# US 2014/0154729 A1 · Screening Device for Screening Plant Specimens

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- Number: US 2014/0154729 A1
- Document ID: US20140154729A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/129,449
- Filed: 2012-06-25
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-06-27
- Assignees: BASF Plant Science GmbH
- Inventors: Frederik Leyns; Cédrick Vandaele; Pierre Lejeune; Jeroen Baert; Fabio Fiorani
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154729A1

## CPC

- G01N 21/17: Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated (where the material investigated is optically excited causing a change in wavelength of the incident light G01N21/63)
- A01G 7/00: Botany in general
- A01G 22/00: Cultivation of specific crops or plants not otherwise provided for
- G01N 21/84: Systems specially adapted for particular applications
- G01N 33/0098: {Plants or trees (wood G01N33/46)}
- G01N 2021/1765: {Method using an image detector and processing of image signal}
- G01N 2021/8466: {Investigation of vegetal material, e.g. leaves, plants, fruits}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12)

## Abstract

A screening device (110) for screening at least one plant specimen (112) in a plurality of plant specimens (114) is disclosed. The screening device (110) comprises a detector (116) adapted for acquiring spatially resolved images (117). The screening device (110) further comprises at least one selection device (118) adapted for selecting a single plant specimen (120) or a group of plant specimens (122) from the plurality of plant specimens (114) for imaging by the detector (116). The selection device (118) comprises a deflection device (124) adapted for deflecting electromagnetic waves propagating between the plant specimens (112) and the detector (116).

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-14. (canceled)

### Claim 15

A screening device for screening at least one plant specimen in a plurality of plant specimens, comprising a detector adapted for acquiring spatially resolved images and at least one selection device adapted for selecting a single plant specimen or a group of plant specimens from the plurality of plant specimens for imaging by the detector, wherein said selection device comprises a deflection device adapted for deflecting electromagnetic waves propagating between the plant specimens and the detector.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The screening device of claim 15, further comprising at least one plant container containing a plurality of plant specimens or a plurality of plant containers containing at least one plant specimen.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The screening device of claim 15, wherein the screening device is adapted to create at least one side view image by using the deflection device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The screening device of claim 15, wherein the screening device is adapted to simultaneously acquire at least two images of a single plant specimen or of a group of plant specimens from at least two different perspectives by using the detector.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The screening device of claim 15, wherein the screening device comprises at least one shielding element adapted to create a background for at least one of the images.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The screening device of claim 15, wherein the screening device comprises at least one reader adapted to read at least one information from at least one identifier assigned to a single plant specimen or to a group of plant specimens.

### Claim 21 (depends on 15)

The screening device of claim 15, wherein the screening device comprises at least one image analysis device adapted to perform at least one image analysis of at least one of the images.

### Claim 22 (depends on 15)

The screening device of claim 15, further comprising at least one database for recording data regarding the plant specimens.

### Claim 23 (depends on 15)

The screening device of claim 15, wherein the screening device is adapted to repeatedly acquire images of each single plant specimen or of each group of plant specimens.

### Claim 24

A method for screening at least one plant specimen in a plurality of plant specimens, wherein one detector is used, wherein the detector acquires spatially resolved images, wherein further at least one selection device is used, wherein the selection device selects a single plant specimen or a group of plant specimens from the plurality of plant specimens for imaging by the detector, wherein the selection device comprises one deflection device, wherein the deflection device deflects electromagnetic waves propagating between the plant specimens and the detector, and wherein the deflection device is used for said imaging by the detector.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

A tracking method for tracking growth conditions of a plurality of plant specimens, wherein a plurality of plant specimens are growing in growing medium in at least one plant container or wherein a plurality of plant containers comprise at least one plant specimen growing in growing medium, wherein the method of claim 24 is used for screening the plant specimens, wherein at least one growth parameter is derived from the images, and wherein the growth parameter is stored in a database.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The tracking method of claim 25, wherein one or more of a drought test and a water use efficiency test is performed in which a variety of plant specimens is subjected to a lack or reduced amount of water over a period of time, wherein the plant specimens' reaction to the lack of water is recorded and monitored.

### Claim 27 (depends on 15)

A method for improved growing of plant specimens for phenotyping or for selecting the most desired genotypes based on phenotype scoring using the screening device of claim 15, wherein said method comprises:
(i) successively transporting the plant specimens to and from a screening station by a motion system, wherein the screening station comprises the detector, wherein at least one growth parameter of the plant specimens in the screening station is derived from the images; and
(ii) controlling at least one growth condition of the plant specimens.

### Claim 28 (depends on 15)

A method for rapid analysis of stress resistance of growing plant specimens using the screening device of claim 15, wherein said method comprises:
(i) growing the plant specimens under stress conditions;
(ii) successively transporting the plant specimens to and from a screening station by a motion system, wherein the screening station comprises the detector, wherein at least one growth parameter of the plant specimens in the screening station is derived from the images; and
(iii) analyzing the stress resistance of the plant specimens based on the growth parameter.

### Claim 29 (depends on 16)

The screening device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of plant containers contain the plant specimens growing in rows.

### Claim 30 (depends on 20)

The screening device of claim 20, wherein the at least one identifier is at least one contactless identifier.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The screening device of claim 30, wherein the at least one contactless identifier is at least one contactless electronic identifier.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The screening device of claim 31, wherein the at least one contactless electronic identifier is at least one RFID.

### Claim 33 (depends on 21)

The screening device of claim 21, wherein the image analysis device is adapted to generate at least one growth parameter of the single plant specimen or the group of plant specimens.

### Claim 34 (depends on 22)

The screening device of claim 22, wherein the data regarding the plant specimens is at least one of the following: at least one image of the single plant specimen or of the group of plant specimens; at least one growth parameter derived from at least one image of the single plant specimen or of the group of plant specimens; information from at least one identifier.

### Claim 35 (depends on 23)

The screening device of claim 23, wherein the screening device is adapted to repeatedly acquire images of each single plant specimen or of each group of plant specimens with a time delay in between each acquiring.

### Claim 36 (depends on 15)

A method for screening at least one plant specimen in a plurality of plant specimens using the screening device according to claim 15.

### Claim 37 (depends on 25)

The tracking method of claim 25, wherein at least one growth parameter is derived from the images for each single plant specimen or group of plant specimens.

### Claim 38 (depends on 25)

The tracking method of claim 25, wherein the growth parameter is stored in a database as one or more of: as a function of time; as a function of the single plant specimen or group of plant specimens; as a function of the row; as a function of a plant container.