Precision Planting LLC

A monitoring system for an agricultural sprayer includes a spray nozzle, a pressure sensor, a flow rate sensor, and control circuitry. The spray nozzle is configured to generate a spray of a fluid, the pressure sensor is adjacent to the spray nozzle and is configured to measure a pressure of the fluid sprayed by the spray nozzle, and the flow rate sensor is adjacent to the spray nozzle and is configured to measure a flow rate of the fluid sprayed by the spray nozzle. The control circuitry is configured to receive the measured pressure from the pressure sensor, receive the measured flow rate from the flow rate sensor, and cause a user interface to display the measured pressure and the measured flow rate. Related methods and systems are also disclosed.

Implements include application units for placement of fluid applications with respect to agricultural plants of agricultural fields. In one embodiment, an application unit includes a frame to be positioned in operation between two rows of plants and a plurality of flexible members coupled to the frame in operation such that the plurality of flexible members guide a lateral position of the frame to be approximately equidistant from the two rows of plants based upon whether at least one flexible member of the plurality of flexible members contacts one or more plants of the two rows of plants. The plurality of flexible members include a plurality of fluid outlets for spraying crop input in close proximity to the rows of plants.

A spraying system that includes at least one camera to determine for at least one nozzle spray angle, average of spray angle, standard deviation of spray angle, relative pressure, absolute pressure, relative flow rate, absolute flow rate, percent plugged, and/or spray pattern uniformity/variability of the spray from the at least one nozzle.

Implements include application units for placement of fluid applications with respect to agricultural plants of agricultural fields. In one embodiment, an application unit includes a frame to be positioned in operation between two rows of plants and a plurality of flexible members coupled to the frame in operation such that the plurality of flexible members guide a lateral position of the frame to be approximately equidistant from the two rows of plants based upon whether at least one flexible member of the plurality of flexible members contacts one or more plants of the two rows of plants. The plurality of flexible members include a plurality of fluid outlets for spraying crop input in close proximity to the rows of plants.

An agricultural spraying system with a system to add in a second material to the main material that can expand the spraying system to include mixing.

A method of calibrating dosing valves of a sprayer system of an agricultural implement comprises initiating calibration by filling a calibrating tube with fluid having a fluid from an auxiliary tank of the sprayer system, measuring a volume of the fluid filled into the calibration tube, pumping the fluid in the calibration tube to the dosing valves to calibrate the dosing valves with respect to flow characteristics of the fluid with the dosing valves being capable of a high fluid flow rate to a low fluid flow rate ratio of at least 100:1 for the fluid. The method also includes pumping, during a pump from concentration tank mode, the fluid in the concentration tank to the dosing valves and then to a mixing apparatus with the fluid to be mixed with a carrier fluid from a primary tank of the sprayer system.

A parameter sensor for an agricultural sprayer is mounted to an applicator and configured to determine liquid parameters of the liquid flowing through the spray nozzle. The parameter sensing module includes one or both of a flow meter and a pressure sensor. The parameter sensor includes sensor circuitry configured to determine a flow rate based on data generated by the flow meter and determine a liquid pressure based on data generated by the pressure sensor.

A system comprising a boom, a plurality of nozzles disposed along the boom, a light disposed on the boom to illuminate a spray pattern from at least one nozzle, a camera disposed on the boom to capture a first image of a spray from the at least one nozzle at a first time and a second image of no spray from the at least one nozzle at a second time, and a processor to calculate a difference between the first time and second time to determine a pulse width modulation of the at least one nozzle.

Implements and applicators provide for placement of fluid applications with respect to agricultural plants of agricultural fields. In one embodiment, a fluid applicator for applying fluids to plants in rows in a field includes a base disposed between adjacent rows of plants, and at least one application member connected to the base and disposed to apply fluid to a rhizosphere of a row of the plants.

A method of monitoring agricultural spray performance includes spraying a fluid from spray nozzles, sensing spray parameters (e.g., droplet size, a flow rate, an application density, or a pressure of the fluid) for the spray nozzles, receiving the spray parameters, generating an average spray parameter value, determining a minimum spray parameter value and a maximum spray parameter value, and displaying the average, minimum, and maximum spray parameter values. Other methods include spraying a fluid from a spray nozzle, sensing a spray parameter for the spray nozzle, detecting that the spray parameter has exceeded a pre-defined threshold value, displaying an alarm, and ceasing spraying the fluid from the spray nozzle. A user interface continues to display the alarm after the act of ceasing spraying the fluid. Related systems and other methods are also disclosed.