System and method for applying a pesticide to a crop

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016150744-A1
Application number	US-201514725653-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 29, 2015
Priority date	Nov 27, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Providing a system for applying a pesticide to a crop. The system includes a trap and counter device, a data collecting platform, a data analyzing platform and a pesticide-applying control device. The trap and counter device generates an information of an insect amount, and sends the insect amount information via a communication network. The data collects platform collecting an environmental parameter information and the insect amount information via the communication network. The data analyzes platform analyzing a historical monitoring data, the environmental parameter information and the insect amount information to generate a control criterion. The pesticide-applying control device controls an amount of the pesticide to be applied to the crop based on the control criterion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for applying a pesticide to a crop, comprising:
a trap and counter device generating an information of an insect amount, and sending the insect amount information via a communication network; a data collecting platform collecting an environmental parameter information and the insect amount information via the communication network; a data analyzing platform analyzing a historical monitoring data, the environmental parameter information and the insect amount information to generate a control criterion; and a pesticide-applying control device controlling an amount of the pesticide to be applied to the crop based on the control criterion.

2 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one selected from a group consisting of a thermometer, a humidity sensor, a photometer, an anemoscope, an anemometer, a rain gauge and a GPS positioning device.

3 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the environmental parameter information includes at least one selected from a group consisting of instantaneous wind direction information, a soil temperature and moisture information, an instantaneous wind speed information, a rainfall information and a geographical position information.

4 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communication network is at least one of a wired and wireless communication networks, and the historical monitoring data is an environmental climate change information.

5 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pesticide-applying control device includes:
an electromagnetic valve; a controller coupled to the electromagnetic valve and controlling the electromagnetic valve to control the pesticide amount; an air pressure valve controlling an injection of the pesticide; a water spray valve controlling a spray of the pesticide; and a water source valve controlling a water supply.

6 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communication network includes at least one selected from a group consisting of a local area network (LAN), a wireless local access network (WLAN) and a mobile network being a radio access network (RAN).

7 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the data collecting platform includes:
a sensor device sensing an environmental parameter to generate the environmental parameter information and transmitting the environmental parameter information via the communication network; and a gateway periodically collecting the environmental parameter information and the insect amount information via the communication network, updating the environmental parameter information and the insect amount information, and transmitting the updated environmental parameter information and the updated insect amount information via the communication network, and wherein the data analyzing platform includes: a database system periodically receiving the updated environmental parameter information and the updated insect amount information via the communication network; and a data analyzing system performing an analysis based on the updated environmental parameter information, the historical monitoring information and the updated insect amount information to adjust the control criterion.

8 . A method for applying a pesticide to a crop, the method comprising steps of:
determining there is a requirement of applying the pesticide; analyzing an environmental parameter to determine a pesticide-applying mode for the crop; and applying the pesticide according to the pesticide-applying mode.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the environmental parameter includes at least selected from a group consisting one of an insect amount, a soil temperature, a soil moisture, an instantaneous wind direction, an instantaneous wind speed and a rainfall, the method further comprising steps of:
establishing a growth cycle database containing information of every growth stage of the crop; determining whether an insect amount of the crop exceeds a threshold amount at a specific growth stage of the crop; measuring the environmental parameter on every specific time period when the insect amount of the crop does not exceed the threshold amount; and analyzing the insect amount and the environmental parameter to determine the pesticide-applying mode for the crop when the insect amount of the crop exceeds the threshold amount, wherein the pesticide-applying mode includes at least one selected from a group consisting of a pesticide-applying amount, a pesticide-applying period, a pesticide-applying schedule, a location-specific pesticide-applying device and a pesticide-applying area.

10 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising steps of:
inspecting the soil moisture; keeping inspecting the respective soil moisture on a specific time point when the soil moisture is not lower than a threshold moisture; analyzing the soil moisture to determine a water spray mode for the crop when the soil moisture is lower than the threshold moisture, wherein the water spray mode includes at least one selected from a group consisting of a water spray amount, a water spray period, a water spray schedule, a location-specific water spray device and a water spray area; and implementing a water spray according to the water spray amount and the water spray period.

11 . The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the water spray implementing step further comprises steps of:
actuating a first water spray device in a first geographic location to water a first area when the inspected soil moisture is lower than the threshold moisture and the inspected instantaneous wind direction belongs to a windless status; and actuating a second water spray device in a second geographic location to water a second area without actuating the first water spray device when the inspected soil moisture is lower than the threshold moisture and the inspected instantaneous wind direction belongs to a windy status, wherein the first area and the second area have an overlapping portion located at a windward position of the first area.

12 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising steps of:
establishing a growth cycle database containing information of every growth stage of the crop; determining whether the crop has an insect amount exceeding a threshold amount under a specific growth stage of the crop; measuring an instantaneous wind direction when the insect amount exceeds the threshold amount; actuating a first pesticide-applying device in a first geographic location to apply the pesticide to a first area when the inspected instant wind direction belongs to a windless status; and actuating a second pesticide-applying device in a second geographic location to apply the pesticide to a second area without actuating the first pesticide-applying device when the inspected instant wind direction belongs to a windy status, wherein the first area and the second area have an overlapping portion located at a windward position of the first area.

13 . A method of applying a pesticide for a crop, comprising steps of:
establishing a growth cycle database containing information of every growth stage of the crop; and determining whether the crop has an insect amount exceeding a threshold amount under a specific growth stage of the crop to determine whether to initiate a pesticide-applying process.

14 . The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising a step of:
detecting an environmental parameter in a crop area.

15 . The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the environment parameter includes at least selected from a group consi

Assignees

• Univ Nat Taiwan

Inventors

• Lin Tzu-Shiang
• Jiang Joe-Air
• Chiu Ming-Tzu
• Lin Shiou-Ruei
• Liao Min-Sheng

Classifications

• G06Q10/06313 Primary

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• A01M31/002 Primary

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• A01M7/0089

  Regulating or controlling systems (the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06) · CPC title

• G06Q50/02

  Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining · CPC title

• A01G13/105 Primary

  Protective devices against slugs, snails, crawling insects or other climbing animals · CPC title