
New Sensing
System Counts Corn in a FieldBy David
Elstein December 15, 2003A new sensing system developed by
Agricultural Research Service scientists
scans corn plants across an entire field, allowing farmers to apply fertilizer
where it's needed most. The new sensing system is one the latest advances in precision agriculture,
in which farmers use the latest high-tech devices to help them raise crops more
efficiently and with minimal impact on the environment. Agricultural engineer John W. Hummel and information technology specialist
Scott T. Drummond of the ARS Cropping Systems and Water
Quality Research Unit in Columbia, Mo., developed the system. It can be
mounted on a tractor or combine to collect plant spacing data from early in the
season through harvest. By tapping into overhead satellites--global positioning
system (GPS) technology--the scientists can determine exactly how many plants
are located in specific areas of the field. Using commercially available photoelectric sensors, scientists place an
emitter on one side of the row and a receiver on the other side. An infrared
light beam shines across the row from the emitter to the receiver. The sensors
are fast enough to measure the time the beam is interrupted by a cornstalk. Taking into account how fast the tractor is moving, scientists can determine
the diameter of the cornstalk and the space between adjacent plants. The
computerized sensor also differentiates between cornstalks and weeds. By knowing the corn plant population in different sections of the field, a
farmer can determine how much fertilizer needs to be placed in each section.
This can save the farmer money on fertilizer as well as help the environment.
The sensors do not touch the plants, so the system can be used at any time
during the growing season. Also, the system has no moving parts and is thus
more durable. The researchers have tested their system only with corn, so far,
but the software probably could be adapted for other row crops. ARS is the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. U.S. Department of Agriculture |