Apparatus and methods for evaluating plant stalk strength

A system for measuring at least one of stalk strength and root strength of a crop of plants, said system comprising:

• a plant stalk strength measuring (PSSM) apparatus including:
• a conveyer operably connected to a motor for circulatorily driving the conveyer around at least one guide device,
• a plurality of pulling fingers coupled to the conveyer and structured to sequentially contact and pull each plant stalk in the crop of plants as the pulling fingers travel around the guide device when the apparatus is positioned in contact with the plant stalks and the conveyor is driven around the guide device, and
• a force sensor for measuring resistive force encountered by the motor as the pulling fingers pull the plant stalks;
• and
• a positioning mechanism mountable to a vehicle, the positioning mechanism structured to suspend and position the PSSM apparatus such that the PSSM apparatus will sequentially contact and the pulling fingers will sequentially pull each plant stalk in a subject row of the plants as the vehicle moves along the subject row of plants.

A method for automatically measuring at least one of stalk strength and root strength of a plurality of plants, the method comprising:

• moving a plant stalk strength measuring (PSSM) apparatus along a subject row of plants;
• sequentially contacting and laterally pulling plant stalks in the subject row utilizing a plurality of pulling fingers circulatorily traveling around at least one PSSM apparatus guide device;
• and
• measuring and compiling resistive forces encountered by a motor driving the pulling fingers around the guide device as each pulling finger pulls a respective one of the plant stalks.