GreenSeekerTM Variable Rate
Applicator
Equipment and Applications
GreenSeekerTM Variable Applicator:
Equipment and Applications
• How the GreenSeekerTM
works
• NDVI
• GreenSeekerTM RT200
& RT500
• Corn and other
applications
Sensor-Based
Nitrogen Management
Decision Making
And Agronomic Strategy
Variable Rate
Nozzle System
Computer and
Sensor
Assembly
Direction
of Travel
Plant
GreenSeekerTM Sensor Light
Detection and Filtering
Detection of
Reflected
NIR and RED
+Sun
Direction
NIR and RED
Modulated
Illumination
Target
Sensor
Function
Light signal
Light
detection
Light
generation
?Calculate NDVI
?Lookup valve setting
?Apply valve setting
?Send data to UI
“Sensor”
Valve settings
Valves
and
Nozzles
GREENSEEKERTM Applicator
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sense and treat each 2 ft by
2 ft area
Apply one of seven fertilizer
rates based on the crops yield
potential
Accomplish this while driving
15 mph
Operate day or night
Provide the capability to detect
and treat other plant problems
Record and georeference
sensor data for GIS analysis
Sense and spot spray weeds
(current Patchen technology)
Tri-valve Set for Varying Rate
• 8 Stepped rates
– OFF to 7x
• Treats 24”x 24” area
applying the target
rate on 85% of that
area
Valve
Rate
1x
2x
4x
Total
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
2
0
2
1
2
0
3
0
0
4
4
1
0
4
5
0
2
4
6
1
2
4
7
1x
2x
4x
User Interface/Central
Computer
Flow Controller
Pressure
Controller
Power
Supply
Flow
Meter and
Pressure
Sensor
Flow
Control
Valve
Reflectance (%)
0.5
Visible
Near Infrared
Measure of living
plant cell’s ability to
reflect infrared light
0.25
Photosynthetic
Plant
Reflectance
Potential
0.00
450 500 550 600 650 700
750 800
850 900
Wavelength (nm)
950 1000 1050
Normalized Difference
Vegetative Index - NDVI
• Calculated from the red
and near-infrared bands
• Equivalent to a plant
physical examination
• Correlated with:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Plant biomass
Crop yield
Plant nitrogen
Plant chlorophyll
Water stress
Plant diseases
Insect damage
NRich Strip for Determining
Benefit of Added Fertilizer
NRich Strip
Field Rate
Sensor data mapped
and images
vectorized with SST
“Toolbox” GIS
software
NDVI Image of
the NRich Strip
IKONIS
Satellite
Image of a
Wheat Field
Near
Covington,
Oklahoma
N-Rich 140 lb/ac
Farm Rate 70 lb/ac
44 bu/ac farm
Alfalfa Field Yield
bu/ac
Eroded
Hillside
IKONIS
Satellite
Image of a
Wheat Field
Near
Covington,
Oklahoma
Bottom
Formerly in
Alfalfa
NDVI Map
Wheat - Hennessey, Ok
NDVI
Map
As
Applied
Map
0.77 to 0.85 NDVI
&
52 to 59 lb/ac N
0.2 to 0. 3 NDVI
&
10 to 17 lb/ac
IKONIS False Color Imagery Cassidy, OK
P Strip and 2 NRich Strips
No P
Strip
NRich Strips
NDVI Cassidy, OK - Wheat
P Strip and 2 NRich Strips
No P
Strip
NRich
Strips
GreenSeeker RT200
GreenSeeker RT500
RT200 and RT 500 Specifications
RT200
• Estimated Price $15,000
for 60 ft applicator
• Senses and treats boom
width by 20 to 30 feet
• Utilizes existing variable
rate sprayer controllers
and valves
• Combination Sense and
Treat, and Sense, Predict,
and Treat strategies
• Reaction time limited by
existing controller and
valves
RT500
• Estimated Price $60,000
for 60 ft applicator
• Senses and treats each 2 ft
by 2 ft area
• Uses NTech high speed
and resolution controller
and valves
• Sense and Treat strategy
• Reaction time < 0.1 s
Sensing and Treatment
Scale and Strategy
30 ft by 60 ft
RT200
Treated
Area
Sensed
Area
Sense, Predict, and Treat Strategy
RT500
High
Resolution
Sense and
Treat
Strategy
2 ft by 2 ft
Sensing
and
Treatment
Scale
RT200 and RT 500 Specifications
RT200
• 6 sensors on 60+ ft boom
• Can readily be mated with
existing dry fertilizer and
anhydrous ammonia
applicators
• Fast installation with
minimal modifications
• System intended for
fertilizer only
RT500
• 30 sensor on 60 ft boom
• Existing dry fertilizer
applicators cannot be
used with this system
• System custom installed
on each manufacturer’s
sprayer /boom
• Can detect and spray
weeds in fallow/no-till as
well as apply fertilizer
• System can be used for
other crops and materials
•Sense and treat every 2 plants
Hagie Sprayer - Corn
Weed Spraying with
GreenSeeker Applicator
GreenSeekerTM N-Fertilizer
Handheld Optical Sensor
•
•
•
•
The same active lighting optical sensor used on the variable rate
fertilizer applicator
Optically measures plant biomass, total nitrogen in the crop, and
plant stress
Can sample scan a wheat field (or other crop)
Data can use to calculated response index for added nitrogen
fertilizer
Questions