GPS system to provide planter tripping for crop research plots

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/169,067 filed Dec. 6, 1999 and is a Continuation-In-Part of Serial No. 09/430,973 filed Nov. 1, 1999, now abandoned.

[0003] Most research plots are planted with a check cable system presently. This cable is stretched across the field prior to planting. Some type of indicator is mounted on the cable at specified intervals that are then detected by the planter. This signal starts the planting process and locates the plot. This cable is heavy and cumbersome to move across the field with each pass of the planter. Cables are hard to use because of crop residue from the prior year.

[0004] It is therefore a principal object of this invention to use a GPS in conjunction with the planting process to provide planter tripping for crop research plots.

[0005] A GPS receiver will provide the longitude and latitude of the first trip location and provide a continuous flow of location information. A control computer will calculate the next tripping location and provide a signal to the planter at that location and each subsequent tripping location in the field grid.

[0006] The GPS receiver will be mounted on the planter to provide location information. When the first plot is manually tripped the computer will use vector information and determine the next tripping location. The computer has a program that allows entry of planted length and alley width so the system can calculate the next plot location from the original planter trip. Additional parameters entered in the program include the number of trips needed to pass across the field and the number of passes that would be needed to complete the planting grid.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a research field for row crops;

[0008] FIG. 2 is an enlarged scale perspective view of the area outlined in lines 2—2 of FIG. 1;

[0009] FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale perspective view of a planter used to plant the field in FIG. 2; and

[0010] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a research field similar to FIG. 1 using the vector system of this invention.

[0011] The numeral 10 designates a research field in which row crop seeds are planted for research purposes. The planting locations of each seed planted is designated by the numeral 12, and the plants resulting from the subsequent germination of the seeds are designated by the numerals 14.

[0012] The field 10 is divided into a plurality of plots 16 which are comprised of a plurality of parallel rows 17. The plots are located in a series of parallel ranges 18 which are separated by laterally extending alleys 20 (geometrically in an “x” direction) and a series of longitudinal alleys 22 (geometrically in a “y” direction). Alleys 20 and 22 are typically at right angles to each other. The numerals 23 represent separate tiers of plots that are created by each pass of the planter through the field.

[0013] When the field 10 is planted, a conventional farm tractor 24 and a research planter 26 are used. Separate packets of seed are typically planted in each row 17 in each plot 16. The planter 26 includes a computer 28 which is operatively connected by conventional means to a GPS receiver 30 so that as each seed is deposited in the soil of a row, a global position of the planted seed is instantaneously determined.

[0014] The GPS receiver 30 will identify the longitude and latitude of the first path trip locations and will provide a continuous flow of seed planter tripping location information. The computer 29 will calculate the next tripping locations on the return path and will provide a signal to the planter 26 at that location and each subsequent tripping location in the field grid.

[0015] The research planter 26 can have a sensor (not shown), e.g. a photocell, to monitor the dropping of each seed whereupon a signal is transmitted to the computer 28 or GPS 30 to trigger a location reading to be stored in the memory of the computer. More specifically, when the first plot is manually tripped, the computer 28 uses vector information and determines the next tripping location. The computer 28 uses vector information and determines the next tripping location. The computer 28 has a program that allows entry of data as to the row length and alley width so that the system can calculate the net plot location from the original planter trip. An additional parameter is entered into the program to include the number of trips needed to make a pass across the field and the number of passes that would be needed to complete the planting grid. This system maintains accuracy to around 2 inches. Systems other than GPS could be used to attain this information. Examples would be radio, sonar or laser. Longitude and latitude on earth are not full needed for this function. Displacement or distance from the original location is what will drive the tripping.

[0016] The GPS receiver 30 will be mounted on the planter 26 to provide location information. When the first plot is manually tripped the computer 28 will use vector information and determine the next tripping location. The vector lengths A (FIG. 4) are the distance between the center lines 20A of alleys 20.

[0017] After the original pass of the planter 26 through the field to plant a first tier of plots 23, the planter 26 is then reversed in direction to plant additional tiers of plots 23 parallel to the first tier 23 with the computer 28 triggering the deposit of seeds from data provided by the GPS receiver 30.

[0018] It is therefore seen that this invention will eliminate the use of cables to trigger the planter, and will provide an efficient and effective method of planting seed research fields.