are methods and harvesters for adjusting settings of a harvester. In one embodiment, a computer implemented method includes capturing, with at least one image capture device that is located on the harvester, images of a field view of an unharvested region to be harvested, analyzing the captured images to determine crop information for a crop of a harvested region that is adjacent to the unharvested region, and adjusting settings or operating parameters of the harvester for the unharvested region based on the crop information for the crop of the harvested region.

Methods and imaging systems for harvesting

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 (i.e. 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 sample preparation and chemical analysis sub-systems can be used to analyze soil, vegetation, and/or manure samples.

A rotary analysis apparatus and related methods are disclosed. The apparatus generally includes a rotary machine operable to rotate or spin a removable disk-type analytical cartridge. The cartridge includes a plurality of fluidly isolated processing trains for processing multiple samples simultaneously. Each process train includes an extractant mixing chamber, slurry filtration chamber, supernatant collection chamber, and reagent mixing chamber in fluid communication. In one use, soil sample slurry is prepared and added to the extractant mixing chamber. The slurry is mixed with an extractant by rotating the cartridge to separate out an analyte from the mixture. A sediment filter in the filtration chamber deliquifies and traps soil particles to produce clear supernatant. A color changing reagent or fluorescent agent may be mixed with the collected supernatant for subsequent colorimetric, fluorescent, turbidimetric, or other type of analysis.

Analytical cartridge for soil testing and related methods

Growing community of inventors

Morton, IL, United States of America

Todd Swanson