WheatScan: Tractor-mount sensing for precision application of Nitrogen and control of milling wheat protein content.

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The project brings together agronomy research, on rapid protein assays for milling wheat, with engineering of photonic sensors, image recognition & mechatronic systems. The ultimate goal is to deliver a tractor-mount scanning unit for autonomous mapping of protein content across wheat fields, to a spatial resolution better than 2 square metres at full field application speeds (17km/hr) for precision application of nitrogen (N). N is the primary input cost and 80% of the carbon footprint, in milling wheat production, however it is over applied in 3 out of 4 cases. This system will enable growers to dynamically map protein distribution in the crop canopy so that all areas attain the threshold 13% protein content. The Sainsbury's 'Camgrain Consortium' of 500 growers will act as early adopters for the retrofittable system, which will incorporate emerging technologies in high-speed infrared photonics, steered on a miniature robotic gimbal through rapid embedded image processing.