Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/62—Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light
  • G01N21/63—Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light optically excited
  • G01N21/64—Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
  • G01N21/645—Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters
  • G01N21/6456—Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G9/00—Cultivation in receptacles, forcing-frames or greenhouses; Edging for beds, lawn or the like
  • A01G9/02—Receptacles, e.g. flower-pots or boxes; Glasses for cultivating flowers
  • A01G9/029—Receptacles for seedlings
  • A01G9/0299—Handling or transporting of soil blocks or seedlings
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/62—Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light
  • G01N21/63—Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light optically excited
  • G01N2021/635—Photosynthetic material analysis, e.g. chrorophyll

Definitions

• the invention relates to growing plants in
• the invention relates to method and
• the objective of this invention is to create a system, with which the balls containing no plants can be automatically identified in honeycombs containing
• each pigeonhole 30 is directed to each pigeonhole, which radiation stimulates a living plant to fluoresce.
• the possible fluorescence radiation is proven by a detector.
• 35 ball in question can be removed and replaced by a new
• Fig. l is a side view of the identification of plants by fluorescence according to the invention in schematical representa ⁇ tion.
• Honeycomb 1 contains several rows of pigeon ⁇ holes. The pigeonholes are filled with substrate and in each ball thus created there is a seed sowed. After growing the plants 2 with their substrate balls are transferred from the honeycomb and planted.
• light is directed to each ball from the top from the light source 3 at wavelength range of approx. under 550 nm, most con ⁇ venient wavelength range of approx. 300-550 nm.
• This light acts as excitation radiation for certain pig ⁇ ments of a living plant, especially for chlorophyll, and stimulates them to emit fluorescence radiation at wavelength range over approx. 550 nm, especially at range over approx. 600 nm.
• the possible fluorescence radiation coming from each ball is detected by a camera 4 (e.g. video camera). In front of the camera there is a filter 5, which lets through only over approx. 550 nm (or over approx. 600 nm) radiation.
• the light of the light source 3 excitates fluorescence strong enough for picture formation and that the radiation of the light source reflected directly from the plant or the substract does not reach the camera 4.
• the fluorescence radiation emitted by the chlorophyll of living plants is clearly to be seen in the picture, which radiation is not emitted by the background or dead plants, and thus the balls un ⁇ qualified for planting can be separated.
• a signal coming from the camera 4 is digitized into the computer 6.
• the picture is segmented, i.e. areas indicating the same target are separated e.g. by a simple threshold procedure, whereby targets darker than certain grey scale value are set black and those lighter are set white.
• the surface area and border line corresponding the area of the plant can easily be separated from the picture made by threshold procedure by using methods of digital graphics.
• the honeycomb 1 is placed in relation to the light source 3 and the camera 4 in a manner, that each pigeonhole can be inspected.
• the pigeonhole in question is registered as empty into the computer. Information received can be used in the automatic machine replacing the balls, whereby each empty ball is removed and replaced by a new one containing a living plant.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Soil Sciences (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Immunology (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Investigating, Analyzing Materials By Fluorescence Or Luminescence (AREA)
• Pretreatment Of Seeds And Plants (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8529674

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (8)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1990
  • 1990-01-10 FI FI900134A patent/FI900134A/fi not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1991
  • 1991-01-09 WO PCT/FI1991/000009 patent/WO1991010352A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1991-01-09 EP EP91901799A patent/EP0462251A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1991-01-09 JP JP3502238A patent/JPH04504804A/ja active Pending
  • 1991-01-09 AU AU70542/91A patent/AU7054291A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1991-01-09 CA CA002047670A patent/CA2047670A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1991-09-09 HU HU912907A patent/HUT63730A/hu unknown
  • 1991-09-09 FI FI914249A patent/FI914249A0/fi not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1991-09-10 NO NO91913555A patent/NO913555L/no unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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