System and method for phenotyping of organisms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12455186-B2
Application number	US-202017619705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2020
Priority date	Jun 24, 2019
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates to a phenotyping system ( 1 ), comprising a plant unit ( 11 ) having one or more plants ( 17 ), a growing area ( 5 ), a measurement area ( 7 ), a sensor ( 73 ) located in the measurement area ( 5 ) for acquiring phene-data related to phenes of the plants ( 17 ), wherein the phenotyping system ( 1 ) is adapted to transport the plant unit ( 11 ) to the measurement area ( 5 ). The phenotyping system ( 1 ) is characterized by at least one weighing vehicle ( 49 ) comprising a weighing unit ( 66 ) for acquiring weight-data related to a weight of the plant unit ( 11 ). The invention further relates to a method for phenotyping of plants with a phenotyping system ( 1 ) in a second aspect and to a computer program for operating a phenotyping system ( 1 ) in a third aspect of the invention.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A phenotyping system for phenotyping of plants, the system comprising:
at least one plant unit comprising:
one or more plants,

a growing area,
a measurement area separated from the growing area,
an acclimatisation area separated from the growing area,
a sensor located in the measurement area configured to acquire phene-data related to phenes of the one or more plants of the at least one plant unit,
a main controller for receiving and processing data, and
at least one weighing vehicle comprising a weighing unit, the weighing vehicle configured to autonomously navigate to a location of the at least one plant unit to acquire weight-data related to the at least one plant unit,
wherein the phenotyping system is configured to:
transport the plant unit to the acclimatisation area for a predetermined time period such that the plant unit acclimatises to one or more first environmental conditions of the measurement area before being transported to the measurement area; and
transport the plant unit to the measurement area.

2. The phenotyping system according to claim 1 , wherein the weighing vehicle is an automated vehicle.

3. The phenotyping system according to claim 1 , wherein the weighing vehicle is configured to selectively lift the plant unit in order to acquire weight-data related to the weight of said plant unit.

4. The phenotyping system according to claim 1 , further comprising an irrigation system configured to irrigate the one or more plants with water and/or additives based at least on the weight-data related to the weight of the plant unit.

5. The phenotyping system according to claim 4 , wherein weight-data related to the weight of the plant unit is acquired by the weighing unit of the weighing vehicle while the one or more plants of the plant unit are irrigated.

6. The phenotyping system according to claim 4 , wherein the plant unit is transported to the irrigation system for irrigating the one or more plants.

7. The phenotyping system according to claim 1 , wherein the phenotyping system is configured to acquire weight-data related to the weight of the plant unit at a weighing time interval, to acquire phene-data related to the phenes of the one or more plants of said at least one plant unit at a sensor acquisition time interval and wherein the weighing time interval is equal to or shorter than the sensor acquisition time interval, and wherein the weighing time interval is 60 minutes or less.

8. The phenotyping system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one weighing vehicle is configured to navigate to the location without a guide path.

9. The phenotyping system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one weighing vehicle is adapted to circumnavigate one or more obstacles in its route, and wherein the at least one weighing vehicle comprises a safety system.

10. The phenotyping system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one plant unit further comprises:
a support platform;
a container removably attached to the support platform and comprising soil;

a soil cover configured to provide a uniform background for phenotyping and to reduce evaporation of water contained within the soil; and
a saucer and a frame surrounding the saucer, container, or both,
wherein the one or more plants are disposed in the soil of the container,
wherein the container comprises a base with holes configured to facilitate the addition of additives or the removal of water and the base is positioned within the saucer, and
wherein the saucer is removably attached to the support platform.

11. The phenotyping system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined time period is between approximately 0 to 60 minutes.

12. The phenotyping system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first plant vehicle; and
a second plant vehicle different from the first plant vehicle,
wherein the phenotyping system transports the plant unit to the acclimatisation area via the first plant vehicle, and
wherein the phenotyping system transports the plant unit to the measurement area via the second plant vehicle.

13. The phenotyping system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a hyperspectral imaging sensor.

14. The phenotyping system according to claim 13 , wherein the hyperspectral imaging sensor is integrated into a push broom scanner.

15. The phenotyping system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a multispectral sensor contained in a measurement device.

16. The phenotyping system according to claim 15 , wherein the measurement device comprises a spectrograph imaging unit, a monochrome camera, or both.

17. A method for phenotyping of plants using a phenotyping system, the method comprising:
a) acquiring weight-data related to a weight of a plant unit with a weighing vehicle configured to autonomously:
navigate to a location of the plant unit to acquire the weight-data,
wherein the plant unit comprises;
one or more plants;

b) transporting the plant unit from a first location in a growing area to an acclimatisation area such that the plant unit acclimatises to one or more first environmental conditions of a measurement area before being transported to the measurement area;
c) transporting the plant unit from the acclimatisation area to the measurement area; and
d) acquiring phene-data related to phenes of one or more plants of the plant unit in the measurement area.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
measuring an environmental condition in the growing area;
determining at least one phene of the one or more plants of the plant unit based on the phene-data and the measured environmental condition; and
temporally associating the determined phene with a calculated transpiration of the one or more plants of the plant unit.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein step a) is executed at a higher or equal temporal resolution than step c) and d), and wherein the temporal resolution of step a) is 60 minutes or less.

20. A phenotyping system for phenotyping plants, the system comprising:
at least one plant unit comprising
one or more plants,

a growing area,
a measurement area separated from the growing area,
an acclimatisation area separated from the growing area,
a sensor located in the measurement area configured to acquire phene-data related to phenes of the one or more plants of the at least one plant unit,
a main controller for receiving and processing data,
at least one weighing vehicle comprising a weighing unit,
one or more processors, and
memory in communication with the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the system to:
a) acquire weight-data related to a weight of the at least one plant unit with the at least one weighing vehicle configured to autonomously:
navigate to a location of the at least one plant unit to acquire the weight-data;

b) transport the at least one plant unit from a first location in the growing area to the acclimatisation area such that the at least one plant unit acclimatises to one or more first environmental conditions of the measurement area before being transported to the measurement area;
c) transport the at least one plant unit to the measurement area; and
d) acquire the phene-data related to the phenes of the one or more plants of the at least one plant unit in the measurement area.

Assignees

• Kws Saat Se & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Gruber Benjamin David
• Aigner Harald
• Wildhagen Hanna
• Gubatz Sabine

Classifications

• G01N33/0098

  Plants or trees (wood G01N33/46) · CPC title

• G01N21/3563

  for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor · CPC title

• A01G9/247

  Watering arrangements · CPC title

• G01G19/02 Primary

  for weighing wheeled or rolling bodies, e.g. vehicles · CPC title

• G01G19/021 Primary

  having electrical weight-sensitive devices (G01G19/04 - G01G19/07 take precedence) · CPC title