System and method for crop monitoring and management
A crop management system including at least one crop monitoring subsystem including at least one crop sensor assembly for sensing at least one crop growth parameter in a predetermined region, at least one field monitoring subsystem including at least one field sensor assembly for sensing at least one field parameter in the predetermined region, an analysis engine receiving an output from at least one of the at least one crop monitoring subsystem and the at least one field monitoring subsystem and being operative to identify at least one anomaly in at least one of the parameters and an anomaly locator operative to provide an output indication of spatial coordinates of at least one location of the at least one anomaly.
1. A system for crop management comprising:
a sensor which is located at a static location during measurement and is capable of sensing at least temperature characteristics of a multiplicity of plants in a field and having a resolution of individual plants or groups of plants, said sensor comprising a camera which is rotatably mounted on a generally vertical shaft, wherein said sensor is at least 6 meters above a canopy of said plants during said measurement; and
a sensor output processor, receiving an output of said sensor and being operative to provide an output indication of a difference between a rate of change in at least temperature over time of a first specific plant or group of plants and a second specific plant or group of plants over a time interval of less than one day; and
an amelioration sub-system, comprising:
an anomaly locator indicating a location of at least one of said first specific plant or group of plants and said second specific plant or group of plants; and
a drone-mounted computer controlled sprayer assembly, operative to spray distressed ones of said first specific plant or group of plants and said second specific plant or group of plants, thereby automatically ameliorating said difference between said rate of change in at least temperature over time.
2. The system for crop management according to claim 1 wherein said sensor output processor is operative to provide an output indication of a temperature difference between a temperature of said first specific plant or group of plants and said second specific plant or group of plants spatially adjacent thereto.
3. The system according to claim 2 comprising integrating functionalities for associating multiple said differences at multiple locations with a plant growth anomaly.
4. The system for crop management according to claim 1 wherein said output indication includes a spatial output location indication specifying the location of said first specific plant or group of plants.
5. The system for crop management according to claim 4 wherein said spatial output location is expressed in GIS coordinates.
6. The system according to claim 1 wherein said generally vertical shaft is a selectably raisable shaft which is mounted on a movable support, which normally does not move during operation of said sensor.
7. The system according to claim 1 comprising artificial intelligence analytics operative to ascertain from said output indication a probable cause of said difference.
8. The system according to claim 1 comprising artificial intelligence analytics operative to associate said difference with a plant growth anomaly.
9. The system according to claim 8 comprising recommendation functionality for recommending amelioration of said plant growth anomaly.
10. The system according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is at least 10 meters above said canopy of said plants during said measurement.
11. The system according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is at least 15 meters above said canopy of said plants during said measurement.
12. The system according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is at least 30 meters above said canopy of said plants during said measurement.
13. The system according to claim 1 wherein said multiplicity of plants is within a predetermined area of at least 10 hectares.
14. The system according to claim 1 wherein said multiplicity of plants is within a predetermined area of at least 50 hectares.
15. A system for crop management comprising:
a sensor which is located at a static location during measurement and is capable of sensing at least temperature characteristics of a multiplicity of plants within a predetermined area of at least 10 hectares and having a resolution of individual plants or groups of plants, said sensor comprising a camera which is rotatably mounted on a generally vertical shaft; and
a sensor output processor, receiving an output of said sensor and being operative to provide an output indication of a difference between a rate of change in at least temperature over time of a first specific plant or group of plants and a second specific plant or group of plants over a time interval of less than one day; and
an amelioration sub-system, comprising:
an anomaly locator indicating a location of at least one of said first specific plant or group of plants and said second specific plant or group of plants;
a drone-mounted computer controlled sprayer assembly, operative to spray distressed ones of said first specific plant or group of plants and said second specific plant or group of plants, thereby automatically ameliorating said difference between said rate of change in at least temperature over time.
16. The system according to claim 15 wherein said predetermined area is at least 30 hectares.
17. The system according to claim 15 wherein said predetermined area is at least 50 hectares.
18. The system according to claim 15 wherein said sensor is at least 6 meters above a canopy of said plants during said measurement.
19. The system according to claim 15 wherein said sensor is at least 15 meters above a canopy of said plants during said measurement.