Method and system for harvesting and processing feed crop
A method includes automatically harvesting a first amount of feed crop in a part of a crop field by an autonomous, unmanned device; automatically loading the first amount of harvested feed crop directly into a storage space provided on the autonomous, unmanned device; automatically transporting the first amount of harvested feed crop from the crop field to a crop processing location by the autonomous, unmanned device; automatically unloading the first amount of harvested feed crop from the storage space of the autonomous, unmanned device at the crop processing location; and processing the first amount of harvested feed crop at the crop processing location by the crop processor. The control device is configured for controlling the autonomous, unmanned device to repeat the steps to harvest a second amount of feed crop, and for monitoring of the processing of the first amount of harvested feed crop by the crop processor.
1 . An agricultural method, using at least one autonomous, unmanned device, a control device and a crop processor, comprising the steps of:
a) automatically harvesting a first amount of feed crop in a part of a crop field by means of the at least one autonomous, unmanned device;
b) automatically loading the first amount of harvested feed crop directly into a storage space provided on the at least one autonomous, unmanned device;
c) automatically transporting the first amount of harvested feed crop from the crop field to a crop processing location provided with the crop processor by means of the at least one autonomous, unmanned device;
d) automatically unloading the first amount of harvested feed crop from the storage space of the at least one autonomous, unmanned device at the crop processing location; and
e) processing the first amount of harvested feed crop at the crop processing location by means of the crop processor;
wherein the control device is configured for controlling the at least one autonomous, unmanned device to repeat steps a) to d) to harvest a second amount of harvested feed crop, and for monitoring of the processing of the first amount of harvested feed crop by the crop processor.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein monitoring of the processing comprises determining a rate of processing the first amount of harvested feed crop by the crop processor.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured for determining a rate of processing according to step e), such that the control device is able to determine when the at least one autonomous, unmanned device has to start executing steps a) to d) to harvest the second amount of harvested feed crop.
4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein determining the rate of processing by the control device comprises determining a third amount of remaining harvested feed crop at the crop processing location after predefined time intervals, wherein the third amount of remaining harvested feed crop represents an unprocessed first amount of harvested feed crop.
5 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein determining the rate of processing by the control device comprises determining a fourth amount of product being produced during a predetermined interval by the crop processor.
6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein processing the first amount of harvested feed crop comprises obtaining proteins and/or carbohydrates from the first amount of harvested feed crop, wherein the proteins and/or carbohydrates form a basis for food and feed products.
7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the obtained proteins from the first amount of harvested feed crop are animal-free milk proteins, wherein the animal-free milk proteins form a basis for animal-free dairy products.
8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the animal-free milk proteins are obtained by fermentation of the harvested crop feed.
9 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein processing the first amount of harvested feed crop comprises extracting the proteins and/or carbohydrates from the first amount of harvested feed.
10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the automatically harvesting step, the method further comprising the additional step of automatically fertilizing said part of the crop field using the autonomous, unmanned device.
11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of automatically loading is performed without the first amount of harvested feed crop contacting soil.
12 . A system for performing the method according to claim 1 , comprising:
the at least one autonomous, unmanned device provided with an automatic drive comprising wheels, a navigation device, an automatic feed harvester for harvesting the first amount of feed crop, an automatic feed loader, a feed storage space, and an automatic feed unloader;
a land surface on which the feed crop grows;
the control device;
an automatic energy charging device for the at least one autonomous, unmanned device; and
the crop processing location with the crop processor for processing the first amount of harvested feed crop,
wherein the control device is configured to control the at least one autonomous, unmanned device to harvest a second amount of feed crop from the land surface and to monitor the processing of the first amount of harvested feed crop by the crop processor.
13 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein the processing is monitored by a determination of a rate of processing the first amount of harvested feed crop by the crop processor.
14 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein the control device is further configured to determine a rate of processing by the crop processor, such that the control device is able to determine when the at least one autonomous, unmanned device has to start harvesting the second amount of harvested feed crop.
15 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the rate of processing is determined by determining a third amount of remaining harvested feed crop at the crop processing location after predefined time intervals, wherein the third amount of remaining harvested feed crop represents an unprocessed first amount of harvested feed crop.
16 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the rate of processing is determined by determining a fourth amount of product produced by the crop processor during a predetermined interval.
17 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein the crop processor is configured to obtain proteins and/or carbohydrates from the first amount of harvested feed crop, wherein the proteins and/or carbohydrates form a basis for food and feed products.
18 . The system according to claim 17 , wherein the crop processor comprises an extraction station for extracting proteins and/or carbohydrates from the harvested feed crop.
19 . The system according to claim 17 , wherein the crop processor comprises a fermentation station for obtaining animal-free milk proteins through fermentation of the harvested feed crop, wherein the milk proteins form a basis for animal-free dairy products.
20 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the control device is further configured for determining the rate of processing according to step e), such that the control device is able to determine when the at least one autonomous, unmanned device has to start executing steps a) to d) to harvest the second amount of harvested feed crop.