Multiple agricultural product application method and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10257975-B2
Application number	US-201715466960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2017
Priority date	Sep 5, 2013
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

A method and system for planting one of a plurality of seed types, hybrids and/or varieties includes planter with a plurality of row units. The row units include metering systems, which can include multiple seed meters at a particular row unit, as well as a queuing system. The metering systems including more than one seed meters are configured such that the seed meters will plant a different seed types or varieties. The operation of one or more of the seed meters at a time will provide for the planting of a particular seed variety. The invention provides for on-the-go changing of a seed being planted by changing the operation of one or more of the seed meters at each of the row units and provides for almost infinite variation among the row units for planting particular seed varieties or not planting at all.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of applying at least one of two or more seed varieties to a field at a single time, the method comprising:
providing an agricultural implement including a plurality of row units each having a metering system comprising seed meter, a seed to ground system, and a queuing system, and at least two product storage units operatively connected to the row units and each product storage unit containing a different seed variety, wherein said queuing system is positioned at the seed meter; and
based on a location of the agricultural implement in the field, determining which of the one or more seed varieties to be planted based upon a characteristic of the location of the field;
continuously updating the location of the agricultural implement in the field to continuously determine which of the one or more seed varieties to be planted;
wherein the queuing system is used to substantially clear the seed meter of a first seed variety to switch from one of the seed varieties to another.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the queuing system is positioned at a seed pool of the seed meter.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising providing a fluid through the queuing system to move the first seed variety from the seed pool through the queuing system to substantially clear the seed pool of the first seed variety.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising clearing the seed meter of a first variety of seed with the queuing system and then determining a second one of two or more seed varieties being planted based upon location of the row units on the agricultural implement.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of clearing the seed meter comprises passing a fluid through the queuing system of the seed meter of one of the plurality of row units to substantially empty said seed meter of the first variety of seed before providing a second variety of seed to be planted by the seed meter of the row unit based upon the updated location of the agricultural implement in the field.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the queuing system comprises a clearing tube extending at least partially through a seed pool of the seed meter.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the queuing system further comprises a fluid hose operatively connected to the clearing tube.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving the first seed variety to a hopper for storage when clearing the seed meter.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising directing the first seed variety towards a hopper containing similar seed varieties for future use.

10. A seed meter for use with an agricultural implement and capable of planting a plurality of varieties of seed stored in a plurality of product storage units and provided to the seed meter as the agricultural implement travels through a field, the seed meter comprising:
a seed meter housing and defining a seed pool reservoir; and
a queuing system comprising a fluid passage at least partially through the seed pool reservoir to substantially remove a variety of seed before another variety of seed is added to be planted in the same field and within a singular row of the field.

11. The seed meter of claim 10 , further comprising a seed disc mounted in said housing for rotation about an axis and having a plurality of seed cells spaced radially about the axis for retaining seeds as the seed disc passes through said seed pool reservoir.

12. The seed meter of claim 10 , wherein the seed variety being planted by the seed meter is determined based upon a location of the seed meter in the field.

13. The seed meter of claim 10 , wherein the queuing system operatively connected to a holding area for receiving the variety of seed that is substantially removed from the seed pool reservoir.

14. The seed meter of claim 13 , wherein the holding area comprises a hopper.

15. The seed meter of claim 10 , wherein the queuing system comprising an air hose operatively connected to an air source for providing air to substantially remove the variety of seed.

16. An agricultural planter for planting a variety of seed in a field and capable of switching the variety of seed being planted as the agricultural planter travels through the field, the agricultural planter comprising:
a plurality of row units including at least one seed meter, each of the plurality of row units operatively connected to at least two product storage units each containing a different variety of seed, wherein each of the at least one seed meters comprises:
a seed meter housing and defining a seed pool reservoir; and
a queuing system comprising a fluid passage at least partially through the seed pool reservoir to substantially remove a variety of seed before another variety of seed is added to be planted in the same field and within a singular row of the field.

17. The agricultural planter of claim 16 , further comprising an intelligent control operatively connected to each row unit and comprising a location device, wherein said location device determines the location of each row unit as the agricultural planter moves through the field, and the variety of seed to be provided to each row unit for planting is determinative on said location.

18. The agricultural planter of claim 17 , wherein the intelligent control is operatively connected to the seed delivery system and queuing system to determine when to activate a fluid through the queuing system to substantially remove a variety of seed from a seed meter before another variety of seed is provided to the seed meter via the seed delivery system.

19. The agricultural planter of claim 16 , further comprising:
a seed delivery system for providing at least one of the variety of seed to the at least one seed meter of each row unit;
wherein the seed delivery system provides the at least one of a variety of seed to the at least one seed meter of each row unit based upon a constantly updated location of the agricultural implement in the field.

20. The agricultural planter of claim 19 , wherein the at least one of a variety of seed is selected based upon known field characteristics; and wherein said at least one seed meter further comprising a queuing system comprising a fluid passage at least partially through a seed pool reservoir of the meter to substantially remove a first variety of seed before another variety of seed is added to be planted in the field.

Assignees

• Kinze Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Kinzenbaw Jon E
• Rolffs Merlan J
• Wilhelmi Matthew J
• Hahn Dustan
• Becker Derrick

Classifications

• A01C7/20

  Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed · CPC title

• A01C7/102

  Regulating or controlling the seed rate · CPC title

• A01C7/046

  with perforated seeding discs · CPC title

• A01C19/02

  by a motor · CPC title

• A01C7/044

  Pneumatic seed wheels · CPC title