Method and apparatus for mapping crop quality

Abstract

A harvester which has a global-positioning system is used to harvest crops. Fields to be harvested are divided into individual field areas for crop quality assessment selected by the farmer. Values representing the location of the selected individual field areas or crop management areas are loaded into storage on a computer or recorded. The harvester also includes a dispenser of crop markers. Each crop marker has a unique identifier when compared to the other crop markers used during the harvest. The global-positioning system determines actual field location during the harvest and when an actual field location is close or matches one of the selected field locations, a trigger signal is sent to the dispenser and a crop marker is inserted into the harvested crop stream. A table of selected field locations and the crop markers inserted into the crop stream from that field location is stored. Later on in processing, the crop marker is detected and a sample of the crop is taken from around the crop marker. A similar system is used for orchard crops. A picker harvests the fruit off a tree and when the task is complete, the picker places some of the fruit from the tree in a bag which is tied shut. A marker such as a bar code label is placed on the bag and a quality test is performed on the fruit in the bag.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for mapping crop quality with respect to field location comprising the steps of: 
       selecting a field position to sample for crop quality;  
       determining the field position of a harvester;  
       inserting a marker into the  a crop harvest stream of the harvesting apparatus  harvester when the determined field position substantially corresponds to a selected field position;  
       detecting the marker after the harvested crop is removed from the field: ; and  
       removing the marker and a portion of the harvested crop near the marker for a quality sample.  
     
     
       2. The method for mapping crop quality with respect to field location of  claim 1  further comprising the step of applying a quality test of the quality sample. 
     
     
       3. The method for mapping crop quality with respect to field location of  claim 1  wherein the step of determining the field position of a harvester further comprises the step of triangulating a position from signals received from at least four satellites. 
     
     
       4. The method for mapping crop quality with respect to field location of  claim 1  wherein the step of determining the field position of a harvester further comprises the step of determining the  a location of the harvester using a global-positioning system onboard the harvester. 
     
     
       5. The method for mapping crop quality with respect to field location of  claim 4  wherein the step of inserting a marker into the crop harvest stream of the harvester when the determined field position matches a selected field position further comprises the steps of: 
       converting a selected field location into a value;  
       comparing said value representing the selected filed location a value representing an actual field position output from the global-positioning system; and  
       sending a signal to insert a marker into the stream of harvested crops when the selected value representing the field location compares substantially with a value representing the actual field position from the global-positioning system.  
     
     
       6. The method for mapping crop quality with respect to field location of  claim 1  wherein the step of detecting the marker after the harvested crop is removed from the field further comprises the steps of: 
       moving a  the crop with respect to a detector;  
       directing a radio wave of a first frequency toward the crop; and  
       detecting a radio wave at second frequency when the marker passes the detector.  
     
     
       7. The method for mapping crop quality with respect to a plurality of  field locations  of  claim 1  wherein the step of determining the field position of a harvester comprises determining the position of a tree. 
     
     
       8. The method for mapping crop quality with respect to a plurality of  field locations  of  claim 7  wherein the step of inserting a marker into the crop harvest stream of the harvester includes placing a marker on a sampling of fruit harvested from the  a selected tree. 
     
     
       9. The method for mapping crop quality with respect to a plurality of  field locations  of  claim 8  wherein the step of removing the marker and a portion if the harvested crop includes removing a bag of fruit having a marker on said bag. 
     
     
       10. A farming apparatus comprising: 
       a harvester that harvests crops;  
       a first memory portion for storing values representing selected field locations, including a value representing a first selected field location;  
       a positioning system associated with said harvester and connected to said first memory portion, said positioning system outputting values representing an actual position of said harvester;  
       a comparator for comparing values from said global-positioning system and the values representing the selected field positions, said comparator outputting a trigger signal when one of the values representing the selected field position substantially corresponds to a value representing actual position of the harvester from the global-positioning system;  
       a plurality of markers, including a first marker, each of the plurality of markers being identifiable from one another;  
       a holder and dispenser of markers that inserts a marker into the harvested crop stream in response to the trigger signal; and  
       a correlation device that correlates the first marker with the first selected field location.  
     
     
       11. The farming apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the correlation device includes a second memory portion for storing which marker was dispensed for each  a selected field position where a marker  at least one of the plurality of markers was dispensed from the holder and dispenser. 
     
     
       12. The farming apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the positioning system is a global-positioning system. 
     
     
       13. The farming apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of markers further comprise a body which will remain in the same approximate location with respect to the crop as it is harvested. 
     
     
       14. The farming apparatus of  claim 13  wherein at least one of the plurality of markers further comprise  comprises a device that emits a second radio frequency signal having a second frequency in response to directing a first radio signal frequency having a first frequency toward the at least one marker, said second radio frequency signal including an identifier unique to a particular  at least one marker. 
     
     
       15. A farming apparatus for use with a global-positioning system comprising: 
       a first memory portion for storing values representing selected field locations, and for storing a first value representing a first selected field location;  
       a comparator for comparing values representing locations of a global-positioning system and the values representing selected field positions from said first memory, said comparator outputting a trigger signal when the first value representing the selected field position substantially corresponds to the  a value representing the  an actual position of the global-positioning system;  
       a a plurality of crop markers including a first crop marker, each of the crop markers being identifiable from one another;  
       a holder and dispenser of crop markers for dispensing  that dispense a crop marker in response to a  the trigger signal; and  
       a correlation mechanism that correlates the first crop marker with the first selected field location.  
     
     
       16. The farming apparatus for use with a global-positioning system of  claim 15  wherein the correlation mechanism comprises a second memory portion for storing which of a plurality of crop marker  markers was dispensed for each selected field position where a marker  at least one of the plurality of markers was dispensed. 
     
     
       17. A method for mapping crop quality with respect to orchard location comprising the steps of: 
       selecting a tree to sample for crop quality;  
       inserting a marker into the  a crop harvest stream;  
       detecting the marker after the harvested crop is removed from the field: ; and  
       removing the marker and a portion of the harvested crop near the marker for a quality sample.  
     
     
       18. The method for mapping crop quality with respect to an orchard of claim  1   17 wherein the step of inserting a marker into the crop harvest stream includes placing a bag of crop material from a particular tree with a tree identification tag attached thereto into the crop harvest stream. 
     
     
       19. A method for sampling portions of a crop comprising: 
       
         during harvesting of a crop, physically placing a marker near or with a portion of the crop in a crop stream;  
       
       
         electronically recording a field location;  
       
       
         associating the field location with the marker; and  
       
       
         at a time later than the recording of the field location, using the recorded field location to identify the field location of the portion of the crop stream near or with the marker. 
       
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19  wherein physically placing a marker near or with a portion of the crop includes placing a portion of the crop within the marker. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 19  further including determining the field location from which the portion of the crop was taken. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21  wherein determining the field location includes using a global positioning system to determine the field location. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 21  wherein physically placing a marker near or with a portion of the crop includes placing a portion of the crop within the marker, said marker having field location information thereon. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 19  further comprising associating further data with the portion of the crop with or near the marker and the field location associated with the marker. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 19  further comprising associating data related to the quality of the portion of the crop with or near the marker and the field location associated with the marker. 
     
     
       26. A method comprising: 
       
         introducing a plurality of markers into a crop stream of a harvester, each marker introduced at a different location of the harvester in a field;  
       
       
         electronically recording a field location and associating the location with one of the plurality of markers introduced into the crop stream; and  
       
       
         at a time later than the recording of the field location, using the recorded field location to identify the field location of crops in the stream situated near the marker. 
       
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 26  further comprising analyzing the crops in the stream situated near the marker for quality. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 19  further comprising: 
       
         determining a field location;  
       
       
         taking a sample of the crop associated with the marker;  
       
       
         analyzing the crop sample for quality;  
       
       
         correlating the field location from which the crop sample was taken, and the quality of the crop sample; and  
       
       
         using the correlated field location from which the crop sample was taken, and the quality of the crop sample to determine future field use. 
       
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 28  wherein the taking step includes placing the crop sample within a container. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 28  wherein electronically recording the field location includes using a global positioning system to determine the field location. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 30  wherein the taking step includes placing the crop sample within a container. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 30  wherein taking a sample of a crop further comprises: 
       
         placing the sample within a container having a field location information thereon:  
       
       
         placing the container into a harvest stream; and  
       
       
         removing the container from the harvest stream. 
       
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 28  further comprising associating further data with the crop sample and field location.